It's probably pretty safe to say that Todd France, the agent for Philadelphia Eagles star defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, isn't Howard Eskin's biggest fan. Considering how often Eskin is wrong about his breathless, inflammatory reports, it's pretty surprising he even still has fans or, at the very least, listeners willing to parrot his nonsensical blathering.
And yet, here we are. Discussing France's takedown of a recent report from Eskin that Cox had turned down a mammoth contract offer from the Eagles purported to be in the $60 million-plus guarantees range.
France, unsurprisingly, didn't feel the need to pull any punches when asked about Eskin's report.
"For Howard Eskin to come out and say how insane it is and how ridiculous it is - and then to have a personal attack on me, when I literally don't know if I've ever talked to the guy," France said. "OK? And if it was it's gotta be years, and years, and years and it surely wasn't about this. I think it's unfair to myself, I think it's unfair to Fletcher Cox to put out that type of misinformation. And you know who else it's unfair to? The fans. Because you're misleading your Philly fan base.
"To me it's just wrong, careless, and bad reporting. That's my opinion because I actually know the facts."
France, of course, isn't about to fill the general NFL-viewing public - and Eagles fans, in particular - in on every facet of his negotiations with the team on Cox's new contract - a deal that, when it comes, is likely to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in NFL history.
The Eagles and GM/not GM Howie Roseman have made it clear that locking up Cox is part of the long-term plan for the team, but it's a big contract and an important negotiation that will, whenever it's finalized, eat up a lot of the team's cap space.
Cox, drafted as a penetrating 4-3 defensive tackle, but shoehorned in at end in Chip Kelly and Billy Davis' base 3-4, managed to excel despite the traditionally light production of that position. Headed back to the spot he was seemingly destined for - at least according to Jim Washburn - in new Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's scheme, Cox is expected to post just as good, if not better numbers than the 71 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles that landed him in the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2015.
In the end, Eskin's hyperbolic reporting won't matter much, even if France does seem to fear it'll start to turn Philly fans against Cox.
But all it'll take is one highlight reel play, one athletic sack by Cox and Eagles fans will again be clamoring for Roseman to pay the man already.
