Eagles to work out TCU WR

After a weekend away, let's get caught up on some items from the past few days, starting with a draft workout update.

It's possible that the Eagles and other teams could be looking at a scenario where they go into the draft without having filled any holes through trades or free agency. In many ways, that makes their selections even more important than usual. On the other hand, if the rookies can't get in much practice time before the season starts, it might be unrealistic to expect them to contribute right away.

Keeping all that in mind, I'll round up reports of workouts during the next six weeks or so.

A source tells Adam Caplan of FoxSports.com that the Birds will take a look at TCU wide receiver/return man Jeremy Kerley.

Kerley (5-10, 189) had 120 catches for 1,299 yards and 12 touchdowns in four seasons with the Horned Frogs. As a senior, he caught 56 balls for 575 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Last year, he averaged 27.7 yards per kickoff return (16th-best in the country), and Kerley returned two punts for touchdowns in his college career.

Per Caplan, Kerley projects as a slot receiver/returner in the NFL. Barring an injury, the Birds' top four receivers (DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant and Riley Cooper) are pretty much set in stone. They do, however, need a return man.

According to Football Outsiders, the Eagles had the 30th-ranked kickoff return unit in 2010. Jorrick Calvin handled most of the kickoffs before going down with a season-ending injury. Gerard Lawson handled return duties at the end of the season.

The Eagles also signed Sinorice Moss as a potential return man earlier this offseason.

One more draft note that relates to the Birds. Some have linked Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith to the Eagles at No. 23, but Tony Pauline of SI.com and Draft Insider reports that several teams have taken Smith off their boards because of character concerns.

The Eagles are in desperate need of a right cornerback, and the top two on the board - LSU's Patrick Peterson and Nebraska's Prince Amukamara - will almost definitely be off the board by the time they are scheduled to pick at No. 23.

BIG MONEY FOR ASOMUGHA?

As I mentioned on Friday, there is a chance that the 2011 league year could start without a CBA resolution. And there's also a chance that the NFL could operate under 2010 rules, meaning no salary cap ceiling and no salary cap floor.

SI.com's Peter King observes in his MMQB column that the big winner in this scenario could be Nnamdi Asomugha:

I think if the league year begins sometime in the next month or so, which I think is most likely, the big winner will be Nnamdi Asomugha. Because the NFL's 2011 system is most likely to be based on the 2010 league year, with no salary cap, and with Asomugha the best player, far and away, on the free market, I wouldn't be surprised to see him challenge Brady's $19-million average salary.

The guy just finished making $14.1-million, average, for the last two years, and he's one of the best two cornerbacks (along with Darrelle Revis) in the league, and he plays one of the most important positions in the game. Why wouldn't some team, in a possibly capless year, pay him $20 million a year? Or at least $18 million?

There will likely be several bidders, and with no cap, nothing's stopping a team from breaking the bank for Asomugha.

HANG UP THE PHONE, HOWIE

We know that coaches and players are not allowed to be in contact during the lockout. And communication between general managers and agents will be monitored as well.

According to Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, the league is requiring GMs to keep a log of every conversation they have with agents. Per the report, the two parties can discuss players in this year's draft, along with personal business if an agent represents both a player and a coach or GM.

However, they are not permitted to discuss current players or pending free agents.

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