Asante Samuel is an Eagle.

Asante Samuel to sign with Eagles. UPDATED 4:14 pm.

Asante Samuel is on his way to Philly. The Eagles landed the first visit from the top free agent on the market, and word is the deal is done. Samuel is now in route to Philadelphia and they should have a deal inked by the end of the day. Samuel is not the only pick up the Eagles are thought to have gotten done. There is also talk that free agent safety Gabril Wilson also is ready to sign a deal with the Eagles. But Newsday.com in New York is reporting that Wilson will sign with the Oakland Raiders. My full belief is that if he stops in Philly first, he won't be going anywhere. It looks like the Eagles are completely overhauling there secondary for the upcoming season. Not surprising after last years poor performance. The Eagles ranked 18th against the pass in the NFL last season, and tied for 31st (dead last) in interceptions with a total of 11. So if Samuel is in, most likely Lito Sheppard will be out. There is no rush to move Sheppard at the moment but the Cardinals may be looking to do a deal quick for Larry Fitzgerald to free up cap room for free agency.

I will be posting updates all day with the latest Eagles news and rumors that you won't find anywhere else.

UPDATES:

3:58 - The Denver Broncos have released former Pro Bowl WR Javon Walker. There is a good chance that the Eagles will be taking good look at Walker.

3:16 pm - The Daily New is reporting that Oakland Raiders DE Chris Clemons is in route to Philadelphia, and it is likely he will not be leaving. Clemons was under the radar last season but posted 8 sacks. He is a explosive, fast DE with a great motor, from what I've read and heard.

2:18 pm- SportingNews and Comcast SportsNET are reporting Asante Samuel is set to sign with the Eagles for 5 years $47.2M. That is just over $9M per season. Seems kind of low. Most likely that is the base salary, and there probalay is incentives to make the deal worth $55M. If that is the price the Eagles get him at though, that is good news.

10:15 am - 610 WIP's Howard Eskin is reporting that within 24 hours the Eagles will be signing free agent DE Chris Clemons formerly of the Oakland Raiders. Here is Chris Clemons Bio from the Raiders website.

9:53 am - GET'CHA POPCORN READY. The Eagles are reporting on their website that Asante Samuel will be in Philadelphia today, and that he will be available to the media at the NovaCare Complex at 4:30. Huge news.

9:21 am - There is a new report coming out of Kansas City that Eagles could trade for DE Jared Allen. It was reported on FoxSports Radio overnight that the Eagles would send Lito Sheppard, their 19th pick, and a fourth round pick for DE Jared Allen. Don't really like it. I think a First Round pick and Lito is just to much.

8:33 am - GCobb was just on 610 WIP and he said that his sources inside the Eagles front office have told him that the signing of Asante Samuel is a done deal. It should be announced later this afternoon. He also said that Lito Sheppard is out, and that Arizona is the leading candidate for Sheppard. He made some great points on why Arizona will be trading Larry Fitzgerald to the Eagles. The Cardinals cap problems, the fact that they already have Anquan Bolden, and the Cardinals serious need for a cornerback. GCobb said that the Eagles plan the whole time was to sign Samuel and trade Lito for Larry Fitzgerald. If this goes down, it could be a better offseason then 2004.

7:59 am - The Boston Globe is reporting that Philadelphia will likely be the only stop Asante Samuel will make today. A six year deal worth $60M is rumored to be what Samuel will be getting.

7:54 am - PhillyBurbs.com has said that the Eagles have been talking to Asante Samuel's agent since just past Midnight last night. He said Samuel's asking price is $12M per year. Damnnn.

7:51 am - Donovan McNabb was a guest on ESPN's Mike and Mike show this morning. They grilled him for a couple of minutes about him being traded. McNabb responded that he plans on being an Eagle this season and in the future. Nothing new there. Well he may get the playmakers he wants in the next couple of days.


Other signings and FA news:

• RB Michael Turner will be visiting the Falcons today.


• G Justin Smiley signed a 5 year deal with the Dolphins.


• RB DeShaun Foster signed a 2 year deal with 49ers.


• The Jets will be trading Jonathan Vilma to Saints for Draft Pick.


• Saints trying to trade for TE Jeremey Shockey.


• Packers traded DT Corey Williams to Browns for 2nd round pick.


• WR Bernard Berrian is set to visit the Vikings today.


• DE Justin Smith will visit 49ers today and Vikings tomorrow.


• Top Guard Alan Faneca will be signing with either the Jets, Rams, or the 49ers.


• CB Drayton Florence will sign with the Bucs, Lions, or Redskins.


• DT Shaun Rogers of the Lions and Jaguars DT Marcus Stroud are both on the Block.


• Jets have offered the Panthers 3rd and a 5th round picks for DT Kris Jenkins.


• The Browns have re-signed QB Derek Anderson.


