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P. King tabs Eagles as favorites for Asomugha

Over the weekend, I came to the realization that the Eagles could be looking at a seriously disappointed fan base if they don't make a big splash via trade or free agency.

While this has been a relatively quiet offseason with the lockout, new articles seem to emerge on a weekly basis - both locally and nationally - about how aggressive the Birds plan to be once they are allowed to make moves.

The seeds have been planted by on-the-record sources like Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman, along with unnamed sources reportedly within the organization.

And the comments really are not surprising. The franchise has approached most offseasons in recent memory with an aggressive mindset. When you hear members of the Eagles' front office saying they explore pretty much every avenue to improve the team's personnel, they usually mean it. That's why we saw them trade for Terrell Owens and sign Michael Vick. That's why they pursued Asante Samuel and dealt a first-rounder for Jason Peters, along with draft-day trades for Jeremy Maclin and Brandon Graham.

So it's perfectly reasonable to think they'll at least look into adding some big names this offseason, but again, it's one thing to explore these possibilities and another to actually land one of the many players they've been linked to. I just wonder what the reaction will be if they make a push for some of the big names but end up not making the big splash some are anticipating.

On that note, SI.com's Peter King presented his take on the favorites to land cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. And he's got the Birds at No. 1 on his list.

Rumors (and they seem to be more than that) are flying that the Eagles are going to strike quickly and spend big money in free agency. Imagine pairing Asomugha with very good cover man Asante Samuel. It'd be money well-spent, even at a Bradyish $18 million a year.

That $18M/year suggested price tag is a big one. Consider that Samuel is scheduled to make $5.9M in 2011 (although his initial deal was reportedly for $57.14M over six years).

King has the Cowboys second and the Ravens third on his list. Later in the article, he writes that since the dawn of free agency, only Reggie White has been a better prize than Asomugha.

SPARKING GIANTS/EAGLES RIVALRY

Several of my recent posts have detailed the back-and-forth between LeSean McCoy, Osi Umenyiora and to a lesser degree, Steve Smith.

While the Tweets and trash talk are not a huge deal, this is still just about as much fun as we can have during a lockout. And doesn't it add something to a rivalry when you know the players dislike each other? In this city, specifically, it drives fans nuts when players are smiling and hugging opponents after a loss.

This is pretty much the opposite of that.

Giants-Eagles is always fun, and the McCoy/Umenyiora/Smith chatter just adds another element to the games. Considering that McCoy is only 22 and Smith is 26, this rivalry appears to be in good hands for years to come.

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