Gibril Wilson Set to be a Raider

Looks like the lure of going home might drive free agent Safety Gibril Wilson back to the Bay Area. Wilson, who was born in San Jose, is close to signing a deal with the Oakland Raiders. The deal is reportedly worth around 6 million per year.

Wilson had been closely linked with the Eagles for the past several days, but with the Eagles prepared to break the bank with Asante Samuel, there wouldn't be room for both in the same secondary. Of course, I would have preferred the Eagles save a little money and sign Wilson, who is nearly as good as Samuel. They could have saved around 4 million a year if they signed Wilson, and that money could have gone to a playmaker on offense or a defensive end to replace the recently released Jevon Kearse.

Nothing is official yet, so we will have to wait and see what happens next.

Asante Samuel to Sign with Saints

According to ProFootballTalk.com, Asante Samuel has agreed to a deal with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints and Samuel have reportedly verbally agreed to a deal that would pay Samuel the 10 million dollars plus per year that he wants. The former Patriot, who the Eagles have been rumored to be interested in, can't officially sign a contract with the Saints until free agency begins in a few days, so nothing is set in stone.

This could be good news for the Birds. Signing Samuel would eat up a huge chunk of the Eagles salary cap space and might not allow them to fill other holes. This could lead to the Eagles signing a guy like Gibril Wilson, who Rotoworld predicts the Birds will sign, and also be able to get a few other playmakers on offense.

Eagles targeting Gibril Wilson

The rumor wheel just keeps on turning. The Eagles have long been rumored to be pursuing Asante Samuel, but with his astronomical price tag, they may look to a more feasible option. Speculation from today's Philadelphia Inquirer says that the Eagles will make a strong attempt to sign Giants Safety Gibril Wilson.

Wilson is much less flashy than Samuel, but he is probably the better fit. Wilson is especially attractive to the Eagles because he knows Jim Johnson's defensive system, as the Giants ran it last year. The Eagles will also need someone to replace Brian Dawkins very soon, and Wilson could be that guy. More importantly, he is in the Eagles price range, meaning he could be had for much less than Samuel.

Gibril Wilson might make more sense for the Eagles, and he won't break the bank. If the Eagles really want to get a solid receiver and a good secondary guy, then a cheaper option like Wilson is the way to go. Asante Samuel would look great in an Eagles uniform, but not for the amount of money he wants.