The Philadelphia Eagles have signed defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga, the team announced on Twitter. Sopoaga's deal is reportedly for $12 million over the three years, with $5 million of that in guaranteed money, according to Adam Caplan on Twitter.
Sopoaga's first visit of free agency took him to Philadelphia, and it was immediately rumored that he wasn't going to leave without a contract. It's the first time he significantly tested himself on the open market, as the San Francisco 49ers have generally been able to extend him when needed.
With the 49ers, Sopoaga was a primary piece of the puzzle in 2010 and 2011. He was the starting nose tackle and played very well. Up to that point, he had only been a situational player who had generally disappointed. San Francisco was willing to let him go after a diminished role in 2012, though. The team moved away from a base 3-4 defense, and Sopoaga only saw the field on 31 percent of snaps.
In the same announcement, the team also noted that they signed linebacker Jason Phillips. He played for the Carolina Panthers in 2012 and mad 22 tackles and two forced fumbles in 16 games, primarily as a special teams player. Carolina has been thinning its linebacker depth to save some cap space.
Phillips has played for Baltimore and Carolina since joining the league in 2010. With the Eagles, he will primarily be a special teams player though he figures to contribute to the linebacker depth to some extent.
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