• The Dolphins are expected to make huge offer to Free Agent LB Calvin Pace today.
• Jaguars DT Marcus Stroud is set to visit the Buffalo Bills this weekend.
• WR Donte Stallworth will be meeting with the Browns this weekend.
• The Vikings have signed free agent safety Madieu Williams.
• The Jaguars have signed WR Jerry Porter.
• The Vikings are staying busy signing FB Thomas Tapeh.
• Dolphins sign WR Ernest Wilford.
• The Seahawks are close to signing TE Alge Crumpler.
• The Bengals have traded for Lions DT Shaun Rogers.

Top Ten Teams with most Cap Room:

1) Jacksonville Jaguars, $46.27M
2) Tennessee Titans, $42.73M
3) Buffalo Bills, $39.61M
4) Minnesota Vikings, $35.49M
5) New Orleans Saints, $35.25M
6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $33.41M
7) San Francisco 49ers, $3.274M
8) Philadelphia Eagles, $31.34
9) Cincinnati Bengals, $31.21
10) Oakland Raiders, $30.59

Recent Eagles posts:

• The Benchwarmers - The Story of the Eagles 2007 Draft Class


• The Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Part 1.


• The Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Part 2.


• The Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Part 3.

Threat Level Midnight: 2008 Free Agency

If you haven't heard the recent rumblings that are being thrown around Philadelphia in the last six hours or so, you're in for a treat. Apparently the rumors of Lito Sheppard being on the trade block and the Eagles wanting to sign Asante Samuel may have some truth behind them. Blogs and all the radio hosts on 610 are chattering like crazy that there are some big moves in the making. And the leak last week of Lito being on the trade block could have been a strategic move to gage interest from other teams, and it may have worked. First lets talk about what the Eagles did today. They cut about 230lbs of dead weight letting Jevon "da Turd" Kearse go. They also signed JR Reid and Josello Hanson. But lets get to the good stuff. So if you have not heard, this is what many are speculating that may transpire in the next few days. The Eagles would trade Lito Sheppard and a draft choice to A) the Arizona Cardinals for WR Larry Fitzgerald or B) the Detroit Lions for WR Roy Williams. If you have not been following what has been going on in Arizona. They have a serious problem with their salary cap this year. The problem is that their WR Larry Fitzgerald is due to make $14.6M in '08 and $17.4M in '09. That is crazy money for a WR. What the GM of the Cardinals did, which is kind of funny, he built into Larry's contract a bunch of incentive clauses that they thought were unattainable. But he hit every single one of them. When they drew up the contract they had the option to either give big money to Larry in '08 and '09 or let him be a UFA if he hit them. They chose to go with the big money option, and now they will be paying for it. Now they have been trying to get Larry to restructure his deal and add years to draw the money out over a longer period of time so that their salary cap this year won't be shot. That ain't happening. So with them needing help in the secondary badly, and needing to get rid of Larry and his contract, the Eagles may be able to make this happen. Now the news out of Detroit is that Roy Williams could be available. Earlier this week the Lions parted ways with their starting CB Fernando Bryant, leaving a hole open in their secondary. So some are thinking that Lito could be shipped to the Lions with a draft pick, most likely a third, for Roy Williams. So if either of these deals get done, there is one important thing that has to happen first. They have to sign Asante Samuel. The rumor is that at 12:01 am tonight the Eagles will be on the phone trying to get Asante to come to Philly. They want this to be done fast. With New Orleans, Tampa Bay and other teams lurking with barrels of money, they are going to have to move fast and make great offer quick. Now they are not going to give him the 10yr/$100M deal the Saints are rumored to be offering, but they will instead pay him more per year for less years. A five year deal worth $11M-$12M a year has been rumored. If this deal with Asante does not happen within the first day of free agency it ain't happening at all, and that means no Fitzgerald or Williams. It has to be the perfect storm for them to make this work. Now if this doesn't happen, they might throw a 4yr/$40M deal at Randy Moss. Its going to get interesting in the next day. It's going to be, THREAT LEVEL MIDNIGHT. Please tell me you got that.


Poll:

The Philadelphia Eagles Offseason - Part 3 - Randy Moss to join Cowboys ?, Asante Samuels to ink deal with the Saints, Kearse to be cut.

