NFL Free Agency 2014: Are the Eagles Interested in Champ Bailey?

The NFL free agency period is filled with a lot of rumors and reports. Sometimes those reports are true, but often a amount of them turn out to be false. Simply put, there's a lot of misinformation out there. It can be hard to separate fact from fiction at times. In certain cases, however, you can do the math for yourself and figure out if a rumor or report actually makes sense. I bring this up because I find it relevant regarding a recent report that's romping around the internet right now.

The latest report is that the Eagles are interested in veteran cornerback Champ Bailey. Bailey was released by the Broncos earlier this week. Bailey is a player worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, so it's obvious the Eagles will have interest in him, right? Well, not so fast. Perhaps the Eagles really do have interest in Bailey. I can't say for sure. But the logic doesn't seem to add up.

As I've mentioned many times before, it seems like the Eagles are generally happy with the short-term view of their cornerback situation. Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher are the starters on the outside. Brandon Boykin is a great young talent as the nickel cornerback. It's true that the Eagles both need to upgrade in the long-term and add immediate depth, but Bailey doesn't really make sense in either respect. He's going to turn 36 this summer, and he's not going to play special teams like a young backup would.

The only situation where it might make sense for the Eagles to add Bailey is at safety. Bailey has been a cornerback for his career, but he said he's willing to make the switch to safety if necessary. And the Eagles need a safety. So Bailey fits, right? Well, yet again, not so fast. It's not that the Eagles won't ever have interest in an older free agent again, but in this case it just doesn't seem to make much sense. The Eagles need more of a long-term at safety. There are a number of more appealing options on the market who are younger and have more experience playing the desired position.

So if Bailey to the Eagles doesn't add up, why is the rumor out there? The answer is simple: take a look at the Eagles' cap space. The Eagles have a lot of money to spend, so it's only natural they will be linked to a number of free agents, even if the fit doesn't seem to make sense. Various "sources" (aka agents) will be eager to draw up interest in their clients and create a competitive market for them. The more competition, the better the price. Misinformation galore.

Look, Champ Bailey might end up signing with the Eagles. I think it's highly unlikely, but until he officially signs elsewhere it can't be ruled out. For now, I maintain the key takeaway from this rumor is to be careful before putting too much stock into what you see. I'll do my best to sift through the validity of these reports as I post them, and I encourage you to be able to do the same.