Larry Fitzgerald Extends Deal, won't be an Eagle

So much for the dream of seeing Larry Fitzgerald in an Eagle uniform. Fitzgerald agreed to extend his deal with the Cardinals, signing a 4 year, 40 million dollar deal. You have to hand it to the normally incompetent Cardinals, not only did they find a way to keep their star receiver, they got him on the cheap. Even though it includes 30 million dollars in guaranteed money, 10 million a year is a steal for a player of Fitzgerald's talent.

This is strike two against the Eagles in their search for a star receiver. Who's left for them to pursue? Detroit is reluctant to move Roy Williams, Chad Johnson looks like he's staying put, and Torry Holt isn't going anywhere. It is looking more and more like the Eagles will be stuck with the same group of receivers next year. They still have to trade Lito Sheppard at some point, but this team probably won't be making any moves until the draft.

Cardinals not interested in Eagles offer for Fitzgerald

The Cardinals apparently aren't all that enthusiastic with what the Eagles have to offer them for their 2-time Pro Bowl receiver. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Cardinals won't be able to pay Larry Fitzgerald what he is owed, and unless his contract can be restructured, the Cards will be forced to trade him.

The Eagles have reportedly offered Lito Sheppard and Reggie Brown for Fitzgerald, but the Cardinals aren't biting. They are said to have "little interest in either player" the Eagles are offering. Taking a look at the Cardinals roster, they already have a pretty good secondary, but Lito would be an upgrade over anything they have at the cornerback position. They would need a receiver to replace Fitzgerald, so that is why Reggie Brown is thrown in. The Eagles could easily upgrade their offer by tossing in some high draft picks, but then they might be overpaying for Fitzgerald.

It is great to see the Eagles continue to be aggressive in getting another receiver. The way things are looking, though, they are going to have to give up a ton to get one. Matt Millen has publicly stated that Roy Williams is not available, so Fitzgerald might be the last option they have.

The Eagles will have to do something completely out of character if they want Larry Fitzgerald. They are going to have to mortgage the future to win now with a player who has a huge contract. The last time they did something so out of character, bringing in a locker room cancer like T.O., they ended up in the Super Bowl. Let's hope they can find a way to get this thing done.

Sifting Through the Eagles Rumors

There are a ton of Eagles rumors flying around the internet. There are any number of trade scenarios and free agent signings that have been "sure to happen" according to a number of different sources. The Eagles have been linked to nearly every available wide receiver, and Lito Sheppard has been traded to about ten different teams already. So what are we to believe? What are the Eagles really going to do? I am not going to pretend like I know what's going to happen, but I want to run down what we know and try to figure out what rumors might actually have some merit.

What we know:
*The Eagles want a top flight receiver The Eagles went after Randy Moss. That's a fact. Going after Moss proves that the Eagles want a number one receiver. Andy Reid knows that if the Eagles go through next season with a receiving group led by a pair of number two receivers, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, their offense will remain stagnant. They need a true number one receiver who can either help to stretch the field or draw a double team as he goes across the middle. Going after Moss was a declaration to the league that the Eagles want a number one receiver, and they are willing to do what it takes to get one.

*The Eagles are willing to trade Lito As good as the Eagles secondary would be next year with Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, one of them is likely to go. While keeping three starting caliber corners would help them shut down opposing teams who like to run spread offenses, there are potential issues that could arise. The main problem is that all three think they are starting corners, so whoever plays nickel corner will be upset. Reportedly, the Eagles are willing to move Lito Sheppard, and have already begun fielding offers from other teams. Rumors are swirling as to possible trading partners, with the Redskins, Lions and Cardinals as the rumored suitors. What they might get for the oft-injured former Pro Bowler is another story. I have heard everything from draft picks to star receivers. Of course, the Eagles can't overplay their hand and show other teams they are desperate to move Lito, so they won't let it be known that they want to dump him. If other teams know the Eagles can't wait to get rid of him, they won't get anything good in return.

The rumored moves:
*Free Agent Receivers There isn't much left in the free agent market. Bryant Johnson and D. J. Hackett are the best available, but they wouldn't be an upgrade over what the Eagles currently have. They would be more of the same. A receiver would have to be acquired through a trade.

*Larry Fitzgerald As I said before, the Eagles are going after a top receiver, and there have been grumblings that the Cardinals won't be able to pay Larry Fitzgerald, so they want to move him to another team. Obviously, if Fitzgerald is available, he has to be someone the Eagles are pursuing. If they would really trade Fitzgerald, which is very unlikely, what would the Cardinals want for him? They could use help in the secondary, so Lito Sheppard could be an option. The Eagles would also need to throw in a few first day draft picks as well. If Lito isn't a part of the deal, I don't think the Eagles have enough to offer to get it done.

The other problem with the Eagles acquiring Larry Fitzgerald is the same problem the Cardinals are having: his contract. Fitzgerald is set to make a total of 31 million over the next two seasons. The Eagles already spent a ton of money on Samuel so they are no going to be happy having two guys taking up a huge chunk of their salary cap. The Eagles would likely try to get Fitzgerald to restructure his contract, but if he is willing to do that, the Cardinals would be able to keep him.