Well this Friday the free agency signing period will begin, and the Eagles should be big players. The rumor mill has been going strong the last couple of weeks. The talk about Lito Sheppard being traded, Jevon Kearse being cut (which will become reality soon), and the Eagles being very interested in Randy Moss & Asante Samuel. The latest report on Moss is from AOLsports. They are reporting he will signing a long term deal with the Patriots. But FoxSports is reporting the opposite. They are reporting that talks with Pats have stalled and a deal with the Cowboys could happen on Friday. Chris Mortenson reported two weeks ago that the Eagles would be willing to throw Moss a 4 year, $40M deeal if he hits the market. If the Eagles let Moss go to Cowboys without trying to get him, that will be infurating. The news on Asante Samuel is that the frontrunners to land his service are the Saints, Bucs, and the Jets. Rumors coming from the NFL scouting combine say that the Saints and Samuels have a deal ready. It is said that the deal will be worth $10M per year if not $11M. Now the Eagles have been negiotions with Jevon Kearse for him to take a pay cut this season. When asked about Kearse, his agent Drew Roshendouche had this to say: “Yeah, we expect Jevon to be released,” Rosenhaus said. “I expect Jevon to be a free agent. We tried to work out a contract restructure with the Eagles. We thought he had a wonderful career there, they’re a great organization. We weren’t able to do it.” You thought he would have a wonderful career here? So did we but that thought ended about two years ago. In his four years here, Kearse has had a grand total of 22 sacks, and 72 tackles. Kearse signed a 8yr/$62.6M deal in 2004. If that isn't the biggest waste of money I've ever seen. So far they have paid him roughly $30M of that money. Including a $12M signing bonus. Kearse has base salary of $6.5M this year, but his cap value is $8.5M. Second highest next to Donovan McNabb. What a turd. The best was when he showed up to mini-camp last June weighing 230lbs. He's 6-4. He's the same size as Dwayne Wade. Thats what you want at the DE position. The Eagles and their puppet Howard Eskin are always saying that championships are won on the offensive and defensive lines, which I agree with. But do you really trust Andy Reid and the front office to make good choices a that position. I will give them props for their work at the DT position but they have had a rough time at the DE position. Trent Cole, great job, other then that they have signed and drafted crap at the DE position. And there is no help in sight. The free agency market for DE's is very thin. They should really give Victor Abiami a chance, they really don't have any other choice. I would think about taking a shot the Bengals Justin Smith but he probalaly will get over paid elsewhere. And if they draft a DE, which they will do early, you won't see him play for another 2 years. The whole system is screwed up. With all this in mind, lets take a look at the defensive side of the ball, and see where the Eagles might go.

Cornerbacks - So Lito Sheppard is not happy with his current contract, whats new. The Eagles have been doing this for 9 years. Lock up young players early with contracts that pay with a huge signing bonus, mediocre salary in the middle, then heavy at the end knowing that the player will never see the last two years of that deal, unless they are in the top 5 at their position. It's the players fault for signing those things. So with that the Eagles are weak at the CB position. They have two solid starters, and that is it. Hanson and James are both free agents and only Hanson is expected to be back. The Eagles need a solid nickel back to challenge both Sheldon and Lito for their position's. As I said earlier the Eagles are thought to be in the mix for Asante Samuel but that may not happen.

Targets: There are three guys I think they will be targeting. Drayton Florence, Domonique Foxworth, and newly released Fernando Bryant. I really think will end up with one if not two of these guys. They most likely will take a CB in either round 1 or 2 of this years draft.

Safeties - Its no secret the the Eagles safeties are weak. I love Brian Dawkins as pretty much everyone else does but he is on the downside of his career. He was hurt all through training camp and played poorly at times last season. Then you have Sean Considine. Played okay at best, but then got injured. Quintin Mikell is a back-up at best. They need a playmakers at both positions.

Targets: There is a young guy who could be availible on Friday that I like a lot. Atari Bigby. This guy is a hard hitting, aggressive strong safety who has nose for finding the football. Good in coverage. This is the guy besides the obivious Moss, Samuel, that I want the most. Things will have to the Eagles way in the next two days to get this guy. He is ERFA. If he is not resigned by the Packers by Friday he will hit the market as a UFA. Now if they can't get him they will get Gibril Wilson from the Giants. Word is that the Eagles are very high on getting Wilson. I do like Wilson also, but would rather go Bigby. Wilson has alot if the same qualities as Bigby but will most likely get a bigger contract. So if they get one of those guys to start right away that puts more depth at the FS spot. Consindine was drafted to play that position and Mikell can play well there. They have to draft a FS for the future this year though.

Linebackers - This is a position where they finally have some depth. Spikes, Gaither, and Gocong make a decent starting core. With the emergence of Stewart Bradley at the end of last season they look to be solid here. No immediate needs in free agency or the draft.

Defensive Tackle - Same as the LB position. The Eagles have some depth here, could use another guy though. Bunkley and Patterson make up one of the top ten DT tandems in the league. Most likely there won't be a major signing at this position. Our old friend Sam Rayburn could be a possibility.

Defensive End - Huge need for a DE. Trent Cole is as solid as they come but after that its a crap shoot. Jevon "the Turd" Kearse will be gone. There is a chance that Darren Howard could be released but that seems unlikely. His contract is big but they need the depth. The thought now is that he will be a Nickel package DT. They need address the DE position during free agency and in the draft. They most likely will use a 1st or 2nd round pick on a DE. But again, I'm not confident they can pick the right guys. They are just bad at picking this position.

Targets: The top DE out there is Justin Smith. They will have to over pay to get this guy if they want him. The Titans Travis LaBoy or Antwan Odom could be options. Both are young guys that have shown flashes that they could be good DE's in the NFL. Other then that, I honestly don't know.

As it stands right now the Eagles are in good shape going into free agency, money wise. They are 8th in cap space being $31.3M under the cap. Below are the top ten teams with the most cap space going into this seasons free agency period.

1) Jacksonville Jaguars, $46.27M
2) Tennessee Titans, $42.73M
3) Buffalo Bills, $39.61M
4) Minnesota Vikings, $35.49M

5) New Orleans Saints, $35.25M
6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $33.41M

7) San Francisco 49ers, $3.274M
8) Philadelphia Eagles, $31.34
9) Cincinnati Bengals, $31.21

10) Oakland Raiders, $30.59

Car accident, Smoking Pot, Getting Arrested. A night out with Eagles DT Mike Patterson.

