Eagles Free Agency: Ike Taylor A Better Fit Than Nnamdi Asomugha?

Let's take a break from the labor stuff for a bit and get in to some free agency stuff. Everyone seems to be in agreement that the Eagles will look to add a veteran corner this year and it just so happens to be a pretty good year to do that. There's a trio of very good corners hitting the market and a few others that would be an upgrade as well.

The top guy is clearly Nnamdi Asomugha, but we've also heard about the possibility of Ike Taylor being an Eagle as well. NFL.com's Bucky Brooks says that Taylor would be a good fit, but Asomugha would not.

Ike Taylor, cornerback

Ideal Fit: Philadelphia Eagles
Taylor isn't regarded as a shutdown corner in most circles, but he is effective in a zone-based system. With the Eagles transitioning into a two-deep scheme, Taylor would be a nice complement to Asante Samuel. Although his advanced age (31) is an issue, he is a much cheaper option than Nnamdi Asomugha and a better fit in their new scheme.

Nnamdi Asomugha, cornerback

Bad Fit: Philadelphia Eagles
The thought of Asomugha teaming up with Asante Samuel is certainly intriguing, but it is not sensible from a philosophical or schematic standpoint. The Eagles traditionally give out big deals to young players approaching their primes, and Asomugha's age (30) makes it very likely he is on the backside of his career. Also, the Eagles are reportedly moving away from the blitz-happy approach of the late Jim Johnson in favor of more zone-based coverage. Given Asomugha's reputation as a man-to-man defender, it doesn’t make sense to join a team that will not play to his strengths.

Now I've said that I would be very happy to see Taylor here on a reasonable deal. He's an underrated player who, like Brooks said, would fit in perfectly with what the Eagles want to do. However, let's be honest here. Nnamdi Asomugha isn't a "bad fit" on any team. When you're talking about an elite player like that, who really cares if he's mostly a man corner or not? You fit your scheme to him.

So if the Eagles did decide to go after Nnamdi, I'm sure he would fit just fine.