Eagles get Babin
The Eagles have agreed to terms with free agent defensive end Jason Babin, NFL sources confirmed.
Eagles get Babin
Jeff McLane
The Eagles have agreed to terms with free agent defensive end Jason Babin, NFL sources confirmed.
Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com first reported the story. The Eagles can't officially announce the move until Friday at 6 p.m.
A year and a half after not re-signing Babin the Eagles bring back the 31-year-old. The five-year deal is worth $28 million with roughly $5-6 million guaranteed, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.
The move reunites Babin with defensive line coach Jim Washburn. Under Washburn's guidance in Tennessee Babin recorded 12-1/2 sacks last season. Babin spent just one season with the Eagles in 2009 when he notched just 2-1/2 sacks in part-time duty.
"Back to Philadelphia, Back with Washburn," Babin tweeted.
He's been a journeyman most of his career despite being the Houston Texans' first-round pick in 2004. Prior to last season, his top sacks total was five for the Texans in 2006.
But with the Titans Babin had a Pro Bowl season. Washburn utilized Babin's straight speed by splitting the end out wide in the nine-technique. The coach is expected to bring that front line scheme to the Eagles. Babin is also considered a clubhouse leader and the Eagles could use a few of those on defense with safety Quintin Mikell off to the Rams and linebacker Stewart Bradley likely not back.
Most important, the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Babin will be expected to improve a defensive line that struggled down the stretch last season and one that isn't expected to have 2010 top pick Brandon Graham for most of the season. Graham tore his ACL last December and also needed microfracture surgery.
Babin will also help overused end Trent Cole. Cole has recorded double-digit sack totals in three of his last four seasons. Last season he finished with ten, but notched only three in the second half of the season.
Getting Babin means the Eagles passed on Ray Edwards, considered the best available end still on the market. The 25-year-old is expected to command a large pay day.
The Eagles also seemingly lost out on another Washburn project when the Redskins traded defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to the New England Patriots for a 2013 fifth-round draft pick. The Eagles may not have been interested in the 30-year-old former All-Pro, however.
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Joe "nickels" Banner— Ed Gein- Tulloch, 26. Coming off back to back 100 tackle seasons. Eagles in need of LBs. GET HIM!!!!— wooshie123
- maybe it's time to replaced Andy Reid, if he don't win Super Bowl
this year time for Gruden to come back— douglasrdd - Jouneyman, cut two years ago is now the missing peice ???......I doubt it....but then the Patriots got Hanesworth and after that there is not much out there....msut have been cheap....— nuggett
- I've got no issue with Babin...liked him when he was here, and wish he hadn't left. He'll probably have good production at limited cost. I'm sure that DRC will be coming our way by tomorrow, and wondering if Reid has his sights set on an OL, LB or both that he hopes to be released in the coming weeks and doesn't want to bring in anyone else (and lose signing bonus $) prior to seeing who is released. Say what you want about Banner and Reid, but I've been watching the Eagles since the mid-70's, and haven't had as many happy Monday (or Tuesday) mornings as I've had since Reid's tenure. Yeah, I know...no Super Bowl, but they didn't have one prior to Reid, and Monday mornings were pretty damn lousy when reading the sports section of the paper back then.— CTeaglefn
- Getting guys who know the coaching systems is the right way to go this year. Much smaller amount of time needed to get up to speed. Besides, only $6M is GTD, so he won't be around when he's 36 anyway unless he's doing a good job,— yobill626
- Good move eagles, it's a good start. Now make another.
— Don Cornelius - I sooooo did not know Haynesworth went to the Patriots. Something tells me that not nabbing this guy when we could've is going to come back to bite us.— zero9one7
- if you CUT the guy and turn out to be a decent player...OUR PLAYERS EVALUATION personel/scout/ect sucks! ANDY REID SUCKS
— puckdaddy - Some activity for the 'birds ...now some DB help. johnnyu— john ullman
- Thank God we didn't get Haynesworth.— dasher
This guy couldn't crack the starting rotation in 09' what so good about him now????- "Nickels, Nickels, Nickels". Banner is notbeing cheap - he is managing money under a cap, a cap that now requires that teams spend most all of the money. "Nickels" comments are likely coming from people who never had any nickels (money) to manage, don't understand the business end of football (half a fan), and are boorish malcontents.— Dr Bri
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