Breaking news this Friday, is that last Saturday, Eagles DT Mike Patterson was arrested for possession of Marijuana. I don't get how athletes are getting caught for weed all the time. If smoking weed is your thing fine. But stay home and do it. You shouldn't be doing it, but IF you are, why take the risk of being caught outside your home driving around with weed. Police said they found a vehicle on the side of the road with damage caused by a minor motor vehicle accident around 6 a.m. They said they smelled burning marijuana coming from inside and found Patterson and the marijuana inside. They said Patterson admitted it was his. He was charged with possession and released. So, you get into a accident and instead of getting the F out of dodge, you decide to blaze up on the spot. Riggggght. Also inside the car was Patterson's brother, Tyrone, who had several outstanding warrants for his arrest, police said. Police said he resisted arrest. His brother was charged with resisting arrest, posted bail and was released. This is the last thing the Eagles need right now. Patterson is coming off of a breakout season and was a key to the Eagles defense last season. The Eagles and NFL have not commented on the news of Patterson's arrest.

Ryan Howard Wins Arbitration, Scores $10M.

Ryan Howard won his arbitration case vs. the Phillies and will be awarded with $10M this season. This is obiviously great for Howard, but the Phillies won by losing this case. In the court of public opinion they were losing ground fast in the last week. After the bad start last year, Howard has taken this offseason very serious. He showed up 5 days early looking trim. For the 5 weeks prior to showing up to Clearwater, Howard was working out with the likes of Derek Jeter, Ryan Zimmerman, and Ryan Braun. He was part of a 5 week, 7 days a week,that worked on core strength and flexibility, took batting practice, did some fielding work, and ate from a specialized training table heavy on proteins and organic fibers. Howard has said that he has dropped about 15 lbs, and is feeling great, unlike last spring. It looks like the stars could be aligning just right for Howard to have a great start.

Lito Sheppard Update.

So now it seems that there is not much truth to the Lito Sheppard trade rumors, as of right now. But come on, there has to be some truth to what is going around. Derrick Gunn from Comcast Sports Net reported at 6:30 pm last night, that he talked to Lito to see if he knew what was going on and Lito said he knew nothing about this, and that he thought Derrick Gunn was trying to pull a joke on him. Then the Eagles release a statement saying that the all reports of Lito being traded are false. Now its really not so far fetched that Lito could be traded in the near future. It is now coming out that Lito is not happy with his contract and would like to redo his current contract. Lito feels he is a top 5 Corner and deserves to paid like one. Lito also told DGunn that he felt he had outperformed his current contract and was going to see if the Eagles would redo his contract or he was going to push to be traded. So basically, he knows how the Eagles work and most likely he will not get a new contract, and someone in his camp leaked this to ESPN and the NFL Network. No offense to Lito, but he is not a top 5 Cornerback, and he might not be a top 10 at this point. It is his own fault that he is where he is. The Eagles do a great job of locking up young players early, and then hope that they outperform their contracts. Thats what they do, sometimes it works, sometimes it doen't. In this case I think that they both got a good deal. When Lito signed his contract in 2004 he was given a up front bonus of $8.7M. His salary for 2004 was $9.2M. The Eagles gave him a lot of money up front then gave him less for the next 4 seasons, and loaded up the end of his contract. 2005 - $532,000, 2006 - $615,000, 2007 - $1.5M, 2008 - $2M, 2009 - $3M, 2010 - $3.7M, 2011 - $4.25M. Basically the Eagles threw Lito $9.2M when he was unproven, which is a risk, and Lito, knowing that nothing is guaranteed and he could get injured and have his career be over at anytime, took the deal. They both took a risk and the Eagles ended up winning in the deal. Not the Eagles fault. Now should they redo Lito's deal. Absoulutly not. Lito saw what Nate Clements got last year and sees what Asante Samuel is going to get this year and feels he is worth what they got. If I'm the Eagles and Lito tells me he wants a Nate Clements type deal or trade me. I'm on the phone with the Bengals. The Bengals have struggled at the Defensive Back position for the last ten years. I would offer them Lito Sheppard for Chad Johnson straight up. Then I would go after Asante Samuel or Marcus Trufant, both are better than Sheppard. I like Lito. He just takes to many chances and is always injured. If Lito wants out, I give him his wish.

Derrick Gunn Report: http://philadelphia.comcastsportsnet.com/view_content_0p.asp?ID=62496

Breaking News: Lito Sheppard given permission to seek trade.

