There are seven games left, but we've officially stuck a fork in the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles. It's not too early to start speculating about next season.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer runs down a list of veteran players who might or might not be on the chopping block during the offseason. His passage on Nnamdi Asomugha stands out.
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"The 31-year-old cornerback is due to earn a whopping $15 million in base salary next season, with $4 million guaranteed," McLane writes. "The Eagles aren't likely to cut Asomugha and eat the $4 million, but they're not going to pay him his full salary considering the slip in his production. More than likely, the sides will meet somewhere in the middle."
Interesting take. We'd be a little surprised to see Asomugha willingly pass up another chance at free agency for a pay cut. However, McLane wrote Monday that Asomugha's chances to return to the Eagles are "slim." Either McLane changed his mind in the interim or he received information that suggested Asomugha would be amenable to a pay cut.
Defensive end Jason Babin and defensive tackle Mike Patterson look like two other potential salary-cap casualties. It's also hard to imagine Michael Vick back next year.
All of the speculation above assumes Andy Reid will be gone. We've seen too much over the years, especially in Philadelphia, to assume anything.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
