Reuben Frank: Nnamdi Asomugha tops Eagles wish list

[Blitz]

If it was just the coaching staff I could see giving Haynesworth a shot. But half of the players on that team reportedly can't stand the guy. That's a red flag because most players stick up for each other.

[Jukin]

When players turn on one of their own and a new coach takes some of the steps Shanny took with him - almost immediately upon becoming the HC, that's a sign of serious problems. There's more to this than we know about. Just too many red flags to ignore. I think Andy gives McNabb a call and talks to him about Haynesworth and what really went on down there. Andy and McNabb are still tight and I think Donovan would be honest with him about the real issues. Personally I really don't want Haynesworth here.

[FRESH]

That's a valid point, Blitz.

[dawkins20]

Our owner can afford it. .

of course they can afford it,,,,but with a cap are we best served with tons of money tied up on two vet corners? Or having one and drafting one early?

[YourPalChrisMal]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...s.html&team=85

10 Burning Questions

9. Will there be a more coveted player during free agency than cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha?
The Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins and Texans are four teams expected to make a serious push for the Pro Bowl corner. How much fun will it be to watch three teams with deep pockets from the NFC East go after one of the game’s best lockdown specialists? Asomugha could be in line for a monstrous payday with guys like Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones bidding up his services.

[BIGPHILLY]

The Eagles will get him. When they want someone bad enough they will pay them sick money. They know they need him. If not - we are screwed.

[stevemc]

plus I think Nnamdi & Desean are buds.

[IMK]

Unfortunately we were very close to landing Julius Peppers. I don't want to be close to landing Asomugha.

Clearly, you can't value every position like the Yankees but at some point, I wish we would invest in a LB for once.

I don't think it's actually a matter of the Eagles shelling out for certain postitions as I think they shell out for certain players. If you're a truly elite-level difference-maker, that has a place in the Eagles' system (i.e. a 4-3 linebacker vs. a 3-4 guy) then the Eagles are interested. Asante Samuel, Jevon Kearse, Jason Peters, TO... these guys were TOP level players. If a 4-3 linebacker at that level hit the market, the Eagles might be interested. Or maybe they wouldn't.

[andrewaters]

When Nnamdi is available I fully expect him to be an Eagle on a 4-5 year deal worth about 16 mil per

[FairOaks]

plus I think Nnamdi & Desean are buds.

Is this the offseason Desean can be resigned? That situation could get ugly, if he doesn't have a realistic idea of what the Eagles will offer.

[IMK]

For all the talk about the Eagles having to outbid Jerry Jones for Asomugha, can anyone think of the last big free agent the Cowboys actually signed? I honestly can't think of one, Roy Williams (who was a midseason trade) being the closest. Most of their top talent is homegrown.

ETA: Oh yeah, TO. But still, it's not as common as you think. And TO was a player who had, to put in mildly, limited suitors.

[BIGPHILLY]

* Nahmdi will be an Eagle. Dallas can blow chunks. Players love Mike Vick and the high flying Eagles young offense. If I'm Nahmdi - I love what Philly offers. He's the missing piece (Well him and a pass rushing demon - earth to Brandon Graham - please heal).

[YourPalChrisMal]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post...s-philadelphia

Breaking down the CBs: Philadelphia
By Matt Williamson, ESPN

Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson breaks down the cornerbacks of each NFC East team. Today: Philadelphia Eagles.

I considered cornerback the Eagles' biggest need heading into the draft. This defense gave up far too many big plays -- including a whopping 31 touchdowns through the air -- even though it is a good pass-rushing defense. Danny Watkins is a fine prospect and an excellent fit in Philadelphia, but the Eagles bypassing Jimmy Smith gave me great pause. It also made me think that the Eagles will be big players for Nnamdi Asomugha once free agency rolls around. Philadelphia did use a third-round selection on the talented but raw Curtis Marsh. He fits their system quite well and could excel in time as a press corner, but asking him to start at this juncture seems extreme. So the Eagles very much need a starting cornerback opposite Asante Samuel.

Samuel is truly one of the elite cover men in this league. He has terrific ball skills and big-play ability. Samuel does have 36 interceptions over the past five seasons, and teams no longer throw in his direction with regularity. But he offers nothing against the run and is among the worst tackling corners in the league.

Undersized Joselio Hanson isn’t the type of corner you want starting, but he is an excellent slot corner. Ellis Hobbs' career is probably over, and the Eagles certainly cannot count on him for the 2011 season.

Although it is pretty clear Philadelphia has to find a starting-caliber cornerback, one wild card in this equation is second-year player Trevard Lindley. He played sparingly in 2010, but does have a lot of ability and could be primed for a substantial role next season.