This is big news in many ways. The NFL Network, and ESPN are reporting the Eagles have given Cornerback Lito Sheppard permission to talk with other teams about a possible trade. Sheppard has been played one full season in his NFL career, and has been plagued by injuries. When on the field Sheppard is a great corner but he tends to take alot of chances. So now we are starting to get a better idea of where they are going to go during the off-season. The Eagles are already set to lose Josello Hanson, Will James, and JR Reed. There is a clear need for depth at the Defensive Back position. Already people are speculating that the Eagles will be making an attempt at getting Free Agent CB Asante Samuel. Samuel is one of the top five CB's in the league and will be demanding big money. Last season Nate Clements was made the highest paid defensive player in NFL history after being given a 8yr/$80M contract with $22M guaranteed money. So expect Samuel to demand at least that. This also could mean that they will draft a CB in the 1st or 2nd round in this years draft.

Shenanigans!! Kyle Kendrick gets Punk'D.

"To Jimmy Rollins: We are the team to beat."

Well Carlos Beltran has officially started the war vs. the Mets for this year. The first thing out of over paid Center Fielder's mouth was, "To Jimmy Rollins: We are the team to beat." Its funny he wasn't talking all that smack till they picked up Johan Santana. Now he feels a little tougher to come out and start taking shots, which is fine, and time will tell who steps up to the plate this season. But we all remember the most historic collapse of the 2007 Mets. It was so great. Remember. Remember Paul Lo Dookie saying something about, we will see who wins in the end. Its about time someone in that clubhouse got a set of balls to speak up. Their biggest problem is that there is nobody in that clubhouse who will step up and be the leader. But if Beltran wants that role, good luck. And even with Beltran proclaiming, "We are the team to beat.", at least come up with something new. Its like when you call someone an idiot, and they go I'm not an idiot your an idiot. Hes got the come back skills of George Constanza. Seinfeld fans got it. "The jerk store called they're running out of you." Then to boot, his teammates aren't even backing him up. Third baseman David Wright said, "I've said all along, I have the utmost confidence in this team to win, But just personally, I don't feel the need to declare anything. Talk is cheap when you're talking about February." Basically he told Carlos Beltran to STF. So with that I was able to dig up every horrible NY newspaper cover I could, so we could rejoice again in last seasons epic COLLAPSE. We have about two more months to ride this out.

It makes me laugh. If you would like to see full pictures of these newspapers just do a quick Google Image Search for: METS COLLAPSE or METS NY POST.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/wires/02/16/2010.ap.bbn.mets.beltran.s.boast.0946/

The Philadelphia Eagles Offseason - Part 2 -UPDATED

So as the Eagles go into Free Agency they have some area's that need some serious attention. But the only problem is that this is not a deep free agency class. There are a couple of big name guys, that will get huge contracts from teams with more money. But after that there isn't much. So I'm going to into this in the way I think the Eagles will go. Not really what I want them to do, but what I think they will do. The Eagles need some major retooling this offseason, an down the line they are going to need help at almost every position. Let's start on offense.

Quarterback - I really believe that Donovan McNabb will return to normal. He will be the starting QB next season barring someone offering the Eagles at least two first round picks, and/or him getting injured which is very much possible. The Eagles honestly think that they are a couple of players away from being a true contender. I'm not so much a believer of that. With that don't expect to see a Kevin Kolb appearence just yet.

Running Back - Brian Westbrook is the franchise right now. Bottom line. He goes out for a significant amount of time, and the Eagles are in trouble. I love Westbrook but he is fragile. The fact that he didn't practice at all last season says a lot. He's probably got about 2-3 years left in the tank. As far as his back-ups ago, we still have Buckhalter as the number 2 and then we have Tony Hunt, who had ten carries last season and did not smell the field in the last seven games. It's infuriating how little that they play their young players. Had they given Winston Justice some play his rookie season we might have been able to avoid that debacle vs. the Giants last season. Bottomline, the Eagles should think about shifting some of Westbrook's load towards Hunt this season.

Wide Recievers - Most people are in agreement, with the exception of the Eagles front office and Howard Eskin, that the Eagles need to upgrade at WR. Kevin Curtis is a good WR but not a number 1. Reggie Brown just is not a good wide out. He's okay at best. He doesn't do anything great, but everything average. Thats about it. Don't give me Hank Baskett. He was a nice story his rookie season but he struggled last year, and doesn't seem have as much upside any more. Then you have Greg Lewis. Don't get me started on Greg Lewis. I would be here all day. So as usual, the Eagles need a solid number 1 WR.

Tight End - They actually have some depth here for this season. But they need to think about the future this season. If healthy, LJ Smith will have a very good season but he is not the future anymore. With the Eagles signing Smith, they must not think to much of Brent Celek. Celek is a decent TE, but more of a back up. They need a big playmaking TE. Like a Shockey, Gates, or Olsen type. I think they may let Schobel go, and add another TE.

Offensive Line - The Eagles O-Line is getting old fast. Jon Runyan and William Thomas are on the downside of their careers and will be Free Agents in 2009. It is time to start getting ready for them to be gone. We saw last season after Winston Justice got man handled by the Giants that they really need to start planning for the future. Herrimans, and Jackson both had rough seasons, and we really need to see what Max-Jean Gilles has. Expect them to sign a solid guard and tackle.

So as much as they want you to think they are as good as any team that was in the playoffs this past season, they are far from it. They are getting old fast, and this is going to be the last run with this core of players. Now let's look at who they will target on Offense.

