The Philadelphia Eagles made a bit of a surprise move Wednesday by releasing veteran offensive lineman Allen Barbre.
The Eagles also waived defensive end Marcus Smith, the team's first-round selection (26th overall) in the 2014 draft. Smith was due a roster bonus of nearly $600,000 on the third day of training camp. The Eagles avoided paying that and get about $1.5 million in cap relief with the move. In a corresponding move, the Eagles signed linebacker Steven Daniels to a three-year deal Wednesday.
Barbre, 33, started 12 games last season for Philadelphia, playing left guard and some right tackle. Barbre missed part of the spring with a calf injury. When available, he shared first-team reps at left guard with second-year player Isaac Seumalo.
Seumalo is going into training camp as the starter, offensive coordinator Frank Reich revealed earlier Wednesday.
"Isaac's the starter and then there's just competition from there. That's the great thing about training camp, the great thing about this business: It's just so stinking competitive," Reich said. "It's what the guys love about it. It's what we love about it, so again it'll play itself out."
Smith's selection was widely questioned from the beginning, as many viewed the Smith pick as a reach. The Eagles traded back and selected the Smith out of Louisville in 2014 after their primary targets -- a group that included safety Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, cornerback Kyle Fuller and wide receiver Brandin Cooks -- went off the board before they got on the clock.
Smith's play during his two seasons with the Eagles did nothing to push back on the criticism. He totaled four sacks and 23 tackles in 29 games.
The timing is of Barbre's release is a bit odd, as the team could have moved on from him at any time but chose to cut him on the day veterans reported to camp.
"Allen Barbre is a pro's pro," said Howie Roseman, the executive vice president of football operations. "Not only did he help the team with his solid play as a starter at left guard, but his ability to step up and play multiple positions helped us battle through some difficult situations.
"We had a conversation yesterday and agreed it made sense to allow him to pursue some other opportunities, but the door is open for him to return here as well."
The Eagles appear to have good depth along the interior. They signed former first-round pick Chance Warmack in free agency and reupped fellow veteran Stefen Wisniewski.
The Barbre move should offer the Eagles roughly $2 million in salary-cap relief.