Philadelphia Eagles Free Agency: Tracking 2012 Signings, Targets and Rumors

Coming off a very disappointing season that at one point left the Philadelphia Eagles at 4-8 and almost to the point of complete dysfunction, the Eagles have a chance to get back onto their Super Bowl track with a solid offseason.

The Eagles' front office will be very busy this offseason with the restructuring of contracts and a possible franchise tag on a certain speedy receiver, not to mention a potential trade or two and some major free agent signings.

Fortunately for Eagles fans, we have a one stop spot for all major and minor offseason moves—our Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Tracker.

We start out by reviewing the Eagles' salary cap situation, then we will take a deeper look into some of their biggest holes from last season.

We will also  take a look at the team's current free agents and take a look at their potential annual dollar value and predict whether or not the Eagles will resign them to a new deal or let them walk this offseason.

There's no doubt the Eagles will also be going after several key free agent,  so we will examine their potential cap situation after the re-signings, which free agents are available that they should target and what type of contract the Eagles could offer to them.

Finally, we will finish off by determining which holes the Eagles still need to fill through the draft after free agency and analyze the best 2012 NFL Draft prospect fits for the Eagles.

Tracking Free-Agents Signings, Re-Signings and Roster Moves

March 14, 2012:

The second day of free agency proved to be a busy day for the Eagles, but only with in house players. They started by sending Winston Justice to the Indianapolis Colts and their sixth round pick for the Colts sixth round pick. The move was nothing or a salary cap dump.

The Eagles also released the last of their 2004 NFC Championship team in center Jamaal Jackson. The move clears about $1.75 million in cap space.

The Eagles also extended the contracts of key veterans Todd Herremans and Trent Cole. Both have been key starters on the Eagles for years and both were rewarded with long-term extensions. Herremans was signed through 2016 and Cole through 2017.

The biggest move of the day was the Eagles finally getting a long-term deal with star receiver DeSean Jackson. DeSean is now signed through the next five years with just $15 million guaranteed. It was a very team friendly deal with a big signing bonus that should also make DeSean happy as well.

March 1, 2012:

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN via his Twitter, the Eagles have placed the franchise tag on wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

(Update): DeSean Jackson has stated that he is happy with his franchise tag. He has yet to sign the tag but he does have until April 20th. This is most likely a move the Eagles made to give them more team to sign Jackson to a long-term deal rather than just make a sign and trade with another team. If negotiations go sour, a trade isn't out of the question.

Feb. 23, 2012: The Philadelphia Eagles have signed quarterback Trent Edwards to a one year deal. Edwards was signed to bring some competition for the backup quarterback spot along with Mike Kafka.

Edwards may not be the last of the Eagles additions at quarterback. It's very possible that the Eagles will draft a quarterback to both develop for the future and also compete for the second string spot as well.  Edwards had his best season in 2008 in Buffalo where he threw for over 2,600 yards and completed 65 percent of his passes. He has played in 12 games since that season and has suffered through numerous injuries. He is an ideal backup quarterback for the Eagles as his accuracy is a good fit for their west coast offense, though he won't be guaranteed a spot on the roster.

Feb. 21, 2012: The Philadelphia Eagles re-structured the contract of defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins.

According to Andrew Brandt, Jenkins will keep his scheduled $5 million bonus, but will reduce his 2012 salary from $2.5 million down to $820,000, saving the Eagles around $1.7 million in cap space in 2012. He also reworked the rest of his contract through 2015 in order to remain an Eagle and potentially retire as one.

If Eagles fans weren't already in love with Jenkins coming off his 5.5 sacks in 2011, they will be now.

Jenkins is taking less money to remain in Philadelphia and help the time spend more in free agency this offseason. Jenkins was one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in 2011 and should continue to be a force in the middle for the next three or four seasons.

It was suggested the Jenkins' initial contract was more of a one-year deal where he would be cut this offseason. Now the Eagles have both starting defensive tackles from last year under contract with Mike Patterson signed through 2016.

Feb. 7, 2012: The Eagles claimed D.J. Jones off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens.

Jones is a 6'5", 315-pound offensive tackle who was undrafted this past season and spent six weeks on the Miami Dolphins practice squad, before spending most of the season on the Ravens practice squad and being moved to the active roster the final week of the season.

Jones played both tackle and guard while at Nebraska and could prove to be a very valuable backup linemen in 2012.

With a full offseason under offensive line coach Howard Mudd, Jones could develop into the type of versatile linemen that King Dunlap was for the Eagles in 2011 when he played both tackle and guard.

