Philadelphia Eagles sign WR Brandon Hayes

The Eagles' three-year, $3.1M signing of Brandon Hayes earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), landing squarely in fair-value territory—the team is paying a realistic market rate for a depth-level receiver without overpaying for upside or undershooting for a bargain. At $1.03M AAV, this deal slots Hayes into the third or fourth receiver bracket, which aligns with his role as a rotational piece rather than a featured weapon; the contract length suggests the Eagles view him as a depth anchor with minimal guarantee exposure, a prudent structure for a player at his tier. For context, this price point is standard for reserve wideouts in the current market—not cheap enough to qualify as a steal, but not inflated beyond positional norms either. The value proposition depends entirely on Hayes delivering starter-level snaps and avoiding injury; if he sticks to a depth role on a team sitting at 11-6 with playoff positioning already in question, the Eagles are simply buying replacement-level production at replacement-level cost, which is defensible if unsexy. The three-year term mitigates cap risk and gives Philadelphia flexibility to move on if production dips, but the deal holds no margin for error—this is a low-reward signing with acceptable downside management, hence the C+ read rather than anything lower. In an offseason marked by roster triage, this is competent cost control without value creation.