Eagles to Chester Pitts: "We Have a Place for You"

As first reported by kingmcnabb5 (a.k.a. Bleed Green's Cody Benjamin), former Houston Texans offensive guard Chester Pitts has been contacted by the Eagles, who apparently have an interest in bringing him in for July's training camp. During a recent interview with Sirius NFL Radio, Pitts said that the Eagles front office had told him, "If you’re ready on the 15th [of July], we’re going to work you out and we have a place for you [on the roster]." Obviously, this is big news for a team that showed such confidence in their offensive line that they didn't add a single lineman in the draft.

If any of you remember back in February, I mentioned that the 30 year old Pitts, despite recovering from season-ending knee surgery, could be a target to shore up the Jackson-less offensive line. He has enough experience starting at right guard, but it's likely he'll be the backup to Stacy Andrews if signed. This is, of course, assuming that Andrews is fully recovered from his 2008 ACL tear and has shaken off a very subpar 2009 season.

Regarding his road to recovery, Pitts had this to say:

"For me, I’m 85 percent, I’m pushing at 90 but I don’t like to say I’m at 90 because I’m not quite there yet. But I’ll be 100 percent [in] probably six weeks. So I have about a two-week cushion to get it as healthy and get as strong as I can get it."

I like the signing of Pitts as an insurance policy, even if his messed up knee makes it a bit of a gamble. With Jamaal Jackson out, Nick Cole will likely start at center, leaving the guard position fairly thin. If Pitts can be had for a fair price, the Eagles would do well to jump at the opportunity. Still, they'll have to compete with offers from the Vikings, who are rumored to be the other big player courting Pitts.