Ben Utecht, TE - I know that I said they have good depth there but I think that Schobel could be cut, and Utecht would be nice 2nd or 3rd TE.

Ernest Wilford, WR - He is a poorman's Plaxico Burress. Big, Physical, good hands, but lacks big play ability. Also seems to disappear at times. That could be cause he played for the run happy Jaguars though. Has upside, if he isn't asking for much I would not be surprised to see the Eagles go after him.

Marty Booker, WR - Just got cut by the Dolphins. Veteran WR that has big play ability, good size, and is physical. I think they could get him on the cheap, which is what the Eagles love to do. Probably not the Eagles first choice but could be an option.

Randy Moss, WR - I don't really need to explain why they would target Randy Moss. ESPN's Chris Mortenson reported that if Moss hits the market the Eagles will offer him a $40M deal on the first day. The Patriots have 7 days from today to designate their franchise player, most likely it will be Moss.

Alan Faneca, G - Faneca is finally getting his wish to hit the free agent market. I think the Eagles might go down this road. Faneca is 31, but should have another good 5 years left and he is one of the top guards in the NFL.

Mushin Muhammad, WR - Mushin Muhammad was released on Monday, and I could see the Eagles being interested. Veteran guy. Big Physical. Could be an option.

Phillies sign Anna Benson, and Spring Training has started.

I know everyone was hoping this would happen and finally, it happened. The Phillies signed pitcher Kris Benson to a minor league deal, and asked him to join the team in Clearwater. Now the signing is all fine and good but the best part about Benson is his semi-famous wife, Anna Benson. She's graced the cover of FHM and Sporting News, and also was on the Howard Stern show. While on the Howard Stern Show she told Howard that if Kris ever cheated her, she would sleep with all his teammates. Damn. In the words of Eric B. and Rakim, she ain't no joke. She's super hot and maybe she'll up our standing as the US's ugliest city. I was listening to the Morning Show on 610, and Keith Jones had a great line. He said, " I'm pulling for Kris Benson to make the team, and I'll be pulling for Anna Benson also." I thought it was funny.

Pitchers and Catchers reported to Clearwater today along with some other players who have already been working out in Clearwater. Pat Burrell and Chase Utley were already in Clearwater training today when Pitchers and Catchers reported, but there was bigger surprise when Ryan Howard showed up. It really shows his class when he shows up a week early even though is in a battle with the front office. It's good to see that the core players are serious about another run this season.

The Philadelphia Eagles Offseason - Part 1.

The NFL Offseason has officially begun with teams franchising players and teams cutting dead weight. The Eagles have started by tagging TE L.J. Smith for what looks to be a 1 year/$4.5M a year contract. When the free agency period begins on Feb. 29th the Eagles will be about $17.17M under the cap. The cap in 2008 will be raised to $116M, up from $109M in 2007. The Eagles don't have a lot of money to play with this offseason which isn't all that bad cause there really isn't much out there. Asante Samuel, Lance Briggs, Randy Moss head the list of big name free agents. Randy Moss almost surely will be hit with the franchise tag so you can stop wishing for him right now. As far as the Eagles go, they really don't have a lot of players hitting the free agent market. And most the guys that they are losing, will still be on the free agent market come September. Most notable free agents, Reno Mahe, JR Reed, Jasello Hanson, and William James. Are you losing sleep over losing any of those guys. Didn't think so. Below is a list of important dates for the offseason.

February 7 - Commencement of 15-day designation period for Franchise and Transition Players

February 20-26 - NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana

February 21 - Deadline for teams to designate Franchise and Transition Players

February 28 - Deadline for submission of Qualifying Offers by teams to their Restricted Free Agents whose contracts have expired and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refulsal/Compensation

February 29 - Start of Free Agency and Trading period

March 17 - Begin Offseason Workout Programs

April 18 - Deadline for signing of Offer Sheets by Restricted Free Agents

April 25 - Deadline for old team to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents

April 26-27 - NFL Draft in New York City

May 19-21 - NFL Spring Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia

July - All teams begin Training Camp

Coming next, Part 2:

Looking at the Eagles needs, and who they might target in free agency.

The Benchwarmers: The Story of the Eagles 2007 Class.

With the draft being about 78 days away, I think its time to reflect on last years draft picks, and in the coming weeks look into the future. With the Giants having their rookies making big contributions during the playoffs and a lot of rookies getting major playing time this past season there has been a lot of talk about the Eagles philosophy to not play rookies a whole lot. There are a lot of people that are acting like this is something new from the Eagles, but this has been a common theme in the Reid era since the beginning. They are stubborn in their ways from top to bottom. From not negoiating with players who want to redo contracts to there inability to admit a mistake. From the same boring press conferences where Reid reveals nothing about anything to them signing medoicre unproven players to 7 year deals. Do I need to go any further?

