Day 1 Rumblings - What To Think

Day 1 of Free Agency is in full swing, and the biggest fish in the pond has been landed; Julius Peppers is a Bear, as are Chester Taylor and Brandon Manumaleuna.  Kyle Vanden Bosch is a Lion, and we're waiting to hear about Aaron Kampman and Antrel Rolle.  The Eagles, aside from re-signing Leonard Weaver, have been quiet.  For those of you wondering what to make of all this, here's some help:

On Peppers:

It should really come as no surprise to all of us that Peppers didn't wind up in midnight green.  The Eagles made an offer, but it obviously wasn't what the man was looking for.  Sure, it's disappointing, especially when he had the Eagles at the top of a short list of teams he wanted to play for, but think of it in these terms: Chicago had to make something big happen today.  They don't have a first OR second-round pick in the upcoming draft, they lost DE Gaines Adams when he died suddenly, and after a majorly disappointing season in which they were expected to contend for the NFC crown, they face perhaps the highest amount of scrutiny of any team this off-season.  It's no wonder that they rocketed out of the gates to sign him.  Plus, he's on the wrong side of 30, and the Bears now owe him an estimated $40-$45 million in the first three years of a whopping 6-year, $72 million contract.  We all knew Peppers would command top dollar, but jesus.  Money was no object for the Bears, who really had no choice.  At least he didn't wind up with one of our NFC East rivals.  A great player, and it would have been sweet to have him lining up with Trent Cole, but what can you do?

On Vanden Bosch:

Another standout DE over 30 who followed the money.  It's not gonna improve the hapless Lions all that much.  Again, woulda been nice, but the Eagles weren't about to dump a shitload of money on this guy.

On Aaron Kampman:

Couldn't care less if we didn't sign him.  He's over 30, and is only 5 months removed from an ACL tear.  It seems to me that he's playing hard-to-get with the Eagles right now, and we don't need that crap.  We have enough issues with players having torn ACLs as it is (Stu Bradley, Jamaal Jackson, Stacy Andrews).  If we sign him, we'd only be wasting money on an aging injury risk whose best years are behind him.  Remember, we wouldn't be getting the Kampman of 3-4 years ago.  My feeling is that once a player turns 30 and has suffered an ACL tear, he won't be operating at optimum capacity any longer, especially at a position that requires explosiveness and stamina.  Kampman has a ton of talent, but I think we've learned our lesson about signing aging, injury-prone players for a ton of money (Kevin Curtis, anyone?).

On Weaver:

Great job by the brass to get this deal done.  He's now the highest-paid fullback in the league, which should make him pretty happy.  He was the best pickup the Eagles made last year, adding dynamic playmaking ability from a position that normally doesn't show it, as well as a vocal locker-room presence that lends leadership to a team that has since lost two of its leaders (The two Brians).  The L-Train is gonna keep on rolling through the Linc...

On Antrel Rolle:

No word that the Birds have expressed any interest in the former Cardinals Pro-Bowler.  He'd be a welcome addition to a team that hasn't yet found its successor to Brian Dawkins.

What It All Means To Us So Far:

The Eagles brass normally like to play things close to the vest, and they still are, but they've shown us a little of their hand today.  They expressed interest in the top 3 available defensive ends (Pepper, Vanden Bosch, Kampman), which means they're looking to upgrade over the aging Juqua Parker and the ineffective Victor Abiamiri.  Defensive end is definitely one of their offseason priorities, but it seems that signing a starter out of the free agent pool is becoming less likely.  Will this translate into looking at DEs come draft day?  The top five projected first-round DEs in the draft are as follows:

1. Jason Pierre-Paul, USF (6'5", 270 lbs.  4.64 40)

2. Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech (6'3", 266 lbs.  4.72 40)

3. Brandon Graham, Michigan (6'1", 268 lbs. 4.69 40)

4. Everson Griffen, USC (6'3", 273 lbs.  4.66 40)

5. Carlos Dunlap, Florida (6'6", 277 lbs.  4.66 40)

These are the five expected to go in the first round, and of these five, I see two that could fall to the Eagles with the 24th pick: Griffen and Dunlap.  Both had pretty good showings at the combine.  Griffen is a very good player, although some say the production hasn't matched the hype.  He finished his three-year college career with 16 sacks (7 last year) and 82 total tackles.  My sense is that he could have used a little more seasoning by returning for his senior year, but he still has a lot of upside.  He is a 4-3 left end, and could be a nice complement to Trent Cole if he is brought along properly.  Carlos Dunlap is athletically freakish with equally freakish size and speed.  He too is a junior, but unlike Griffen, he has the tools to excel in the NFL right away.  He finished his career as a Gator with 20 total sacks, 77 tackles, and 1 forced fumble.  The knock on him, as is widely known, is that he can be a headcase.  He was arrested for a DUI, and has been accused at times of laziness.  Will Andy gamble on a guy who has Mario Williams measurables but a potentially Pacman-like mentality?  Dunlap was dominant in the SEC, but he has to get his mind right to succeed at the next level.

What today's news also tells us is that the team isn't eyeing a safety in the free-agent pool, at least not right away.  They may be waiting until the draft to address this position, but the pickings are slim; only 3 safeties are projected to go in the first round, all of whom could be gone by the time the Eagles are on the clock.  They are: Eric Berry of Tennessee, Earl Thomas of Texas, and of course, Taylor Mays of USC.  Unless the Eagles pull a stunning draft-day trade-up, they've got no shot at Berry, who may go in the top 5.  Thomas is possible, but only if he falls past 20, so the odds are against him winding up an Eagle.  Mays is a name showing up on a lot of draft boards for the Birds, and it's possible, but his otherworldly size and speed can't hide the fact that he struggles in coverage, which doesn't bode well when the Eagles are already fielding a secondary that got burned by the pass last year.  I think if coached properly, he could learn to adjust, but if the Eagles drafted him, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was converted to an outside linebacker.  At 6'3", 230 lbs. he could be a stalwart run-stuffer, and with 4.3 40 speed, he could also develop into a fine pass-rusher from the LB position.  We'll wait and see.  Nate Allen of USF is another name that could pop up for the Eagles; he is one of the more underrated prospects among defensive backs, and has decent size (6'0", 207 lbs.) to go with impressive speed (4.47 40).  He had a tremendous 2009 season, amassing 85 tackles with 4 interceptions and 4 deflected passes.  The scouting report says that he doesn't quite have superstar potential  like Berry, and he isn't a violent hitter like Mays, but he does have a great skill set for a safety.  He could be a steal in the second round.

We haven't heard about the Eagles looking at any linebackers thus far, even though they were reportedly interested in Keith Bulluck.  This is another position that the team could address via the draft.

Day 1 of free agency is nearly in the books...what are your thoughts?  What do you think the Eagles brass has up their sleeve, if anything, for the days remaining until the draft?