If you've been monitoring the rumors on the Internet, your head should be spinning faster than Linda Blair's in The Exorcist.

In the last month, you could have read that the Eagles are going to sign New England cornerback Asante Samuel, New England wide receiver Donté Stallworth, and New York Giants safety Gibril Wilson; trade quarterback Donovan McNabb and/or cornerback Lito Sheppard; and acquire Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald or Detroit receiver Roy Williams.

And that's just a portion of what's been written and rumored.

Reality sets in today.

The Eagles figure to be in the mix for at least a few of the biggest names on the free-agent market, and it wouldn't be surprising if they were working on a trade.

Team president Joe Banner stuck by his prediction yesterday that the first day of free agency would be wildly active across the league as teams try to complete deals for the biggest prizes on the market.

"In my opinion, there's going to be a very, very short market this year," Banner said. "I think you're going to see the market accelerated."

That means players such as the Patriots' Samuel and the Giants' Wilson could be signed before the day is over. Team sources have indicated that Samuel and Wilson are on the Eagles' wish list, although it seems unlikely that they will sign both, and they might feel fortunate to get one of them.

What's true about the Eagles as they head into this free-agent market is that getting what they want isn't nearly as easy now as it was a few years ago. When Jevon Kearse was the premier defensive end on the open market in 2004, he made it clear to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, that he wanted to play for the Eagles.

It helped that the Eagles were among a handful of teams that had enough cap space to give Kearse $16 million in guaranteed bonus money, but it also mattered that coach Andy Reid's team was considered a player or two away from the Super Bowl and was playing in a new stadium with an outstanding practice facility.

As the free-agent market opens this morning, the Eagles are one of about 20 teams with enough cap space to go after the most coveted free agents. The Eagles also have two last-place finishes sandwiched around an NFC East title since their 2004 trip to the Super Bowl, while the other teams in the division have greatly improved their selling points.

"I think that's awesome," Reid said at the scouting combine last week when asked about the intense competition in the NFC East. "I love that. That's why we do this thing. It keeps you sharp. It keeps you aggressive."

Perhaps, but if the Eagles really want to lure Wilson away from the Super Bowl champion Giants, it probably will cost them more than it will cost New York to keep him. The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a 13-3 season that included the team's first division title since 1998, and they are two years away from moving into a new stadium.

Reid insisted that the improved competition is good for the Eagles.

"It helps you all year around," he said. "I think, even during this period, you always look at things close, but now you're looking at it a little closer. You want to be sitting on top of that NFC East when it's done. You want to be in the playoffs and win the championship."

The first steps in their attempt to become that kind of team can be taken today. As always, it will be fascinating to see what the Eagles do with this opportunity.