[YourPalChrisMal]

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/ar...ing-in-ph.html

Fear of Asomugha landing in Philly could motivate Cowboys to pursue CB
By Rainer Saben, Dallas Morning News

One of the most interesting developments of an unusually slow offseason was the voidance of Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha's contract in January. Unexpectedly, one of the NFL's premier defensive players became available on the open market.

If and when free agency begins this year, the pursuit of Asomugha's services is going to kick into high gear. One of the teams that will likely make a bid to acquire Asomugha is the Philadelphia Eagles.

Earlier this week, Eagles coach Andy Reid played coy when asked about the team's interest in Asomugha during an interview on a Philadelphia radio station.

But Philadelphia seems earnest about upgrading its personnel at a position where undistinguished players such as Joselio Hanson and Dimitri Patterson were sharing time.

If that is the case, the Cowboys could have even more incentive to lure Asomugha to the Metroplex. They already need help at cornerback and the fear of Asomugha landing in enemy hands -- the hands of an NFC East rival, no less -- could provide added motivation for the Cowboys if they decide to launch an aggressive campaign to sign the talented three-time Pro Bowler.

After the draft, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged that the team wouldn't shy away from free agency.
"Certainly we will be looking there," Jones said. "If we can help our team, we will do it."

For a number of reasons, Asomugha could become the first priority.

[YourPalChrisMal]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...-Asomugha.html

Do the Eagles need Asomugha?

With the draft behind us, all eyes are turning again to free agency (whenever it happens). For months some Eagles fans have been lusting for Nnamdi Asomugha, the most high-profile free agent on the market and one who would fill a glaring need: a cornerback to start opposite Asante Samuel.

But while the Eagles are expected to have money to spend, the question that has to be asked is this: is an All Pro cornerback the right way to spend it when you already have a Pro Bowler in the fold? Do you need two top level corners, or is one star and a strong complement enough, provided you also have talent elsewhere?

Let’s look at the top 10 scoring defenses from the 2010-11 regular season. Here were the starting corner tandems:

1. Steelers: Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden
2. Packers: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams
3. Ravens: Chris Carr, Josh Wilson/Fabian Washington
4. Bears: Tim Jennings, Charles Tillman
5. Falcons: Dunta Robinson, Brent Grimes
6. Jets: Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie
7. Saints: Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter
8. Patriots: Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington
9. Buccaneers: Aqib Talib, Ronde Barber
10. Chargers: Quentin Jammer, Antoine Cason

Only one team – the Packers – had two big-time corners. Some of them (Bears, Ravens, Steelers) had virtual no-names manning both spots (yes, the Ravens just drafted there, but they managed to do well in 2010 anyway). Others (Jets, Falcons, Bucs) have one great corner, and one pretty good one. The point is, they’ve been able to be strong without two stars.

The Packers, of course, are a pretty big exception, considering they won the Super Bowl. But even here, Woodson is less renowned at this point in his career for his shutdown ability and more for his contributions as a blitzer and extra run stuffer. The Packers still start just one lock-down cover guy. And, Woodson and Williams make about $18 million a year combined, on average. Asomugha might get $15 million himself, in addition to Samuel, who has a roughly $6 million base for 2011 (with a couple million in bonuses possible) and a salary that goes up to more than $8 million in 2012.

The point is that while the Eagles absolutely need a better option at right cornerback, it doesn’t have to be one on the level of Asomugha – as exciting as his signing would be. The defense can be strong if Samuel remains at Pro Bowl level and they get a solid complement, and find a way to upgrade the pass rush -- something that would be far harder to do if they tie up big money in Asomugha.

Which doesn’t rule out an Asomugha signing. Maybe the Eagles, who have been known to go in their own direction, think that with two shutdown corners they can have a unique defense that gets the job done differently than those other top teams above. The Jets have been a rumored Asomugha suitor, so maybe they think the same way. Maybe the Eagles have a creative way to get a pass rushing defensive end (Kolb trade?) and still go strong after Asomugha. And, as Domo pointed out yesterday, there might be very few other options in free agency - it might be Asomugha or nothing, unless a corner comes through a trade.

But I think it’s more likely that the Eagles want to both get a corner (or promote Trevard Lindley) and have money left over to improve their front seven, giving Juan Castillo and Jim Washburn the horses they need to get pressure on the quarterback with just four men.

Yes, in a fantasy world, every team would love to have a pair of star corners shutting down any receiver they face – they’d love to have Pro Bowlers at every position. But in a salary cap world, teams have to weigh the benefits of any one signing against what it might prevent them from doing elsewhere.

If signing Asomugha means failing to fix the pass rush, is it worth it? Sitting here in early May, before we know the free agency rules or salary cap structure, I would say no. If that's how the Eagles front office sees it, the question becomes what’s their back up plan? It could make or break their chances in 2011.