Remember when Brown was the future in Philly?


In a move that's been expected for a couple years, the Eagles have moved wide receiver Reggie Brown. He will join the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay for a 2011 conditional sixth round draft pick.

It's about what I expected the Birds to get for Brown, but a pick in this year's draft would have been a whole lot more helpful. Whether they drafted someone in the sixth or used it to move up, it's a whole lot more useful to them to have it this season.

However, Andy Reid and company must expect Brown to reach the milestones that will turn the pick into a fourth or fifth rather than a sixth.

But like everyone said after the Birds cut Hank Baskett and traded Brandon Gibson, the depth at wide receiver is all but gone. DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Avant are all locked up, but after them the Eagles have the never-reliable Kevin Curtis -- and that's it.

They have a couple receivers on the practice squad, and Baskett is floating around in free agency again, but they really have backed themselves into a corner with their receiver depth.

I expect them to either go out and pick up a veteran in free agency, or take a flier on someone like they did with Gibson in the sixth last year.

Hopefully they don't just turn around and immediately trade him, just to cut the player they traded for.
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Avant is a key piece to this young, dynamic offense.


It appears as though the Eagles are much more inwardly focused this offseason, signing two of their own players and being very quiet in free agency.

Leonard Weaver signed a three-year extension with the team on the first day of free agency, now Jason Avant has been locked up a few days later with a five-year deal that will keeping him in Philadelphia through 2014.

Terms of the contract have not yet been disclosed, but it figures to pay him around $3 million annually with a modest amount of guaranteed money prorated over the next few seasons.

It's not a big contract, and it's not a move that's going to make a lot of national headlines, but it was the second-most important move this team could make in regards to free agents. Avant is a guy they can absolutely not afford to lose, and now they don't have to worry about it.

Avant has been an absolute rock in the slot, seemingly always coming down with the key third down reception to keep the ball moving. His concentration when the ball is in the air is nothing short of incredible, and his hands may be among the tops in the league.

I would equate his ability to catch the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, so it's only a shame Avant doesn't have the physical attributes to go along with it.

Avant had his best year last season with 41 receptions, 587 yards, and three touchdowns. He's steadily gotten better since his rookie season. He's got eight career touchdowns, all of which have come inside the redzone.

The Birds are hoping he improves on that number this season and can give the Eagles a trio threat similar to Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston of 2008.
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Jason Avant is a guy the Eagles can't afford to lose.


Thanks to Twitter Nation, I've learned that the Eagles have tendered several of their expected 10 restricted free agents, eight of whom would have been unrestricted free agents in a capped season.

Multiple reports are flying in every few minutes, so it's a bit difficult to keep track of and there's really no way to check the reports since the Eagles have yet to report anything themselves.

The Eagles official website doesn't have a single thing about who has received what, probably because nothing has been made official yet, and most likely won't have a thing until sometime tonight.

Teams have until 11:59 to tender their restricted free agents, then free agency officially kicks off at midnight.



Akeem Jordan

Geoff Mosher is reporting that the Eagles will give Akeem Jordan a second-round tender.

Jordan is expected to compete with Will Witherspoon to be the team's starting WILL, but will most likely be a backup and special teams contributor. Either way, Jordan is a guy the Birds were not going to let get away.

Jordan will make $1.7 million this season on the tender.



Omar Gaither

Jeff McLane is reporting that Omar Gaither will receive a "low tender." I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'm guessing he'll receive an "original round drafted" tender. It just means that if a team wants to sign Gaither, they would have to fork over a fifth round pick to the Eagles in this year's draft.

Gaither is expected to be the primary backup in the middle if he sticks around. The Birds probably don't want to just let him walk, but would certainly take the fifth round pick for him if a team is interested.

Gaither will make $1.2 million if he does in fact receive the tender he's expected to receive.



Nick Cole

Nick Cole, according to Mosher, will receive a second-round tender. It's a bit higher than I expected, but the Eagles clearly like Cole and want to keep him for at least another season just in case Stacy Andrews is unable to go.

Cole will make $1.75 million in 2010 under this tender.



Jason Avant

Adam Caplan is reporting that the Eagles have offered a second-round tender to receiver Jason Avant. It's about what I personally expected the Eagles to do with Avant, although I think everyone would like to see him get an extension immediately.