*Roy Williams The Lions receiver has been rumored to be on the trading block, so again, you can bet the Eagles are showing interest. While Williams is not on the level of a Larry Fitzgerald or Randy Moss, he's in the next tier of receivers and would be a definite number one option on the Eagles. So if the Lions are willing to trade, does Philly have anything they want? They have an awful defense, and need help at corner and on the defensive line. They would certainly want Lito, but the Eagles don't have any tradeable pieces along the D-line. While it would be great to get rid of Darren Howard, even Matt Millen isn't dumb enough to pay Howard's contract for his minor contributions. A deal for Roy Williams seems more likely than for Fitzgerald, but it would also take Lito and a high draft pick.

*Chad Johnson I am not sure why he keeps popping up in trade possibilities. Even if he wants to get out of town, the Bengals have no interest in trading him. If they did, they would ask for way more than the Eagles would be willing to give up. Johnson has more of a chance of going to a team with a top 5 pick in the draft.

To sum it up, we know the Eagles want a top flight receiver, and that receiver has to come through a trade. Their best trading chip is Lito Sheppard, but he alone will not get them a great receiver. A package of draft picks with Lito included might get it done. So, what will the Eagles do? The Eagles have let a lot of information leak recently, which has allowed fans to be in on their pursuit of Asante Samuel and their attempts to bring in Randy Moss. I have a feeling they will work under the radar on the next move.

You can get excited that the Eagles are working hard to improve their club, but don't get too excited by every rumor you hear. If you hear about a trade that is too good to be true, it is, because if the Eagles had an offer like that, they would have already accepted it. By the time many of these things become rumors, they are no longer possible. We just have to trust that the Eagles will be able to pull something off, because if they don't get another playmaker on offense, we may be looking at another season out of the playoffs.

Eagles to sign Chris Clemons

It looks like the Eagles are making more moves on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles are reportedly going to sign free agent defensive end/linebacker Chris Clemons. Clemons started his career with the Redskins, and played for the Raiders last season. He had a career year last year, accumulating 8 sacks. It appears that Clemons will be the guy that replaces Jevon Kearse at defensive end.

Also in the article linked to above, it reports that the Eagles have inquired about Larry Fitzgerald, but found the Cardinals asking price to be too high. The Eagles look to be loading up on defense, what will they do to address the offense?

Larry Fitzgerald won't be an Eagle, McNabb will

Two reports from ProFootballtalk.com this morning:

Larry Fitzgerald won't be traded The guy Philly fans want the most is probably not an option. ProFootballtalk.com says that Fitzgerald won't be traded because the Cardinals don't want to and no team would want to take on his huge salary. Even though Garry Cobb is reporting it like it's a fact, I think the dream scenario of trading Lito Sheppard for Fitzgerald is out the window at this point. There is no way the Eagles can afford to take on Fitzgerald's contract if they sign Asante Samuel to a 10 million plus dollar contract.

Donovan McNabb expects to be back We all assumed this by now, but McNabb went on ESPN radio and confirmed that he expects to be back with the Birds next year. McNabb said it "would be a shock" if he didn't play for the Eagles in 2008. I think at this point, with the Eagles getting ready to sign a premium free agent, the Eagles will need McNabb next year. It would make little sense to sign top talent on defense and then go with an unproven quarterback on offense.

Eagles "Going Hard" after Larry Fitzgerald

According to a story on GCobb.com, the Eagles are "going after Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald pretty hard". We have been hearing rumors about this situation for a few weeks, so this is just more confirmation of the Eagles' interest. The Cardinals are reluctant to keep the star receiver because of how much salary cap space he will take up. His current contract pays him 14.5 million next season and over 17 million in 2009. Fitzgerald is not a free agent, so if the Eagles want him, he would have to be acquired in a trade.

Fitzgerald would look really good in an Eagles uniform, and would make the offense potent. He has had over 100 catches twice in his career. Fitzgerald had made recent comments that he might sign a long term deal with the Cardinals that would reduce his salary cap number, so if that happens all possible deals are off. I have no idea what it would take to get him, maybe a first round pick and a couple of solid young players, but whatever the price, he would be worth it. If he is made available, there will be a slew of teams making offers which will drive up the price. Of all the players rumored to be headed to Philly, he is the most exciting because of his ability and because he is only 24. Trades in the NFL are rare, however, so this is definitely a remote possibility.

I have made my opinions of the Eagles reluctance to spend money known recently, and this is another situation where they would have to go out of character to get what they want. For all of the players linked to the Eagles this offseason (Asante Samuel, Randy Moss, Chad Johnson), it would require the front office to step up and change their philosophy. It would have to mirror what the Patriots did last off-season, where they opened up the wallet and spent a ton of money to get Tom Brady the weapons he needed on offense. If the Eagles are dedicated to making one last run with Donovan McNabb, they owe it to themselves to pursue every avenue for available players, regardless of their price tag.