Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com is reporting that Correll Buckhalter will be signed by the Denver Broncos less than one hour after the official beginning of free agency.  The Broncos reportedly have deals in place with Buckhalter and former Arizona Cardinal JJ Arrington.

The Broncos are strongly courting two of them by setting up visits with Correll Buckhalter (Philadelphia) and J.J. Arrington (Arizona) at the start of the signing period, a source told FOXSports.com. Both players are expected to sign Friday after passing physical exams.

Buckhalter can be considered a frontrunner for a starting spot, while Arrington is likely to fill a niche as a third-down specialist and kickoff returner.

Wow.  This surprises the hell out of me.  I know Denver loves their running backs and all, but to sign Buckhalter in the first hour of free agency is a bit odd to me.   Buckhalter is a fine running back and I loved the effort he gave in 2008, but that doesn’t hide the fact that he will be 31 years old during the season and running on knees that have suffered three major injuries.  And the frontrunner for the starting spot?  Wow wo we wo.

The way the Broncos went through running backs in 2008 though, they need all the backs they can get their hands on so they don’t have to rely on the likes of backs Peyton Hillis who randomly get picked up off the waiver wire in fantasy football leagues and ruin the hopes and dreams of promising fantasy football seasons like mine last year.

The Buckhalter Flight School has long been closed

In the NFL, Running Backs have to strike while the iron’s hot.  Their careers are among the shortest of any position due to the constant beating they take from larger defenders.  Generally speaking, once an RB hits 30 it’s all downhill from there.

As RBs look to cash in during Free Agency, the Eagles have a glaring need at backup RB and need to bolster their depth by any means necessary.

There are a number of Running Backs who could help the Eagles’ offense improve and provide Donovan with the additional playmakers he’s been crying about.

Check out the full list of Running Backs available in Free Agency

As sure-handed L.J. Smith proved in '08, having a "Franchise" tagged player doesn't always help your franchise.

Philly.com is reporting that, per a “team source”, the Philadelphia Eagles will not use the franchise tag on any of their 2009 free agents.  That means that Brian Dawkins, Sean Considine, Joselio Hanson, Correll Buckhalter, Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan, and L.J. Smith will either willingly sign with the Eagles, or leave for greener pastures.

The franchise tag was created to allow teams the opportunity to hand-cuff a player into a one-year, guaranteed contract.  In theory, the team wins by holding onto the player for another year, while the player wins by getting a one-year guaranteed contract worth the average salary of the top-5 highest played player at their respective position.  In reality, teams like the tag because it allows them to underpay star players, while players hate the tag because it removes the security of signing a long-term contract in their prime.

Last year’s usage of the franchise tag on L.J. Smith is a prime example of the reality of the franchise tag.  The Eagles lost, paying L.J. $4.5 million for stats that didn’t rank in the top-20 at his position.  L.J. lost, as his value dropped significantly after a poor 2008 campaign and he will most likely be forced to sign a “prove it”, short-term deal with another team.

So the Eagles are putting it out there that they will not use the tag at all.  Knowing the Eagles, that means they very well may end up using the tag.  Either way, here’s the SOB take on the 2009 Eagles free agents and the franchise tag:

• Brian Dawkins - Safety - $6.3mil franchise tag - Although the safety position carries the 4th lowest value of any position, the Eagles will be able to resign Dawk for less.
• Sean Considine - Safety - $6.3mil franchise tag - Laughable.
• Joselio Hanson - Cornerback - $10.0mil franchise tag - In 2007, the franchise tag for CBs was $5.9mil, amazing how much it has increased.  No nickel corner in the league is worth $10mil/year.
• Correll Buckhalter - Running Back - $6.6mil franchise tag - Buck has given the Birds his all, but the Eagles aren’t running a charity.
• Tra Thomas - Offensive Tackle - $8.5mil franchise tag - Using the tag on Thomas is a real option.  The Eagles absolutely have the cap room to afford putting the tag on Thomas, even if we are overpaying for him.  Keeping Thomas around for one more year gives the Eagles flexibility to draft for the future while maintaining Thomas as a security blanket during any growing pains.
• Jon Runyan - Offensive Tackle - $8.5mil franchise tag - I’d love to have Runyan back, and I’m hoping that Runyan signs a contract that will allow him to finish out his career in Philadelphia.
• L.J. Smith - Tight End - $4.5mil franchise tag - Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

So far in ‘09, thirteen players have been given the franchise tag, two of which are kickers/punters.  Outside of Thomas, Dawkins or maybe Runyan, there is no player worth the tag, and it looks like the Eagles may not be the only team not to use it.

