Eagles' Players Courting Muhammad

The News
Eagles' players spent part of Pro Bowl weekend cozying up to Panthers' wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad (http://www.fanball.com/fb/playerProfile.cfm/pid.1510), according to Philly.com (http://philly.com/). Last year, quarterback Donovan McNabb (http://www.fanball.com/fb/playerProfile.cfm/pid.1468) used a similar strategy with then-free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens (http://www.fanball.com/fb/playerProfile.cfm/pid.1530), who later signed with the Eagles. Muhammad is still under contract to the Panthers, but he is expected to be released later this month unless he agrees to restructure his contract. Muhammad finished the 2004 season with 93 receptions for 1,405 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Our View
Eagles' players even went so far as to ask Moose to pose for a picture that included all 10 of the team's Pro Bowl representatives. Although Muhammad's status with the Panthers is in question, the Eagles certainly have enough salary cap space to pursue the veteran receiver should he be available next month. Most estimates suggest that the Eagles have roughly $17 million in cap space.

This seems like a Redskins type move...no the type of move the vaunted Eagles Front Office is known for. Maybe going 0-4 with the best team in the NFC for four years is knocking them off kilter. I can only hope.

TO and Kearse weren't typical Eagles moves but they worked out great for them.

If I'm the Eagles every offseason I think they have to make an impact move or two until they get over the hump and win it all.

Personally I'd be looking at the top RB's available and a cheaper but still quality #2 WR to go along with TO.

Muhammed is old as dirt, and he won't have too many good years left in him. The Eagles are known for shying away from the older talent, for fear of committing big money to a player whose talent is likely to decline in the coming years. And Muhammed will be asking for an absolute ton of money. The Eagles could afford it, and I hope they try to afford it, because in a few years he'll be crappy and the Birds will get slammed by a huge cap hit. That would be nice for a change.

Also though, their cap space isn't likely to be that expansive this coming year. That $17 million figure does not include the franchise tag figure that they just slapped on Corey Simon. That should eat up a good $6 million. Plus, they need to resign Trotter, Brian Westbrook, and Tra Thomas, who should all command high dollars. Plus Jermaine Mayberry who is worth a pretty penny (or replace him). Both Buckhalter and Dorsey Levens are free agents, so they'll probably go after a Najeh Davenport or somebody like that. And upcoming DE Derrick Burgess will cost a little, on the heels of his great postseason. If they do go for Moose, who would command like a $10 million signing bonus, it would probably finally put them up against the salary cap. Let's keep an eye on the Eagles' offseason. It could finally be the beginning of the end.

Muhammad is 32, so let's say he plays 3-4 more seasons. In all likelihood he's reached his peak with last year's output. Still, he's a high quality WR and as a #2 across from TO he could be very dangerous.

I wouldn't want to see him in Philly, though I would like to see them tie up a lot of money in him and have it backfire in their faces, but if he has a couple of good seasons it's not going to be a good thing for us.

Also though, their cap space isn't likely to be that expansive this coming year. That $17 million figure does not include the franchise tag figure that they just slapped on Corey Simon. That should eat up a good $6 million. Plus, they need to resign Trotter, Brian Westbrook, and Tra Thomas, who should all command high dollars. Plus Jermaine Mayberry who is worth a pretty penny (or replace him). Both Buckhalter and Dorsey Levens are free agents, so they'll probably go after a Najeh Davenport or somebody like that. And upcoming DE Derrick Burgess will cost a little, on the heels of his great postseason. If they do go for Moose, who would command like a $10 million signing bonus, it would probably finally put them up against the salary cap. Let's keep an eye on the Eagles' offseason. It could finally be the beginning of the end.

good points

Also though, their cap space isn't likely to be that expansive this coming year. That $17 million figure does not include the franchise tag figure that they just slapped on Corey Simon. That should eat up a good $6 million. Plus, they need to resign Trotter, Brian Westbrook, and Tra Thomas, who should all command high dollars. Plus Jermaine Mayberry who is worth a pretty penny (or replace him). Both Buckhalter and Dorsey Levens are free agents, so they'll probably go after a Najeh Davenport or somebody like that. And upcoming DE Derrick Burgess will cost a little, on the heels of his great postseason. If they do go for Moose, who would command like a $10 million signing bonus, it would probably finally put them up against the salary cap. Let's keep an eye on the Eagles' offseason. It could finally be the beginning of the end.

Very good point. I love how all the reporters are complimentary of the Eagles for managing the cap well and having 17 mil to spend but they ignore the fact that they only have that much room because they sign everyone to one year contracts. At some point that has to stop working. I mean are they that scary good at predicting when guys are going to be declining and when they'll be ascending or have they been somewhat lucky? Lost on most people is that they draft extremely well so they always have "break in case of emergency" players who can step in and get the job done. I think Jim Johnson (the main reason for their success the last 4 years is their defense) is much like G Williams. It's all about the scheme baby. The beauty is that their window is closing...only one team in the last 15 or so years has been able to be successful year in and year out without any disaster seasons or major roster overhauls. Green Bay has been a good team since Favre was there. They haven't won many SBs since they have not been great but they haven't had a real bad season in a decade at least. I just hope that disaser season in on the horizon for the Eagles.

I keep hoping for the Eagles to crash and burn, but in the last 4 years they've gone to the NFC Championship 3 times and now the Super Bowl this year.

I think I'm done hoping for them to collapse, until further notice the NFC East title goes through Philly.

bewteen the big 3 wr FAs, I'd rather the iggles go after by far the oldest player of the group in "the Moose." He had a pretty good year this year but that was in small connection to the fact that the panthers lost their best wr smith early in the year and they were down sometimes quite a bit and were forced to throw it more than a normal running team. At the most he could give the iggles semi decent production over the next year or 2 but expecting him to have a similar year in productivity no matter what team he is on, much less paired next to a player like TO, is a bit of a stretch.