Eagles Free Agency: Day Three Recap and Thoughts

It finally happened. Kevin Kolb was shipped off to Arizona this afternoon and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is officially an Eagle. The blockbuster trade took up most of the headlines during this busy day, but plenty more transactions went down.

This morning, the Eagles made their first foray into the veteran free agent market, bringing Jason Babin back into the fold. Although his five-year deal seems excessive for a 31 year old one-year wonder, keep in mind that it is heavily front loaded. Babin will thrive in Jim Washburn's rotational defensive line, and his familiarity with the Eagles' defense should allow him to make an early impact with the team. The Eagles scored big here.

Babin's signing shores up the shaky right side of the defensive line, whose troubles were compounded with the announcement that Brandon Graham was starting the pre-season on the PUP list. Look for the Eagles to add another veteran defensive lineman or two within the next few days as they begin turning their attention to depth players. The same goes for the offensive line, which was also weakened by the loss of Winston Justice to the PUP list.

Lost in the shuffle of today's big moves were two minor transactions: seventh-round pick Greg Lloyd's contract was finalized and undrafted rookie WR Gerald Jones. Losing a day of practice will certainly not help Lloyd's chances of making the final roster, but he still has an advantage over the free agent linebackers that the Eagles will surely add within the next few days.

Jones' signing marks the fifth wide receiver that the Eagles have brought in since the beginning of the offseason. The competition for fifth and sixth receiver on the depth chart will be a fierce one, and Jones will have to use his large frame, speed and physical play in order to make a difference on special teams if he expects to have a chance.

Check out more updates to the free agent market and player releases after the jump...

As for future signings, the talk surrounding Vince Young, who was released by the Titans today, and free agent Stephen Tulloch has heated up. According to many reports, Young has already agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles. However, he won't clear the waivers until 4:00 Friday, at which time the Eagles will sign him. One he is brought into the fold, Young along with Vick figure to form one of the best quarterback pairings in the league, proving once again that the Eagles have developed into a QB factory.

Finally, the Eagles concluded their day by releasing five veterans: DT Jeff Owens, WR Jeremy Williams, DT Jeremy Clark, CB Gerard Lawson and FB Leonard Weaver. None of the cuts came as much of a shock, but it's truly sad to see someone with Weaver's character get released. His gruesome knee injury makes it unlikely that he will ever play in the NFL again, but he leaves fond memories in the minds of Eagles fans everywhere.