Bad news for the Eagles: Gross signed, Peppers tagged, Boldin willing to stay in Arizona

With free agency just over a week away, Eagles fans have been salivating at the idea of signing some of the top available talent. The Birds need help along the offensive line and at wide receiver so rumors have been running rampant over which free agents the team is targeting. Unfortunately for the Eagles, three players believed to be on the radar have now been taken off.

The Carolina Panthers had a pair of free agents, tackle Jordan Gross and defensive end Julius Peppers, and it didn't look like they would be able to keep both of them. Speculation around the league was that the Panthers would slap the franchise tag on one of the players and the other would be able to leave via free agency, possibly going to Philly. Well, the Panthers found a solution to their dilemma: they signed Gross to a 6 year contract and then subsequently franchised Peppers. Both are returning to Carolina, neither will be an Eagle.

The other hot free agent Birds fans desperately want to see in an Eagle uniform is Anquan Boldin. Boldin has been saying all offseason that he wants out of Arizona, citing unhappiness with his contract and irreparable differences with the Cardinals. The Eagles would be one of many teams that would be a likely landing spot for Boldin and they have the draft picks and the money to welcome him with open arms. There is word today, however, that Boldin has changed his mind about leaving Arizona. Now, instead of wanting out of town, Boldin is willing to stay with the Cardinals if they are willing to give him a new contract. Of course, with the team already paying Larry Fitzgerald a ton of money, there is no guarantee that the Cards will fork over top dollar for another receiver, but Boldin has taken the first step towards another season in the desert.

So, where does this leave the Eagles? For the most part, they will now probably have to rely much more on the draft that on free agency. With Gross out of the picture, the Eagles will also likely re-sign Tra Thomas. Peppers staying in Carolina doesn't affect what they will do on defense since they really don't have any major holes along the line. At wide receiver, the Eagles have publicly stated they won't pursue another wideout, but T.J. Houshmandzadeh will still be on the market and he becomes the number one free agent receiver.

None of the news that has come out today is good news. The Eagles will now need to look at less glamorous ways to shore up holes on their team. Getting Gross, Peppers or Boldin were never sure things but having them out of the picture will certainly limit the Birds options going forward. The draft now becomes that much more important for the Eagles.