Watch Phillies! The Eagles are trying to upstage your signing of Cliff Lee! They've brought back Derrick Burgess! I kid, of course, but it is true that the Eagles have re-signed their 2001 3rd round pick to help take the place of their 2010 first round pick Brandon Graham, who the team placed on IR today.
Burgess spent four injury filled seasons in Philadelphia and while he occasionally showed flashes of real talent, overall you'd have to consider his career to that point a bust. Clearly the guy could play, but this was a guy who a broken leg and torn ACL in his first two seasons. Of course his greatest game as an Eagle was the 2004 NFC title game where he sacked Michael Vick twice.
He would leave the Eagles in 2005 and sign the Raiders, where he not only stayed healthy but became a two time pro bowler. In his first two years in Oakland he recorded 27 sacks.
But then he started to get dinged up again and his production tailed off before he was let go. He eventually ended up with the Patriots last year where he had 5 sacks. He was cut before this season.
He's actually only 32 and coming in fresh not having played this season. Obviously you have to questions about his overall game fitness, but as a veteran who is only going to be asked to sparingly in a limited role the team could do a lot worse.