NFL Trade Rumors: Asante Samuel Likely to Remain in Philadelphia

With the NFL trade deadline looming, the scrambling for last-minute moves has been hectic all morning.

Earlier today, we saw the Oakland Raiders make a blockbuster trade to bring in quarterback Carson Palmer from Cincinnati.

By the end of the day, there were rumors that cornerback Asante Samuel could be on his way out of Philadelphia.

Multiple sources have reported that the Eagles are willing to entertain last-minute offers for the cornerback, one of three Pro Bowlers in the Philadelphia secondary.

If the Eagles could make a move to remove Samuel from the roster, it may be for the best.

All season we have heard murmurs from the disgruntled corner, who obviously doesn't like having the other big-name talent surrounding him.

Now it appears that Samuel will be out of Philadelphia by the end of the season, regardless.

Samuel may be the best zone coverage cornerback in the league. However, that ability doesn't mesh well with the talent around him.

Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are press coverage corners. With Samuel out of town, it could mean for a defensive game plan that Eagles fans have been calling for all year.

However, the price needs to be right.

Most Philadelphia fans would likely be upset with the acquisition of just draft picks, but I'm not convinced it would be a bad move.

Samuel is a talented corner, but I think his exit will actually help production in the secondary. If that's the case, draft picks would be fine.

Ideally, the Eagles would like to land a playmaker at the linebacker position in a trade. The linebacker position has clearly been the weakness for this Philadelphia team early in the season.

Adam Schefter's talks of D.J. Williams and Brian Dawkins coming to Philadelphia from Denver could be a possibility, but I wouldn't count on it.

At the end of the day, it's hard to believe that teams would be willing to drop enough in front of the Eagles' front office to make them bite on a trade.

Don't get your hopes up for any big moves, Philadelphia fans.