Eagles Sign Samuel

The Eagles locked up one of the top free agents of the year with their signing of Asante Samuel. One of the best defensive backs, Samuel will help a Eagles team that had only eleven interceptions. Samuel had six interceptions last year and ten the year before that. Samuel will be the starting left cornerback, opposite Sheldon Brown. The Eagles will give Samuel 57 million dollars over the next six years with twenty million guaranteed.

I think this was a good move made by the Eagles. Samuel has been called a difference-maker and will greatly improve this Eagles defense. He is called a "pick magnet" by his agent and if he continues his great interception totals, then he will really help the Eagles out.

The Eagles now have three quality corners (Samuel, Sheldon Brown, and Lito Sheppard). Sheppard seems to be the odd man out because he is the starting left cornerback. Sheppard, a two-time Pro Bowler, has been hampered by injuries the last two seasons. If the Eagles don't move him or Brown to another defensive position (like safety), he will likely be on a different team at the start of next season. It would be a good move to switch Brown to strong safety and let Sheppard and Samuel play cornerback. That is not likely to happen, however. The Eagles could consider trading Sheppard for a wide receiver. There was a rumor going around that coach Andy Reid let Sheppard seek out a trade, but that was denied by Reid. Trading Sheppard may be a good move, seeing that many teams would value a solid corner like Sheppard.

So the Eagles have made their first significant move of the offseason, and I think it is a good one.