Eagles Notebook: Rosenhaus says tight end Ingram to sign with Eagles
Jack Ikegwuonu leaps for the ball during a drill as the Eagles workout at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia on June 11, 2009.
(David Maialetti / Staff Photographer)
Hanging out in the NovaCare parking lot yesterday, soaking up the ambience, was agent Drew Rosenhaus, who said he was waiting to confer with a couple of clients.
This made confirming reports that Rosenhaus had reached agreement on contract terms with the Eagles on behalf of fifth-round rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram much easier than if we'd had to subscribe to his Twitter feed.
The team apparently is waiting until today to announce the signing, because it needs to trim someone from the roster before adding Ingram - when you're an unsigned rookie, you don't count toward the limit, but once your contract is registered, you do. The Eagles had already signed five of their eight draftees this week, before Ingram. Now they need only come to terms with first-round wideout Jeremy Maclin and second-round running back LeSean McCoy.
As it happens, McCoy is a Rosenhaus client, perhaps one of the guys the agent was waiting to usher into his rented white Lincoln. With Brian Westbrook recovering from ankle surgery, the Eagles obviously want McCoy on hand for the July 26 opening of training camp, which shouldn't be a problem. For all the adventures Rosenhaus has authored with veteran clients, his rookies don't tend to hold out. Rosenhaus knows that missed time usually leads to disappointing rookie years.
"I haven't had a rookie holdout in 5 years," Rosenhaus said.
He agreed that the Eagles' offense is tailor-made for McCoy, much as it was for Westbrook.
Rosenhaus adroitly sidestepped a question about how McCoy might benefit if Westbrook really is on the decline, after knee and ankle cleanouts this offseason. He noted that "just about all the really good teams" are going to two-back systems, suggesting more than an apprentice role for McCoy, regardless of Westbrook's situation.
Birdseed
Tight end Brent Celek said Donovan McNabb hasn't set up the dates yet for when he wants to have receivers come out to Arizona. Presumably, it'll happen in early July . . . Drew Rosenhaus has acquired guard Max Jean-Gilles as a client, and is hoping to get something going there, as Jean-Gilles prepares to enter the final season of his contract, coming off a serious ankle injury. Jean-Gilles seems to be winning his battle with excess weight. *