It's absolutely imperative that the Birds keep Avant, but a first-round tender probably felt like too much. There is most likely not a team willing to give a second-round pick for Avant, so it's a safe bet.

Avant will make $1.75 million next season barring an extension agreement. There is, however, no signs that the Eagles are talking to Avant about an extension.



Chris Gocong

Chris Gocong will receive an "original round drafted" tender, according to Mosher. He actually says that Gocong will receive a third-round tender, but I'm not sure such a thing exists.

Gocong was, however, drafted in the third round so that would make sense.

Gocong will make $1.1 million if this is actually the tender that sticks.



Ellis Hobbs

There is a bit of mixed reporting going on involving Ellis Hobbs. Mosher is reporting that he's received a second-round tender, while Caplan is reporting that he's received an "original round drafted" tender.

There's a pretty decent difference in the money he'd make depending on the tender. He'll make $1.2 million under the "original round drafted" tender, and $1.85 under a second-round tender. Either way he won't be leaving Philadelphia based on the amount of compensation it would take, but it's going to make a difference for him based on salary.



And the others...

It's also believed that Max Jean-Gilles has received an "original round drafted" tender. Alex Smith will not be receiving a tender from the Eagles, so that just leaves Sav Rocca and Leonard Weaver as the only two who haven't been dealt with.

A deal could soon be coming for Weaver, and Rocca will probably receive a second-round tender.
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Weaver is a guy the Birds must keep beyond 2010.


According to Geoff Mosher of DelawareOnline.com, the Eagles and Leonard Weaver's agent, Harold Lewis, are making good use of their time in Indianapolis to talk about a contract extension for the All-Pro fullback.

"Hopefully, we can get something done that works for everybody," Lewis told Mosher in Indianapolis at the scouting combine.

Weaver will be a restricted free agent absent a new CBA.

Instead of just slapping him with a tender and trying to squeeze him into a long, but underpaying, contract next season, it would be in everyone's best interest if the Eagles simply pay him right now and get it over with.

That way they can turn their attention to another guy who needs a long-term deal in wide receiver Jason Avant. Like Weaver, he's not the flashiest or best-known player the Birds have, but he's incredibly important to their offensive success and letting him leave would be a disaster.

The biggest question, of course, is going to be how much Weaver wants and how much are the Eagles willing to pay?

From where I sit, he was the best fullback in the league last year. He's a young guy, and he's got the potential to be the very best fullback for several years to come. With that said, he should be paid like the best fullback in football.

Ovie Mughelli was the highest paid fullback last season with a base salary of $2.5 million, so a four-year deal worth about $12 million would make Weaver the highest paid at his position.

Give him a few million in guaranteed money and not only will he be happy, but the Eagles will be able to keep a key player from last season for years to come -- at a very reasonable price.

Lewis said talks with the Eagles will continue again toward the end of the combine, and it's expected that a new deal will be in place around that time. If they don't come to an agreement before they leave the combine it could put talks off for a little while, so it's likely that a deal is done by the end of the week.
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Avant is the most underrated guy on the team.


Because of the lack of a CBA heading into the 2010 season, Eagles' fullback Leonard Weaver, along with seven others, are restricted free agents instead of hitting the open market. As a result, these players are going to lose a lot of money.

Instead of hitting the market and potentially getting long-term deals with some good up-front money, these guys are all looking at one-year tenders that will keep their careers on hold rather than allowing them to either move on, or get that long-term deal from the Eagles.

Most of the Eagles' RFA's are backup guys who the Eagles probably would not have brought back were they to hit the market (Omar Gaither, Chris Gocong, Max Jean-Gilles, Alex Smith, etc.), but guys like Weaver, along with Jason Avant, Nick Cole, and Ellis Hobbs all at least faced the possibility of getting long-term offers.

The Eagles probably won't spend the money before they have to, but they would be wise to show some loyalty to Weaver and Avant by giving them long-term deals anyway. They certainly did enough in '09 to earn it, and showing them some good faith looks good to potential free agent signings this season and beyond.

It shows that the team is willing to take care of their players when the situation is called for, and not just when they've exhausted all penny-pinching options.

