Eagles Free Agency: Speculation, Lies and Innuendo

Forget WRs, Defense Wins Championships

Although the Eagles haven’t been as flashy in Free Agency as many would have liked, they have added two potential starters at positions of need.  Stacy Andrews will contribute if healthy somewhere along the yet-to-be-determined new-look offensive line.  Sean Jones will be hitting on special teams and will have a chance to compete for a starting Safety spot.  Even with these solid moves, it sure seems like a lot of work remains to be done.

With over $40 million in open cap space and 12 total draft picks in April (including two 1st rounders and metric ton of 5th round picks), the Eagles have more flexibility to improve their roster than any team in the NFL.  Maybe that’s why we are all so anxious to be a part of the action.

This team still has a lot of room for improvement, and the glare from the window of opportunity closing is blinding.  I for one think the time to take the Eagles to the next level is now, and some of the stereotypical Eagles front office conservatism should be thrown to the wind.

• Leonard Weaver - Can block, averaged 4.3 yard per carry in ‘08, and most importantly for an Eagles fullback can catch the ball out off the backfield.  Rumors were flying that Weaver and the Eagles were in contract negotiations last week, but right now he is calling it a “waiting game”.  Weaver knows is youth and versatility make him extremely valuable, and he deservingly wants to get paid.  He may have priced himself out of Philadelphia, at least for now.
• Jason Peters - Wants a new contract, and Buffalo may make him available if the price is right.  There aren’t many 27-year old Pro Bowl LTs in the world, much less one who is realistically available for trade.  He’s every bit as good as the OTs who would be available at pick #21 in the draft, but I don’t think that pick alone gets the deal done.  On top of the picks/players we would have to give up for Peters, he is looking to become the highest paid lineman in the NFL.
• Julius Peppers - Last night, rumors came out that the Panthers had all but traded Peppers to the Patriots for the 34th pick in the draft.  The Panthers are doing there best to kill the talk, but the fact that these rumors exist only furthers the idea that Peppers is available for trade.  If the 28th pick alone can land the Peppers, I’m all for it.  At 29, Julius is still one of the best all-around DEs in the league and he still demands constant attention from defenses.  A defensive line of  Cole, Patterson, Bunkley, and Peppers would be among the NFL’s best, and would make the rest of our defense look that much better.  One drawback for the Birds is that Peppers has been rumored to want to play for a 3-4 team, despite playing exclusively in a 4-3 set similar to the Eagles’ throughout his career.
• Angelo Crowell - The Eagles showed some interest in the 27-year old WLB late last week, but nothing has come out of it yet.  Coming off injury in ‘08 (Theme of Eagles 2009 Free Agent Signings?), Crowell is a talented player who averaged over 100 tackles per season over his last three seasons.  I like that the Eagles are showing interest in talented players, but the fact that they are looking for an upgrade at linebacker speaks volumes about some of the players currently on the roster.  Crowell won’t be cleared to work out for about a month, so he may be trying to cash in too early.
• Torry Holt - Cut from the Ram’s last week, he is one of the best WRs in the league (five years ago).  Holt has wilted a bit in the wasteland that is St. Louis, and at 33 he isn’t getting any younger.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, but I don’t think the Eagles are that desperate at WR.  He doesn’t fit our need for a true #1 WR, so I’d rather step back and let San Fransicso overpay him.
• Anquan Boldin - Although it would cost a ton, reports continue to come out that Boldin is an attainable commodity.  Anquan’s toughness, speed, and size make im the perfect WR to add to our current mix of receivers.  The fact that the Giants are in the market for Boldin as well makes me want to see him in Green that much more in ‘09.
• Orlando Pace - The aging LT has been done for years, funny how a toe injury can bring down a giant.  The Eagles are clearly looking to get younger at the Tackle position, so bringing in a used up Orlando Pace doesn’t make any sense at all.

With a little more than a month remaining before the 2009 NFL Draft, the Eagles have the weaponry to make a lot of noise throughout the remainer of Free Agency.   Signing Weaver makes a ton of sense and fills an obvious hole.  From there, I’d like to see the Birds trade for either Boldin, Peters or Peppers.  Any of those three players would make an immediate impact, and help us all believe that everything is going to be okay.