The Linc - Does Jared Allen Make Sense for the Eagles?

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In free agency, scheme matters to Eagles - Jeff McLane, Inquirer
If you want to know why the Eagles didn't sign high-priced, possible future Hall of Fame players such as Darrelle Revis, DeMarcus Ware, and Jairus Byrd, the answer was on the field last season. Chip Kelly has a system, and within the confines of the NFL salary cap, he and general manager Howie Roseman have spent the last two offseasons spearheading an effort to fill structured needs. Do Kelly and Roseman consider Revis, Ware, and Byrd great players? You bet they do. Do they think the three players would reach their full potential within the confines of the Eagles' defensive scheme? Probably not.

Outside the Box - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Jared Allen is a pass rusher. He’s got 10 years under his belt and had double digit sacks in 8 of those years. For the past 7 seasons, he’s been in double figures. That is amazing consistency. The guys knows how to get to the QB. How can you not at least think about him for a minute? The downside is that he’ll turn 32 in less than a month. He has played in a pretty traditional 4-3 for most of his career so all he knows is lining up at RDE and flying off the edge. He also has benefited from playing in a dome. Most of his sacks come at home. Offenses have to limit what they do with the snap count and that gives him an edge. Allen is still a good pass rusher on the road, but he’s not the same guy.

Re-Setting Free Agency: Who’s Left For the Eagles? - Sheil Kapadia, Birds 24/7
Alex Carrington, Bills (27) - We've mentioned Carrington on several occasions, but he still has not been linked to the Eagles. Carrington (6-5, 301) only played in three games last year because of a quad injury and is considered a rotational player. He would play 3-4 defensive end and potentially move inside on passing downs. He was a third-round pick in 2010. Carrington's only reported visit has been with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that runs a similar scheme to the Eagles.

10 observations from the Eagles' offseason - Reuben Frank, CSN Philly
Here’s a name to watch as the Eagles look for safety depth: Nate Allen. Whattttttttt?????? Seriously. I still expect the Eagles to sign another veteran safety and draft at least one, but don’t be surprised if the Eagles re-sign Allen as a depth guy. He knows the defense, and he played far better last year than he had since before he got hurt as a rookie. Plus, here’s a guy who hasn’t had the same defensive coordinator two straight years since he was in college. Give him another year under Billy Davis, and Allen should be even better. If Patrick Chung and Allen are your top two safeties, not an ideal situation. But if you have Malcolm Jenkins and, say, Calvin Pryor as starters and Allen and Earl Wolff backing up, I’m OK with that.

Fan-Demonium: Understanding The Plan - Tommy Lawlor, PE.com
I also think Sproles will get a lot of work as a returner, on punts and kickoffs. His return numbers were down last year, but I think the Eagles will dial down his number of touches on offense to see if that can help him as a returner. Sproles was on the field for 342 offensive snaps last year. Eagles backups Bryce Brown and Chris Polk combined for 228 snaps. Sproles played in 15 games so that is an average of 23 snaps per game. He had 124 offensive touches. That's a lot for a role player. I don't think he'll get that much offensive work for the Eagles. Maybe having fresher legs can help him get back to being a weapon as a kick returner. That's definitely a spot where the Eagles need a boost.

Kelly sidesteps question about DeSean Jackson - PFT
While Kelly may have simply been toying with reporters, an unconditional commitment to Jackson hasn’t been provided. With Darrelle Revis, DeMarcus Ware, Julius Peppers, and Steve Smith all released in recent days, it’s impossible to presume Jackson is safe — especially without an unequivocal declaration from the team that he is.

The Daily Win: Winners and losers in NFL free agency - Matt Ufford, SB Nation NFL
With most big-name free agents off the board, it's time to preemptively judge who's best positioned for 2014. Forget the Draft! We need judgment NOW!