As is only fitting, I thought the Eagles discussion thread should be the first one created here.

I can't wait for the draft, especially with the Eagles in a position to add a true impact player to a team that is already very good. They also have some quality mid-round picks (possibly more with a comp pick for Derrick Burgess), so expect them to add serious depth from a deep draft pool.

With the return of so many starters from injury, the Eagles can hopefully get back to 2004 form in a very short period of time, erasing the horrid memory of 2005, particularly the sad saga of He Who Must Not Be Named.

From what's been said by the team to the local media, they intend to be very active in free agency. Adding a few key players, especially on defense, will allow this team to easily reclaim its throne as the best the NFC has to offer, not to mention kicking those pretenders back a notch in the NFC East.

Terrell Owens

No invoking the name!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dammit, Potter!

Sorry, I just had to. Couldn't help it. I really am sorry though. I swear.

Eagles still need a RB. I STILL cant believe they signed Westbrook.

Defensively they are very solid. Johnson isnt going anywhere which is a great thing for that team. Childress leaving will likely lead to a little more conservative offense with the current offensive threats.

That being said what RB do you expect the Eagles to go after ?

And please dont say Duce.

Actually they aren't solid on defense. They have their biggest needs at DE and OLB. Really at this point they have 3 defensive ends signed for next seasons, Jevon Kearse, Trent Cole, and Jerome McDougle. At OLB they have Dhani Jones, who clearly is a WLB stuck at SLB, and Keith Adams who is a special teamer. Yes, they have Matt McCoy but he's a young question mark at this point. I really don't see them adding a RB at all, I think they could very well go into next season with Westbrook, Moats, and Bruce Perry. Their "big back" could very well become FB Thomas Tapeh.

Mike, you and I are actually in 100% agreement.

Their D needs the most work, especially the front 7. Through the top of the draft or free agency, they need to add a DE, DT, and OLB.

I would love them to also add a quality (though not overpriced) vet at WR and then draft another one to develop.

At RB, there's no reason whasover to spend money on another back, nor to draft one. They just signed Westbrook to a big deal, and whether anyone thinks he can "carry the load" is irrelevant, as he's the perfect back for their pass happy offense.

They also just drafted Moats in the 3rd, and he's got a ton of potential as a runner. Bruce Perry would have been a much higher pick if he wasn't branded with the injury stigma, and the flashes he showed at the end of the season were exciting - for his small size, he runs with power and authority.

If Tapeh can come back healthy, which is still a possibility, it's just a bonus.

I hope we can nab Greenway at 14 but with the week he's had, this might be tough.

Delusional...All 3 of you.

Oh the joys of chats. Todd McShay had this to say on an espn chat (actually happening right now):

Apparently he's already forgotten about Ryan Moats. Moats played ok towards the end of last year, right?

Moats played very well last year, and is actually a harder runner than Westbrook. Using their 1st round pick on a RB ignores all of their biggest needs.

The Eagles are not going to suddenly adopt a power running philosophy, he's dumb. They might grab a back later in the draft with more bulk, but then again that's not a guarantee either.

And don't forget about Bruce Perry either.

It's amazing how absolutely clueless some of these paid 'experts' are.

From what I read the Eagles talked to a lot of TE's at combine so far.

I hope they use one of their 4th rounders on one. Defense, defense, defense, TE... Maybe a WR in there somewhere...

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/homeNews...il.jsp?id=45180


A 'TENDER' DAY FOR THE EAGLES




March 2, 2006
By DAVE SPADARO


As many teams in the NFL spend today shedding payroll and releasing players to reach the league-mandated limit of $94.5 million within the salary cap, the Eagles will announce today that they've tendered contracts to a group of four restricted free agents, led by cornerback Rod Hood.

The tenders give the Eagles negotiating rights with the foursome, which also includes punter Dirk Johnson, running back/return man Reno Mahe and safety Quintin Mikell.

That official contract offers must be made prior to 4 p.m. today. The qualifying offers allow club to retain a right of first refusal on players who have been in the league three seasons and who are heading into their fourth seasons, or to be compensated with draft choices if a player signs an offer sheet with another team and the original franchise doesn't match it.

There are three levels of tender offers. The low-level offer, which means a team would be compensated with a draft pick equal to the round in which a player entered the league, is $712,000. The middle-level offer, which carries first-round compensation, is $1.552 million. And the high-level qualifying offer, which includes first- and third-round compensation, is $2.069 million.

Hood, who was not drafted, would be a highly-attractive players with the lowest-level offer, so it's likely that the Eagles will give him at least a middle-level tender. What is interesting, in fact, is that none of the four restricted free agents were drafted, making for a somewhat more tricky situation for the Eagles. All four players have played significant roles on the team for the past three seasons.

