Free agent defensive end Darren Howard agreed to a six-year, $30.5 million deal Sunday night with the Philadelphia Eagles. Included in the deal was a $9.5 million signing bonus and a $1 million roster bonus, topping guarantees offered by his team of six years, the New Orleans Saints.
Howard had turned down a $10 million signing bonus to sign a long-term deal from the Saints in 2005, hoping to do better in the next free agency period. His instincts turned out to be right.
Howard will work on the other side of Jevon Kearse, giving the Eagles one of the best one-two defensive end tandems in the NFL.
The Saints had franchised Howard the past couple of years to try to keep him with the team on one-year deals but decided to let him hit the free agency market. The Eagles called him as free agency began and enticed him by offering $4 million a year and $7 million to sign.
After he decided to visit Philadelphia on Sunday, Howard received a better offer and more up front and wasted no time in agreeing to the deal.
Howard had 33 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Saints in 2005. Drafted by New Orleans in the second round of the 2000 draft from Kansas State, Howard has 262 career tackles, 44.5 sacks and two interceptions.