Not only that but both players, regardless of their good seasons, will be fairly cheap. Weaver is a fullback, the lowest-paid position other than kickers and punters, and Avant is only a slot receiver. Somewhere between $3-4 million per season for both players, probably closer to three, for three or four years would have both doing backflips.

They both clearly want to stay in Philly and both have paid their dues. It's time to start taking care of the guys who have earned it instead of making them feel unwanted and waiting until they're sufficiently pissed off to start negotiations.

The Birds need both players, so let's not take any chances and make sure that they're wearing midnight green for at least a few more seasons.
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How much will Cornelius Ingram contribute in 2010?


Cornelius Ingram may have had the highest expectations of any fifth round pick ever take by this team -- or any team for that fact.

Ingram is a guy who showed that he had what it took to make it big at the next level during his days at Florida, and probably would have been a first round pick last year were it not for an untimely knee injury that cost him his senior season.

As a result, he slid all the way to the fifth round where the Eagles snagged him up. But because of the success of fifth round picks in the past (Omar Gaither, Trent Cole, Brent Celek), he was expected to come out and contribute immediately.

That, of course, did not happen as he once again tore his ACL -- most likely due to complications from his previous surgery. He was put on IR in the middle of training camp and became an afterthought.

Now, however, he says that the knee is "feeling good" and that he should be 100 percent ready to go for 2010. The only question now is, where does he fit in with this offense and how much can he contribute behind Celek?

Personally, I think he can contribute a lot. He's an incredible athlete with the speed and hands to play either tight end or receiver. He also has the size (6'4, 245) to be a huge threat in the redzone. Teams will not have a nickel or dime corner, linebacker, or safety who will be able to cover him well enough to shut him down.

His blocking could still use some work, as is the case with most young tight ends, but his receiving ability will become obvious very early in the season. I believe he will not only see time as a tight end, but also as a fourth receiver or in the slot when Jason Avant needs a breather.

I'm not saying he's going to wind up in the Pro Bowl, but I don't believe it's out of the question for him to chip in with 30-40 receptions, 400-500 yards, and four or five touchdowns. That's a bit of a liberal guess and it's with the assumption that he'll get the playing time I believe he deserves, but he will definitely contribute.

Reid has had a lot of success drafting in the fifth round, and I expect Ingram to be the next guy with that same sort of success story.
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Weaver will remain an Eagle without a new contract.


Because it's "virtually certain" that the 2010 NFL season will be uncapped, according to commissioner Roger Goodell, the Eagles will be in no rush to sign eight of their players who will become restricted free agents absent a CBA rather than unrestricted free agents if a CBA were in place.

Leonard Weaver, as well as Jason Avant, Nick Cole, Omar Gaither, Chris Gocong, Max Jean-Gilles, Ellis Hobbs, and Alex Smith all fall under that category. Because the Eagles will still technically retain their rights with a simple "tender" contract, it is unlikely that Weaver, Avant, Cole Gaither, Gocong, or Hobbs will be going anywhere.

That is, unless of course a team is willing to give up some draft picks and sign them to a contract that the Eagles are unwilling to match. And for those interested, restricted free agency will work the same way it has in years past, except the number of RFA's is about four times greater (from 55 in 2009, to 212 in 2010).

Jean-Gilles and Smith would probably get tendered, but the Eagles would not fight very hard to keep them around.

But how much will a team be willing to give up to actually sign a restricted free agent? A draft full of underclassmen loaded with talent will make giving up draft picks an unattractive option, and the understand that a salary cap will be in place in no less than two years will temper outlandish spending by guys like Al Davis and Danny Snyder.

Not only that, but the top eight rule will essentially make it a 24-team field for any free agents.

The "top eight rule," for those who do not know, says that the top eight teams (teams playing in the divisional round) will not allowed to sign a free agent without first losing a player; Which is actually a silver lining for the Eagles considering the Cowboys, thanks to their victory over the Birds, will be a part of that group.

So unless something miraculous happens between now and March 5th (deadline for a new CBA to avoid an uncapped 2010), don't expect the Eagles to offer contract extensions to any of the eight players mentioned.
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Jackson missing time could be costly for the Eagles.


At this point, there's no news regarding how serious it is, but Andy Reid has told the local media outlets after the game that DeSean Jackson has a concussion. He left in the third quarter after having his bell rung by London Fletcher on a crossing pattern.