Amid the league's labor uncertainty -- NFL owners are reportedly meeting today in New York in a last-ditch effort to come to an agreement on sharing revenue -- teams are expected to spend most of the day releasing players to reach compliance with the $94.5 million salary cap.

Already, several quality players have been released around the league and more are expected in the coming hours. The Eagles are not expected to make any moves, as they are reportedly comfortably under the salary cap.

Teams have until 10 p.m. to get under the salary-cap limit.

You can discuss all of issues today on Eagles Live!, which starts at 1 p.m. live from the NovaCare Complex.


**I think the tenders for Hood, Johnson, and Mikell were good business moves, but why in the hell was Reno Mahe given a tender? I just don't see him being a worthy free agent addition for any team out there.

I want to know exactly what the pictures are that Mahe has of Reid. Mistress? Cheating on his diet without telling his wife? Slapping midgets dressed in Cowboys gear? It has to be something pretty embarrassing to allow Mahe to continue his chokehold on his roster spot.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/brea...ws/14004579.htm

Eagles set to sign Pro Bowl center
By Bob Brookover - INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The Eagles will have to wait a few more days, but it appears as if their first big free-agent signing of the off-season is going to be LeCharles Bentley, the Pro Bowl center from the New Orleans Saints.

According to a source close to the center, Bentley's interest in joining the Eagles is so strong that only the delay in the free-agency period prevented the move from happening today.

Free-agent signings were supposed to start today, but the NFL moved the date back to Monday in the slim hope that it can still negotiate an extension of the collective bargaining agreement with the players' union.
It has been no secret that the Eagles' primary goal this off-season is to improve on both the offensive and defensive lines. There had been speculation recently that they might try to sign New York Jets center Kevin Mawae if he was released as part of a salary-cap purge.

Mawae, a 12-year veteran, actually was released yesterday, but it makes far more sense for the Eagles to sign Bentley, who is only 26 years old and presumably just moving into the prime of his career.

The Eagles certainly have the salary-cap room needed to make Bentley the kind of offer that would lure him to Philadelphia.

Bentley was a second-round pick by the Saints in 2002. After playing center at Ohio State, he excelled at guard during his first two seasons with the Saints. He was Sports Illustrated's offensive rookie of the year in 2002 and earned a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl roster in his second season. Bentley moved back to center in 2004 and made the Pro Bowl at that position this season.

His impending arrival is likely to be bad news for Hank Fraley, who had been the Eagles' starting center since the 2001 season, when he took over for an injured Bubba Miller. Fraley started all but one game from 2001 through the midway point of last season when he suffered a torn rotator cuff in a loss at Washington.

Fraley, 28, was scheduled to make $650,000 in 2006, which is the final year of his contract.

Jamaal Jackson took over as the starter from Fraley, and he will likely remain with the team in a backup role at center and possibly even as a candidate to compete for a starting job at guard.

It is still not clear what the remainder of the Eagles' offensive line will look like in 2006. Left tackle Tra Thomas, coming off back surgery, will have to prove he is healthy, and last year's starting left guard, Artis Hicks, is not a lock to retain that job.

There are still rumblings that the Eagles will make a run at Seattle's Steve Hutchinson, who is considered by many to be the top guard in the league. The Seahawks placed the transition tag on Hutchinson last week, which means they can match any offer from another team.

On the right side of the offensive line, it seems more than likely that the Eagles will need a replacement for unrestricted free agent Jon Runyan at tackle, with potential candidates being right guard Shawn Andrews or Todd Herremans, who filled in for Thomas at left tackle last season. There has been talk within the organization of moving Herremans to the guard position.

Another name that continues to surface as a potential free-agent addition for the Eagles is quarterback Jeff Garcia, the former Terrell Owens teammate who played in six games for the Detroit Lions last season.

Speaking of Owens, the delayed start to the league's fiscal year has affected him as well. The Eagles now have until March 11 to either trade or release the wide receiver before they will owe him a $5 million roster bonus. The deadline had been Wednesday. The wide receiver, who may be meeting with the Miami Dolphins today, has about as much chance of getting that signing bonus from the Eagles as he does of eating Christmas dinner with Donovan McNabb's family.

Although teams were able to rescind all roster moves they made yesterday because of the decision to delay the start of the free-agency period, several interesting names in addition to Mawae surfaced on the waiver wire before that news.

Among the players cut by teams to create salary-cap space were Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Shawn Barber and Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle La'Roi Glover.

Barber, of course, performed extremely well for the Eagles as their starting weakside linebacker in 2002 before signing a seven-year deal with the Chiefs in 2003.

Injuries have limited Barber to just 11 games in the last two seasons.

Glover, 31, was going into the final year of a deal that would have paid him $6 million this season, including a $1.5 million roster bonus. The move saved the Cowboys $6 million and put them in a position to make some moves of their own in free agency.

