Eagles Rumors

Fun stuff from the world leader this morning.  Yesterday Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders had emerged as the front-runner for the services of Donovan McNabb in 2010.  He cited a “league source”.

Perhaps feeling burnt by a team he traditionally scoops for ESPN, Sal Paolantonio went digging and got an Eagles “senior team official” to tell him that there is “no so-called front runner.”

His anonymous source claims the Eagles are still engaged with multiple teams in regards to both McNabb and Kolb.  And nothing is imminent.

We’re really starting to enjoy this.

[ESPN] Source:  No front-runner in McNabb talks

Interesting news from National Football Post this morning on a possible trade of Chris Gocong.

According to an NFL source with knowledge of the situation, the Eagles have held preliminary discussions with the Cleveland Browns about trading outside linebacker Chris Gocong to the AFC North franchise.

No deal is imminent, but we’ve been told authoritatively that the rumors are more than mere rumors and that talks are expected to continue heading into the NFL draft.

Gocong has always struggled in the role required of him as the SAM in the Eagles 4-3. A defensive end in college, his strengths remain making plays near the line of scrimmage and he can be beaten by misdirection and in the passing game.

In a 3-4 scheme like the Browns run, he’d be asked to do more of the prototypical pass-rushing OLB duties.

Gocong signed his third-round tender.  He’s due to make between a little over $1 million this season.

Adam Schefter reported yesterday that the Raiders are the team most likely to trade for McNabb.  That started a full twenty-four hours of rationalizing the move and breaking down every conceivable connection between McNabb and the Raiders.

No terms of the deal were ever disclosed by Schefter.

We’re not saying that McNabb isn’t going to the Raiders.  But at this point this entire story has become a series of breathless updates from a whole slew of people rushing to beat each other to everything.  Remember when he was about to be a Ram?

We’ll remain skeptical until we get something more than “Oakland has emerged as the leader”, without anything to back that up beyond McNabb and Al Davis sharing a Syracuse degree.

A couple of minor things this morning, as nothing of note broke over the weekend.

First, left town this weekend.  The team let the public know that Andy Reid and Joe Banner are both on vacation and will not be at the NovaCare Complex this week.   So much for that boiling pot needing tending.

Second, this is complete crap.  McNabb is not going to be demanding a raise or an extension from the team this year.  What kind of leverage does the guy have with the franchise clearly ready to move on anyway?  Of course he knows that.

Florio likes to throw nonsense out there about McNabb because it’s good for business.  Ignore it.

Reports of terms of the deal are sketchy, but more keep coming in.  The more folks who claim knowledge of similar details the more solid the leads seem.

What seems to be the case:  the Raiders are willing to include Nnamdi Asomugha in the deal.  But the Eagles are wary of his gigantic contract.  The Raiders would not require McNabb sign an extension, which might help sway McNabb’s opinion on the deal towards okaying it.

The Raiders could certainly use a guy like McNabb to help Jamarcus Russell become, you know, a grown up.

Refer to Adam Schefter for the important details of Asomugha’s contract.

Update 10:41 – It appears the Jaguars are one of the interested parties.  Hearing less and less about the Niners.

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Things have really ramped up since we said yesterday that all signs point to a McNabb trade happening soon.  Reports surfaced yesterday of a trade in the works to St. Louis, which have been denied vigorously by the Rams (using such words as “ridiculous”).

There are reportedly up to four teams interested in McNabb, which presents a nice little competitive edge for the Eagles.  We suspect those teams are Buffalo, San Francisco, Oakland, and St. Louis.

Today could be a busy day around here.

Andy Reid was surprisingly forthcoming with reporters today at the league’s annual meetings.  What we’ve learned:

The Eagles continue to listen to offers for McNabb.  Reid had never talked with this kind of openness about the trade market for McNabb before.  It seems that signs now point towards McNabb being sent away.

The teams that are most likely interested in McNabb:  Buffalo, San Francisco, Oakland.  Not necessarily in order of probability.

Teams have asked and made offers for Sheldon Brown.  Brown wants a new contract.

Jeremiah Trotter is not coming back.

Jamaal Jackson will likely miss most of training camp.  We knew this.  He’ll be fortunate to play at all in 2010, honestly.

Per Adam Schefter, the Saints have notified the Eagles and the league that they do not intend to retain Mike Bell by matching the Eagles’ offer sheet.

He will be a Bird in 2010.

Akeem Jordan and Nick Cole have both signed their tender agreements and are Eagles again in 2010.

Mike Bell will be as well if the Saints do not match the Eagles offer by 11:59 tonight.  Most expect them not to.

The last 72 hours have seen the departure of Kevin Curtis, Darren Howard, Jason Babin, and Chris Clemons.  That represents a middle-tier of players on the Eagles roster.  Certainly a big part of the depth that Joe Banner was surely referring to when he said he feels the Eagles have the “best roster” in the league.

But a season later and those players, contributing to varying degrees in ‘09, are gone.  All, except Babin, are veterans.  Babin is likely to remain a marginal contributor to an NFL team during his career.

Moving forward, there are rumblings that an extension for DeSean Jackson is in the works.  That the two sides are talking about it is not a surprise.  But we would be surprised if a deal is done soon.  Jackson is only entering his third season.  It is more likely that a deal gets done next off-season.  But the Birds are really getting on a roll with these surprise moves, perhaps another one is in the works.