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If you've been following BGN's rumor tracker (which you should be), you already know there's a lot of rumors flying around despite the fact NFL free agency hasn't even officially started yet. A few more rumors popped up on Sunday. They aren't individually big enough to stand on their own so I'll discuss all of them here.
S Jairus Byrd
Good morning. I checked in on Eagles' interest in Jairus Byrd. I'm told they haven't shown much "yet." Better than none? Still early.
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherCSN) March 9, 2014
Nothing too revealing here. The Eagles will likely show interest in Byrd at some point. He's talented and they need a safety. You can bet they'll do their homework on him. The issue that could concern the Eagles with Byrd, as with any free agent, is his price tag. Byrd is looking for a huge pay day. He already declined a lucrative contract offer from the Bills just so he could hit free agency and have the opportunity to strike an even bigger deal. Will the Eagles have interest in breaking the bank for Byrd?
DE Lamarr Houston
#Eagles checked in on Raiders DE Lamarr Houston, I'm told, but don't get too excited. Houston likely out of their pay range.
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherCSN) March 9, 2014
Just like with the Byrd situation, the Eagles would be wise to do their homework on a top free agent such as Lamarr Houston. As Mosher notes, it's likely he will be out of the Eagles' level of interest from a salary perspective. Not to mention that the Eagles already have a pair of young and talented defensive ends in Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton. I don't heavily anticipate the Eagles spending big on the defensive line in free agency other than for depth purposes.
P Donnie Jones
For those asking, #Eagles are working on bringing back Donnie Jones, per source. They've talked. Still early in the process for all FAs.
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherCSN) March 9, 2014
Due to the rules of the CBA, the Eagles can't officially re-sign Donnie Jones to anything more than the veteran minimum until the new league year starts on Tuesday, March 11. Given Jones' success with the Eagles last year, it's hard to imagine a scenario where he isn't brought back. A Jones deal only seems like a matter of time at this point.
DE/OLB Michael Johnson
A report emerged on Friday night that the Eagles were interested in Bengals' 4-3 DE Michael Johnson. A day later, it was reported that Johnson will not be signing with the Eagles. Johnson likely fell out of the Eagles' price range.
S Mike Mitchell
The Eagles were first reported to have interest in Mitchell on Saturday. That interest has since intensified, according to a more recent report. The Eagles are reportedly one of two teams pursuing Mitchell the hardest.
CB Champ Bailey
I'm not so sure this one makes a lot of sense, but it's still worth a look nonetheless.
OLB Mike Neal
The Eagles' interest in Neal was lumped into the Michael Johnson report. A move for Neal would be considered as a less expensive depth option as opposed to a player like Johnson.
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That's it for now. Plenty of rumors still to come! Stay tuned to BGN for all of your free agency coverage needs.