Moves that could affect Eagles
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Moves that could affect Eagles
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
The NFL offseason continues, with today marking the deadline for designating franchise players.
Several teams have worked out deals with their own players in the past 24 hours. In Houston, the Texans and running back Arian Foster have agreed to a five-year contract. Per Jason La Canfora of NFL Network, the deal is worth $43.5M with $20.75M guaranteed.
And yesterday, the Seahawks announced that Marshawn Lynch would be back on a four-year, $31M deal with $18M guaranteed, according to Danny O'Neil of The Seattle Times.
I'm guessing Drew Rosenhaus, Howie Roseman and Joe Banner are keeping an eye on those deals, with LeSean McCoy signed only through 2012. Here's a quick look at the three running backs' numbers from last season:
| Age | Games | Rushing Yds. | YPC | Rec. Yds. | Overall TDs | |
| Foster | 25 |
13 | 1,224 |
4.4 |
617 |
12 |
| McCoy | 23 | 15 | 1,309 | 4.8 | 315 | 20 |
| Lynch | 25 |
15 | 1,204 | 4.2 |
212 |
13 |
It's easy to make the case that McCoy deserves more than Lynch and could be looking for something in the range of what Foster got.
The other player to keep an eye on is Ray Rice, who received the franchise tag from the Ravens last week.
I wonder if Rosenhaus is just sleeping on a couch at the Novacare Complex? He represents DeSean Jackson, McCoy and Evan Mathis, all of whom could get new contracts in the coming months.
There's news on the Jackson front also. The Bills and wide receiver Stevie Johnson have agreed to a five-year deal that's worth $36.25M with $19.5M guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The guaranteed money is worth taking note of. If Jackson plays under the franchise tag, he'll get $9.4M guaranteed.
Here's how Johnson and Jackson's numbers stack up from last season:
| Age | Games | Catches | Receiving Yds. | YPC | TDs | |
| Jackson | 25 | 15 | 58 | 961 | 16.6 | 4 |
| Johnson | 25 | 16 | 76 | 1,004 | 13.2 | 7 |
Johnson (6-2, 210) only had four drops, per STATS.com and eight red-zone catches (six for touchdowns). But he only has a two-year track record.
Jackson (5-10, 175) had nine drops last season to go along with two red-zone grabs (one for a touchdown). He's clearly the better downfield threat and has a four-year track record.
With Wes Welker and Dwayne Bowe expected to stay put one way or another, it looks like Vincent Jackson and Marques Colston could be the top free agent wide receivers on the market once free agency begins on March 13.
Also, teams looking to add a wide receiver this offseason might be more likely to at least call the Eagles and ask about Jackson.
EAGLES' ODDS FOR RGIII
I don't know what SI.com's Peter King found out at the combine, but he seems convinced that the Eagles have at least some level of interest in Robert Griffin III. King listed odds to land RGIII in today's Monday Morning Quarterback column. He's got the Redskins as the favorites at 3-1, followed by the Browns (4-1), the Dolphins (5-1) and the Seahawks (10-1).
After them, he's got the Eagles and Chiefs tied at 25-1:
Never eliminate Andy Reid in the quest for a quarterback. He loved RG3 when they met at the combine, as did Chiefs GM Scott Pioli. If Pioli has some Thomas Dimitroff riverboat gambler in him, he just might risk it all to go get Griffin.
JASON JONES A POTENTIAL TARGET?
The Eagles could have interest in Titans defensive lineman Jason Jones, according to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post:
The Titans are interested in retaining Jones, but if Jones hits the open market there is likely to be competition for his services, including from St. Louis, where his former boss Jeff Fisher calls the shots, and from the Philadelphia, where his former defensive line coach Jim Washburn has influence.
Jones (6-5, 276) has 15.5 sacks in four NFL seasons, playing primarily defensive tackle. He turned 27 in January.
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I think the Stevie Johnson deal would be just about right for Desean also.Drew and Eagles FO,get it done— beerdrinker- Drew Rosenhaus, Howie Roseman and Joe Banner..? SK, did you have to put all those names in one sentence? You're scary me.
276 pound DT? Perfect...
— tpizza - 276 DT with a high motor.
Then we have fastballs coming from the edges and the middle. LOL— dmanphilly - Did anyone get McNabb's opinion on the Redskins interest in RGIII?— Mabus
- I agree.. I would just put some incentive clauses in there so djax can make some more money if he performs better ect. Pro bowls, 1200 + yrds 10 Tds ect— LAdelphia
- Sweet give another DT 5 million per year who only plays 50% of the plays when you dont have any LB's to fill the holes and make a tackle.— FABER
- How amazing would RGIII look in midnight green? Get it done Howie, you dork.— dragoon6
- Still need a QB!— With all this talent who needs a real defensive coordinator 2011
- The 70's Eagles had a DT named Bill "Popeye" Dunstan. He weighed 250 lbs on a good day. They kept him for 4 years and I watched him get blown up all over the field. Wonder why Reid hasn't given him a call.— Bob1
- It does not matter who is the QB with this offensive line, a defense with no ligitimate DC, NO linebackers, and NO safeties.....They cannot stop anyone and the QB gets no protection.....Time for HR to resign or be fired...and for AR to move on.....This diaster is all of his making....— nuggett
- Jackson deserves a deal better than what Holmes got. So hell no.. no reason for Jackson to settle when he has the eagles by the balls. Play the franchise tag.. maybe resign with the eagles if the price is right. Maybe not. But dont cheat yourself because the eagles have no problem disregarding the contract when they feel like it. Ask Cullen Jenkins. Get as much as you can and if the Eagles dont want to pay. Leave them with nothing.— Zeru
- Zeru,I want DJAX to stay an Eagle,and the FO are imbociles,but DJax is not worth 9-10 mil per year.Holmes was overpaid,but that contract was done in the past,with a diff salary cap(i believe it was actually an uncapped year).The Stevie Johnson contract is a second tier WR contract and that is what DJax is too.He is not Fitz,Megatron,etc.I think its in the best interest of both sides to get a long term equally reasonable contract done.And These #'s sound about right.5yr/36.5 mil.— beerdrinker
- Forget Jones unless he's cheap. We've got plenty of tackles.— bc3030
- I agree Beerdrinker, that being said the Eagles botched this. They rarely draft talent, then when they do they mess around with the player and make it more difficult to get a long term deal done. I bet he doesnt want to play for the eagles anymore, unless the money is right of course. Therein lies the problem at this point. They may have gotten a deal done like that before the end of last season, but they always drag their feet and anger players instead. So its one thing to draft talent, its another to keep them long term.— peteike
- A 276# DT? How did the Eagles not get this guy 4 years ago?!?!?— Only in Philly...
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