There might not be a single player in the NFL who has endured as many serious knee injuries in the past 10 years and still been able to perform at a high level like Eagles running back Correll Buckhalter has been able to do after not two, but three major knee injuries.  Buck has been a warrior for the Eagles for the past eight years, but his contract ran out at the end of 2008 and his return is more than questionable at this point.

2008 Season Overview

• Buck served as Brian Westbrook’s primary backup again in 2008 and provided some very quality depth.  In the two games Westbrook was unable to start this season (San Francisco and Chicago), Buckhalter carried the ball a combined 34 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns.  In the other 14 games this season, Buck carried the ball just 42 times for 210 yards and no touchdowns.
• Why wasn’t he used more when Brian Westbrook clearly was NOT at a 100% most of the season? Your guess is as good as mine, but I have to think that the staff was just worried about overusing him his oft-injured knees.  When you have a back that averaged 4.9 ypc on the season just sitting on the bench while you pile up the miles on your featured back’s tires, something can’t be all together right.
• He added a receiving game to his skill set in 2008.  Buck caught 26 passes for 369 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2008.  In his previous four seasons, he averaged just 14.75 catches for 121.2 yards a season.  His catches in ‘08 came in clutch situations as well.  Against Dallas in week 17, Buckhalter took a short pass from McNabb and raced 59 yards to set up a late first half touchdown while the game was still very much in doubt.  In the Divisional round of the playoffs, Buck caught another key McNabb pass for 19 yards on 3rd and 10 to to set up a David Akers field goal which gave the Eagles the lead for good in New York.  In the NFC Championship game, Buckhalter caught a 12 yard pass from McNabb on 1st and 10 from the Philly 14 yard line on the drive which briefly gave the Eagles a 25-24 lead.
• Whatever he did in 2008, he did effectively.  The problem was, he just didn’t get enough touches to really make people notice him.

2009 Outlook

• Buckhalter will turn 31 during the 2009 season.  Combine that with his three major knee surgies and he looks to be just about at that point where running backs start to fade fast.  Buckhalter has said he will look for an opportunity to start in 2009, but honestly, what GM in their right mind would take a chance on a soon to be 31 year old running back with a history of major knee problems as his starting running back?  Matt Millen maybe, but he isn’t currently ruining any NFL teams at the moment.
• I just can’t see any team handing the reigns of their running game over to a back in Buckalter’s situation though.  For that reason, look for Buckhalter to be a backup in 2009 wherever he lands.
• Despite all of the clutch plays Buck turned in during the ‘08 season, there was one play that stuck out to me and showed his limitations pretty clearly.  As the Eagles were driving in the first quarter, Buckhalter took a handoff from McNabb and looked like he had a big gain if he could have turned the corner.  He couldn’t turn the corner though and got dragged down after a short gain.  It may seem trivial, but its the kind of play that shows why Reid might not have used him so much - he lacks the burst great running backs have after all those knee surgies.
• I can’t see any GM giving Buckhalter starter’s money in 2009.  He might get an opportunity to compete for a starting job somewhere against a running back that hasn’t lived up to expectations, but no one is signing him to be their #1 guy.  Not at 31 years old.  Not after 3 major knee surgies

Will he be an Eagle in ‘09?

• There’s a chance he could be back with the Eagles in 2009, but I think we’ll see the Eagles go in a different direction with their backup running back spot.  I think we’ll see the Eagles draft a running back that they feel comfortable using more often than they used Buck in 2008.
• With Westbrook’s health being a constant issue, this is probably the best course of action too.   We need a young running back that can take pressure off Westbrook and push him in practice.  Having a young back that can run the ball 25-30 times if need be would be a pretty strong motivating factor for Westbrook in 2009.
• It’ll be a shame if Buckhalter ends up somewhere else in 2009 because the guy’s been through a lot and has given the Eagles everything he’s had for the five seasons he’s played, but if the Eagles really want to be a Super Bowl team in 2009, they need more stability in the running game.  Having two running backs with durability is not the way to end next season in Miami.
• The one way I could see Buckhalter back next year would be if he gains little or no interest on the free agent market and he comes back to Philly to compete for the #2 spot with a rookie the Eagles get in the draft.