The team doctors kept looking at DeSean's eyes and talking to him, probably to see if he was responsive and remembered what happened. He did lay down on the field, but he didn't seem to lose consciousness and walked off the field on his own power.

It would appear -- and I'm not a doctor -- that even though it is a concussion, it's not as serious as Brian Westbrook's or even Kurt Warner's from last week. However, with the new spotlight on concussions, it would not be surprising to see D-Jack get held out of next week's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Even as a more optimistic breed of Eagles fan, I don't like the Eagles' chances against a good Falcons team if Jackson has to miss the game next week. Jeremy Maclin has been playing well, and Jason Avant may have some of the best hands in the league, but it's Jackson who opens up the lanes for both of those guys.

Without him there to attract the attention of the defense, the remaining Eagles receivers could have real issues getting open for Donovan McNabb.

Then there's the issue of depth at receiver. Right now, the Eagles have only four healthy receivers, including Jackson, so if Jackson were to miss time they'd have to call up one of the rookies on their practice squad.

Either Jordan Norwood (5'11 179) out of Penn State, or Dobson Collins (6'2 178) out of Garder-Webb would see their first real playing time in the NFL in a must-win game for the Eagles to stay in the divisional race.

Here's to hoping Jackson doesn't miss any time.

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Brandon Marshall scores on Michael Griffin.


Even though the Broncos remain adamant that Brandon Marshall will either be playing in the Mile High city or nowhere next year, it's fair to question them on the matter. If you'll recall, they said the same thing about a certain quarterback now residing in Chicago.

So while they say he won't, there is a chance that Marshall may get his wish. Evidently it's even more than a contract dispute at this point since Marshall believes he was not handled properly when he had an injury and now feels like he can't trust the organization.

This sounds similar to Kellen Winslow's situation in Cleveland. Winslow, in case you hadn't heard, now calls the Browns his "former" team.

While I'm sure that the Broncos have received a few calls about "Baby T.O.," one team who has not called is the Philadelphia Eagles. But why not?

Yes, they just spent a first round pick on a wide receiver, and he may turn out to be very good, but on the other hand, he might not. The point is that you just never know, and banking on potential will get you fired in the NFL.

Personally, I believe that the Eagles are just fine at wide receiver. I believed that even before they drafted Jeremy Maclin. However, whenever an opportunity arises to make your team better, you must at the very least look into it. And let's be honest, there is no doubt that Brandon Marshall would make the Eagles a better team.

What would it take to get the Broncos to part ways with Marshall? I'm not exactly sure. If it was me, I would offer a second round pick and perhaps some late-round picks as well to maybe get the ball rolling.

The Broncos would probably counter offer with a first and third, but may drop the picks down if the Eagles were to toss in a veteran player like Kevin Curtis, and perhaps a guy with some potential in Jason Avant.

This is in no way a call to trade either of those players, but the reality is that they are not of the same talent as Marshall.

While Marshall does bring some baggage along as far as off-the-field is concerned, the Eagles are usually pretty good about keeping something like that under control. And who knows, perhaps a change of scenery would straighten Marshall out right away.

Of course you could say this about nearly any team in the NFL. Even the receiver-heavy Cardinals would be wise to at least make a call and see where things stood.

Perhaps the Broncos and Cardinals would be satisfied to swap players? How would an Anquan Boldin-for-Brandon Marshall trade look to both parties? Probably rather intriguing and maybe a good move.

Marshall and Boldin are both unhappy where they are, they are both about the same talent level (you could argue for either one, which further proves that they're about the same), and are both scheduled to make about the same amount of money this year, with Boldin making a couple hundred thousand more than Marshall.

Also, the Cardinals don't want to see Boldin in the NFC, and the Broncos don't want to see Marshall in the AFC. This way, they wouldn't have to.

The money, however, would be a moot point because both players would likely receive new contracts with their new teams anyway.

That sounds like a win-win to me for the players and their respective teams.

But I digress.

The Eagles need to at least call Denver and see what it would take. The odds of anything materializing are slim, but as I said before, anything that can be done to make your team better should at least be explored.

Joe Banner & Co. need to get on the phones, and do some mile-high exploring.
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