The Philadelphia Eaglesturned the football world on its ear Friday afternoon, swooping in and landing prized free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. We asked several NFL.com and NFL Network analysts for their instant reaction to the stunning news.
Asomugha's decision to go to the Eagles gives them the opportunity to unseat the Green Bay Packers as NFC favorites. They now have a defense that is as potent as their explosive offense, and that is a scary thought for their opponents. In looking at how the Eagles' revamped their secondary with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha, Philadelphia has the flexibility to smother opponents with high-pressure, man-to-man tactics or employ zone-blitz concepts. (If they keep Asante Samuel, it could be even scarier.) The versatility allows them to match up with any offense and gives them a tremendous advantage over the rest of the NFC. One move typically doesn't tip the balance of power in a conference, but the Asomugha signing puts the Eagles in a prime position to reach Super Bowl XLI in Indianapolis.
I don't know who is more gangster: the Eagles or Asomugha? Philadelphia used the cover of the Kevin Kolb trade and the Vince Young signing to shield their pursuit of Asomugha. Meanwhile, Asomugha's agents played a handful of teams off each other before stealthily maneuvering him into a situation where he won't be viewed as The Savior, but more a Final Piece. The process was cold-blooded. I'm just in awe of how the Eagles and Asomugha pulled this off. Gangster.
Kudos to the Eagles. Team president Joe Banner and coach Andy Reid said they were gonna be aggressive in free agency. I'd say this does the job. And the fact they outbid a hated division rival in the Cowboys is icing on the cake. With Rodgers-Cromartie also in the fold, it's hard to see them keeping Samuel now.
The Eagles always have the salary cap space to do what they want in free agency. Once again, they had more firepower than the other teams in pursuit of Asomugha. The Eagles also beefed up their pass rush with Jason Babin, who they will put opposite Trent Cole. With corners like Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie, not to mention Samuel should Philly choose to keep him, the blitz package can grow. Bottom line: The Eagles will be hard to beat in 2011.