When the Eagles talked about failed contract negotiations with former defensive tackle Corey Simon in recent years, Glover's name often arose as a player they considered among the elite defensive tackles. Rocky Bernard, an unrestricted free agent from the Seattle Seahawks, is also a potential target for the Eagles.

Extra points. It appears as if veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas may not be back for an 11th season with the Eagles. A team source confirmed a report on profootballtalk.com that the Eagles are trying to trade Thomas, who has not been happy with his contract in the last two seasons... . As expected, the Eagles tendered one-year contracts to their four restricted free agents yesterday. Also as expected, cornerback Rod Hood received the highest-level tender, which means the Eagles would get a first-round draft pick if they decided not to match an offer from another team. Running back Reno Mahe, punter Dirk Johnson and safety Quintin Mikell all received the lowest tender figures, the Eagles said.

Damnit. Damnit Phil Savage.

I'll take this with a great grain of salt. Brookover is the model of inconsistent info here (and in general). Claiming that Todd Herremans may be moved to Guard is asinine. Saying Hood was tendered at the highest level is just wrong, and this statement, "Rocky Bernard, an unrestricted free agent from the Seattle Seahawks, is also a potential target for the Eagles, is pure editorial speculation, not true insight into the team's direction, though it's meant to sound that way.

But whatever, if the Eagles land Bentley, I'm stiff for a week.

Curses!

Does this mean Jackson can be moved to LG?

NO, HE IS YOUR CENTER, LECHARLES BENTLEY WILL BE A CLEVELAND BROWN!

Denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Ba dum, dum, pish ^_^ :o :P B)

OK, now that Jojo posted... Jackson would be great depth at both C and G, and should have a legit chance to compete for a starting spot on the left side.

It will happen. Everyone thought that Antoine Winfield would be a Jet, he signed with Minnesota. LeCharles will be a Brown.

Being reported today by multiple people locally that Shawn Barber is in town and getting a physical today...

Eh, he was good in his year here, but his injury history and advancing age mean I'm not very happy about this, especially since it reeks of their typical cheapness. I know Lavar is probably outside the realm of possibility, but I'd much rather have a guy like Witherspoon or one of the other younger options -- they're worth spending some money on.

Of course, if this means they dump both Jones and Adams, and that Barber is only one of two LB's they bring in, then I'm OK. Barber on gimpy knees is still better than Jones and Adams combined...

Barber signed to a 1 year deal. Not sure on the amount yet, though, but I'll asume it's on the cheap. Sayonara, Keith Adams... But I'd rather have him back for cheap depth and part ways with the Banjo-man...

They also re-signed DE Juqua Thomas to a 1 year deal. Eh, I'm fine with this, if only for training camp fodder...

Rumor spreading around Philly today is that Bentley is booked on a Delta flight (1st class, of course) to arrive in town tonight...

And supposedly, this leak came from a Delta employee, not from a team 'source'. This doesn't make it credible, but it IS different than these know-nothing writers throwing speculation out there, and people actually thinking a team would leak its plans to some numbskull who they know is going to blab it. But I digress...

That's a pretty solid rumor if you ask me.

I still want to punch Joe Banner in the throat if Bentley does sign there, but oh well.

Damn you Chandler! Looks like you got your wish as it looks like your boy backed out on the Birds and has supposedly signed a deal with the Brown-stains...

Take your Bentley and drive it off a cliff!

Suck on one, Philly fans! HA!

And what exactly are you asking us to suck on? Is this like a personal fantasy? I believe there's a huge market for stuff like that on the web, all you have to do is look... Good luck, and happy whacking!

In other news... this from kffl -

Eagles | Team to sign Schobel
Sat, 11 Mar 2006 11:25:25 -0800

Mark Curnutte, of the Cincinnati Enquirer, reports a source told the Enquirer free agent TE Matt Schobel (Bengals) will sign an undisclosed contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Schobel played four seasons with the Bengals.

So Eagles sign Howard, and Runyan is still twisting in the wind. He took off for the Cayman Islands, hoping that maybe the market would heat up later for him.

Nice job, BigC.

Thank you. I'm not sure I had much to base it on, but it felt right to say it.

And hey Justin, you can have Jeff Faine if you want ;)

@#$%& @#%@#$$%##@$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whatever dude. You're anti-Cleveland attitude is all about LeCharles deciding to come home instead of a city where they boo their best players.

We boo because we love too strong... Sniff...

I just thought it was funny how LeCharles Bentley used Philly as a pawn to get more money from the Browns. Good move on his behalf, I'm still upset that Philly didn't do anything to offer him something worthwhile.

I really do think that Bentley was simply using the Eagles for leverage, and that even if they jacked up their offer, he still would have gone to Cleveland. Eff him.