Q&A: Eagles and free agency

Thanks to the more than 7,000 people who stopped by our live blog/live chat yesterday for the first day of free agency.

Apologies to those of you who had that tool blocked at work or who were trying to log on through your phones.

I didn't approve comments and questions because I wanted to make it easy to read.

So here's a Q&A based on those questions:

Scott: Are the Eagles looking at Ryan Clark, the safety out of Pittsburgh?

I have not seen the Birds linked to Clark anywhere. His agent told Brad Biggs of the National Football Post that there were six teams interested in him. Clark turns 31 next season. After Andy Reid talked yesterday about this group of free agents being older than usual, I'm not sure he's a guy they would consider.

GS: Are the Birds interested in Karlos Dansby at all?

Obviously, Dansby is no longer on the market after having signed with the Miami Dolphins, but there was no indication at any point that the Eagles were players for him. Dansby had a huge price tag, reported to be worth $43M over five years with $22M guaranteed. Too high for a team like the Eagles that doesn't put a high financial value on the linebacker position.

Sidenote: As many others have pointed out, how would you like to be a Cardinals fan this offseason? Kurt Warner, Dansby, Antrel Rolle and Anquan Boldin all gone from a team that was in the Super Bowl two seasons ago and made it to the divisional round this past season.

Adam: Sheil, have you heard anything linking the Eagles to Aaron Kampman?

This was pretty funny and a great example of what it's like to follow the first day of NFL free agency in the year 2010. FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer tweeted that Kampman was visiting Philly yesterday, sending Twitterers into a frenzy. Minutes later, National Football Post's Joe Fortenbaugh said Kampman changed his mind and was not visiting Philly. And minutes after that, Glazer conceded that Kampman would not be in Philly.

There are disputing reports all over the place about Kampman. As of 9:15 a.m. Saturday, he doesn't have a home, and there doesn't appear to be a clear favorite to land his services. The knee injury, which limited him to nine games and just 3.5 sacks last year, undoubtedly has to be a factor here. And also the fact that Kampman will turn 31 during the 2010 season.

Update: Scout.com reports that Kampman is in Jacksonville visiting with the Jaguars.

Update 2: The Florida Times-Union confirms the report and says Kampman's representatives are still in contact with the Eagles.

Drew: If you saw the Cowboys-Eagles playoff game, then you realize that Nick Cole can't play center. Have you heard if the Eagles might have any interest in Kevin Mawae?

I might be alone on an island here, but I think the jury's still out on Cole's ability to fill in at center. Think of the situation. He was playing guard (both left and right) all season. And then before Week 17, he was counted on to move to center against one of the league's best pass rushes. Cole's blocking was not the problem. I thought he did a pretty good job in that respect. The problem was communication and identifying the right protections. Maybe that's something he can improve on if he has a little more time and preparation. I'm not saying the Eagles are fine at center. They certainly would be wise to add a piece there, but I wouldn't be shocked if Cole did a much better job if called upon to start next season for Jamaal Jackson.

As for Mawae, the report I saw yesterday quoted his agent as saying he wanted to start somewhere. That's not something the Eagles can guarantee. It would depend on Jackson's health.

Guest: Why isn't Antrel Rolle on a plane to Philly? C'mon man.

Have we not been paying any attention? Do we not remember this franchise letting one of its all-time greats leave last year when Brian Dawkins signed with the Broncos? And now we think they're going to replace him a year later by signing a safety to one of the richest contracts for a player at that position in NFL history? Not gonna happen. That being said, the thought of facing Giants safeties Rolle and Kenny Phillips for years to come should not excite Eagles fans.

Interesting to note that the Rolle deal with the Giants was really the only big splash made by an NFC East team. Many expected the Redskins to be, well, the Redskins, with the uncapped year. But instead, the Bears were the Redskins.

Rolle's deal is worth $37M over five years with $15M guaranteed, per Mike Garafolo of NJ.com. There are conflicting reports about whether that makes him the highest-paid safety in league history. But by all accounts, it's up there.

Felix: Why does it seem like the Eagles are not being aggressive in free agency considering all the issues they have on defense? Seems like they are relying on the draft.

Well, that's true to a degree. The top free agents got monster deals. The Eagles have shown in the past (Asante Samuel, Jason Peters) that they are willing to pay top dollar if they really like a player. The conclusion you can draw here is that they didn't see a player who warranted that kind of money. Yes, it's an uncapped year. But that doesn't mean NFL franchises (well, most of them anyway) are going to just throw their money away and make investments they deem as unwise.

As for the defense, the good news is this appears to be one of the strongest drafts on that side of the ball in a decade, according to experts like NFL Network's Mike Mayock.

Ok, that's all for now. I'll try to get to some more later today or on Sunday.

And we'll continue to keep you up to date on all the news, rumors, etc. on MTC and in our Eagles section.

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