Its the same song and dance every friggin year, and this is coming from someone who actually likes Andy Reid. He just needs to be a little less selfish and maybe rely on some outside help sometimes. Maybe shake things up a little bit every now and then. Maybe lets say, let your rookies get some playing time so you can determine whether you A) have somebody who could be a starter or B) be a bust. Like right now, the Eagles as usual, need another DE. For a team who preaches every year that games are won on the line, they sure do a horrible job of making a good line. So, Jevon Kearse's career is pretty much over. Darren Howard has been average at best. We know that Trent Cole is solid but after that, there is a clear question mark. Now last season they draft Victor Abiamiri in the 2nd round. Now you would think with the question marks that you have in that area, and the fact that you are not going to the playoffs, which they knew in about week 13 or 14, wouldn't you give the kid a shot for at least 1 game or more, just to see what you have. Abiamiri ended the season with 3 tackles and did not play a full quarter worth of time the entire season. What is the logic behind this? If you can tell me please do? What would it hurt to let the guy play. You could have the next Clyde Simmions, but you'll never know cause the coach does not give his player the oppourtunity to prove himself. I don't want to hear that the playbook is difficult or any other lame excuse that Reid brings to the table. Thats bull. Your team was not going to the playoffs and DE is not the hardest position in that defense. Its not MLB. I can name at least 5 guys who had the same level of talent as Abiamiri, that started games, played in playoff games, and had huge impact's in games this season. Did they make mistakes, sure, but their good plays out weighed their bad plays. And now those teams know what they have.

The Giants, just for example. They know that they have found a back to compilment Jacobs with Ahmed Bradshaw. They have a new solid possession reciever in Steve Smith. They now know that Jeremy Shockey is espendable. They now know they have a solid shut down CB in Aaron Ross, and a decent Safety in Michael Johnson. Do you see where I'm getting at. Going into this years draft, and free agency, the Giants have a lot questions answered for them by playing young players. Back to the Eagles. Next up to bat, Tony Hunt. I'm sure you were as happy as I was when I heard that the Eagles drafted a big back who can pound the rock. But we won't know if he can pound the rock in the big league cause Reid refused to let Hunt play. Hunt had 10 carries for 16 yards on the season. 10 carries. 4 carries came late in that blow out game vs. the Lions. I mean are you serious. Brian Westbrook is the Eagles offense but I think I've seen enough of Correll Buckhalter. We know what he brings to the table, and no offence to Buck, its not much. He has heart and a good motor.

But again how are you going to know what you have if you don't give guys the oppurtunity to play. Hunt did not even get one carry in the last 7 games of the season. Hunt, we thought, was going to be the big back we've waiting for, false. Again if I hear that the playbook is complex I'm going to smack somebody. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS. Here's the play. McNabb calls hike, he hands Hunt the ball, the O-Line blocks, Hunt runs. Wow, hard. Next up, Stewart Bradley. We saw at the end of the season that it looks like he could be a good player. If it wasn't for the lack of depth at LB we would not even be talking about Bradley. I don't have much to say about him, except he should be competing for a starting job next season. Next, Brent Celek. Celek got a lot of playing time but did not get many looks from McNabb. He has potential, but with the franchise tagging of L.J. Smith, that tells me that Reid doesn't love what he sees. I'm not going to go into the Kolb situation cause thats a whole different topic. So as excited as I am about this years draft, I always get sucked into thinking that this year will be different and that the Eagles rookies will actually get some playing time. And every year I'm sadly disappointed.

Eagles put Tag on L.J. Smith.

The Eagles have decided to put the Franchise Tag on L.J. Smith. The Eagles currently have a question mark at the Tight End position with Smith coming off a injury plagued season, and second year TE Brent Celek still being very much an unproven player. There was a clear hole at the TE position last year that needs to seriously be addressed. As far as tagging Smith it is a win-win situation for both parties for the 2008 season not so much the future. The Eagles will not have to pay Smith much and in return if healthy, he will be the starter and add depth. Smith on the other hand will get another chance to market himself after the horrible season he went through in 2007. If L.J. Smith is offered a contract by any team this season the Eagles have the option to match the offer or if they lose Smith get two first round draft picks in return. Now, if the Eagles do not make smart decisions this off season at the TE position it will haunt them down the line in 2009 and the years after. It took the Eagles about two seasons to bring Smith along when he was drafted. So they need make a decision and find out if Celek is the TE of their future or draft another this spring. Which probaly won't happen cause that would take the Eagles management admitting that they made a bad decision, and we know how much they like admiting mistakes. With that there is some talent at the TE position in this years draft. They should take a long look at USC's Fred Davis, and Texas A&M's Martellus Bennett.

Its a Philly thing. Sixers box office woes.

In case you haven't noticed, which I really don't expect anybody to, the Sixers are hurting bad with attendance. The Sixers are in the bottom of barrell ranking 27th out 30 teams. As of now they have not had a single sell out, and the biggest attendance they've had thus far was on opening night getting about 19,000 to attend. I knew the Sixers were going to be hurting with attendance this season when I was approached the Saturday before opening night. Here's how it went down and how desperate the Sixers were and still are. This young woman approaches me and my soon to be wife at the time. She's staring me down from about 10 ft and it was a little awkward. I was like, dude I'm with my chick. With this bubbley, ditsy voice she starts giving the cheeseist pitch ever. "Hey, Do you like sports?" I was wearing an Eagles hat, so yes I obiviously like sports. Yes I do. "Well theres this little team, the Sixers, have you heard of them? It was just so awkward. She was actually asking me if I have heard of the Sixers. I really couldn't believe what was happening. I thought I was being Punk'd. "Yes I know who they are." Then she hands me a stack of about 300 tickets. "Check'em out." Wow. These are tickets to, what did you call them, "the Sixers." "We are having a great deal right now, buy one get one free lower level seats." Any other time I would have jumped on that but I was getting married in 2 weeks and just didn't have the time to squeeze in a Sixers game. So I told her no thanks and tryed to hand the tickets back but she refused to take them. "what you don't like basketball?" She was questioning my fanhood, in front of my lady. What the fuck? No I love basketball, then I proceeded to tell her that I was getting married, and with this smurk and fake laugh she say's, "oh I'm sorry to hear that." Now mind you, it didn't bother me so much, but that shit was not flying with my wife. I for sure thought this chick was going to get punched "What did you say?" my wife says to the Sixers chick. The Sixers chick sensed the danger quickly,"I was just kidding.", grabbed the tickets and bounced. So what I got from this was that the Sixers must really be desperate to send out some lame ass chick with the worst sale pitch ever. So as of right now the Sixers are struggling to get people to come to games, they are hitting the promotions hard. Some are okay, but most are just lame. If you haven't seen the commercial for the Guys Night Out deal, man, I'm rushing to get in on that deal. I mean you do get an autographed Sixers Dancers poster, thats got to be worth, like a dollar or two. I would frame it, and hang it up in my living room. My wife would love that. Family Fridays (4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas for $99) - Got kids? Not such a bad deal. All You Can Eat (upper-level ticket, all the hot dogs, soft drinks, popcorn, chips, and salsa you want for $31) - They'll keep you busy eating, cause you won't be seeing the game from where your sitting. The last sign of the desperate times, the Sixer will most likely be playing a game in the Spectrum. According to a report that first appeared in Monday's Delaware County Daily Times, the Sixers are thinking about moving their March 22 game against the Nets across the street from the Wachovia Center, which opened in "96, to the Spectrum. Not such a bad idea. They will be knocking the Spectrum down probablly within the next year and this would be one last hoorah. Well not really hoorah. More like a hooahhhh. The Sixers are just that bad. Oh well, here's to the future.

Some other great promotions that you really should think about getting tickets for.

Guys Night Out (4 lower-level tickets, 4 domestic beers, 4 hot dogs, 4 Holt's Cigar passes, and 4 autographed Sixers Dancers posters for $149). - They stole this from the Heat. Probably the best deal, but I'm not rushing out to get in on this horrible promotion. Are you?

Prom Night. The only thing that would make this Prom Night promotion good is if at halftime they brought the team out to center court, then dumped buckets of pigs blood on them. Then have the

Wachovia Center burst into flames. If you've got a taste for terror.....take Carrie to a Sixers game.

Sci-Fi Night. Great combo. Basketball. and Sci-Fi. Rigggggght. Oh, and remember: next Friday... is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans. That'd be nice. Thannnnks.

2007-08 Promotional Schedule

Thursday, Feb. 7
Miami Heat
Gatorade Battle of the Bands

Saturday, Feb 9
Los Angeles Clippers
Teddy Bears Scout Night

Monday, Feb. 11
Dallas Mavericks
Magee Spokesman

Wednesday, Feb. 13
Memphis Grizzlies
Mr. Potato Head Giveaway courtesy of Gatorade, '83 Tribute Night, Dollar Dog Night
Mark Iavaroni and Franklin Edwards will be honored

Wednesday, Feb. 20
New York Knicks
"Gamble & Huff's Sound of Philly" Anthem ,Clash of the Choirs,
Musiq Soul Child will be honored.

Wednesday, Feb. 27
Orlando Magic
La Liga Gatorade Battle of the Bands

Friday, Mar. 7
Seattle Sonics
Faith and Family Gospel, Read for Ronald

Monday, Mar. 10
Boston Celtics
Rally Towels Giveaway, '83 Tribute Night, Dollar Dog Night, MASH Theme

Saturday, Mar. 15
San Antonio Spurs
Prom Night

Wednesday, Mar. 19
Denver Nuggets
Rally Rackets Giveaway courtesy of Chevy

Saturday, Mar. 22
New Jersey Nets
Sci-Fi Night, Filippino Heritage Night

Friday, Mar. 28
Phoenix Suns
Book Drive, Gatorade Battle of the Bands

Saturday, April 5
Atlanta Hawks
Kids Appreciation/ Hip-Hop's Birthday, Gatorade Battle of the Bands

Friday, April 12

Indiana Pacers
Faith & Family Post-game ,Christian Rock Concert, Tribute to Dance, Sixers Neighborhood Basketball League,
Singer Jeremy Camp will perform after the game.

Monday, April 14
Cleveland Cavaliers
Fan Appreciation Night
All Giveaway All the Time; Jerseys Off the Back

I really like the MASH theme. Umm, MASH. It's 2008 right. Okay just checking.