Salary Cap Status

Eagles 2012 Cap Room

According to Spotrac, the popular sports contract-tracking website, the Eagles currently have $103 million worth of contracts that will count against the 2012 NFL salary cap.  

If you figure an arbitrary, calculated-for-inflation $5 million bump to project the 2012 NFL salary cap number at $125 million (from last year's $120 million), that leaves the Eagles roughly $22 million under the cap.

$22 million is a good amount of cap space for a team that has all the important pieces already in place. The Eagles still have to figure out what to do with DeSean Jackson, decide if they want to sign LeSean McCoy to a long-term deal or wait til next summer and sign a couple key players to solidify their team heading into the draft.

Problematic Cap Hits

Asante Samuel is set to make $10.5 million this season and is most likely going to be traded if possible, or released in the next couple weeks. The Eagles don't really have the need to keep Samuel at such a high price in 2012.

Keeping Samuel forces cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to play as a slot corner where he isn't comfortable. He is more natural on the outside where he started his career with Arizona.

Trading Samuel will be difficult with his age( 31) and his salary, so don't expect the Eagles to be able to bring in a early-round pick in return. It's not that unlikely that they would have to release him after not being offered anything in return for one of the top cover corners from last season.

Winston Justice and Jamaal Jackson are two of the most expensive backup offensive linemen in the league and both should be released very soon. Justice would count for $4.25 million against the Eagles' cap, while Jackson would count for $1.87. Both players have had major knee surgery and neither player is a good fit in Howard Mudd's blocking scheme.

Value Contracts

The Eagles are always loaded with value contracts thanks to the a very crafty front office and several outstanding drafts.

One of the top running backs in all of football, LeSean McCoy, will make a whopping $907,500 in 2012. The Eagles also have four starters from last season under contract for $500,000 or less in linebackers Jamar Chaney and Brian Rolle along with strong safety Kurt Coleman and center Jason Kelce.

The DeSean Jackson Situation

How will the Eagles handle DeSean Jackson this offseason?

Your guess is as good as mine, but it basically narrows down to a few options.

The Eagles can bite the bullet and let Jackson and all his drops and inability in the red zone walk and get nothing in return. Not a very popular solution in Philly.

They could franchise him and have a full season to try and sign him to a reasonable long term deal. Worst-case scenario, they are back to where they are now in 12 months.

The franchise tag would be worth $9.4 million this season for wide receivers. The Eagles could still franchise him and trade him to a team that covets his big play ability like San Francisco.

I would expect the Eagles to attempt to get something out of Jackson in 2012. Whether it's a high draft pick or just DeSean Jackson in a Eagles uniform, they won't go away empty-handed.

Other Major Cap Questions

The Eagles will also have to figure out whether or not they want to sign running back LeSean McCoy to a long-term deal now.

I think Eagles fans everywhere are screaming "now." After what they went through with DeSean Jackson, I think Eagles fans would like to see this issue resolved as soon as possible.

McCoy is more of a team first player who most likely wouldn't cause a stir during the season, but if anyone in the NFL deserves to be taken care of long-term, it's Shady.

Last Year's Holes

Last season was a huge failure, based upon the very high expectations.

Linebacker, safety and quarterback all were positions that the Eagles did not get what they expected in 2011.

Turnovers overshadowed most of the major problems in 2011.

Every single loss outside of the blowout loss to the Patriots could be attributed to turnovers and turnovers alone. Whether it was Michael Vick throwing interceptions or the wide receivers fumbling the ball away at key moments in the game, turnovers killed the Eagles. Coaching and focus should help decrease the number of turnovers from 2011.

Having said that, there are still some glaring holes that need to be fixed heading into 2012.

Linebackers

The linebacker position was a disaster all season long.

The idea that an undersized fourth-round draft pick could come in and take over at the most important position in a 4-3 defense during a lockout-shortened season is laughable.

Casey Matthews struggled mightily to start the season and was moved to weak-side linebacker in Week 3, eventually losing that starting spot as well. He did find a home as a nickel linebacker next to Keenan Clayton and both should keep that job in 2012.

Jamar Chaney was supposed to be moved to strong-side linebacker last season, but after Matthews was ineffective as a MIKE, Chaney was moved back in the middle in Week 3 and stayed there the rest of the season.

Chaney looked lost in pass coverage and really struggled with his open-field tackling.

He showed great potential as a middle linebacker in two starts late in the 2010 season and could return to that form again in 2012, but it won't come without some serious competition.

Brian Rolle performed well as a weak-side linebacker last season. His speed and intensity are huge pluses for this defense, but his smaller stature will pose a problem at times.

Strong-side linebacker was a revolving door in 2011.

Chaney started there until Week 3, Moise Fokou was moved from the weak side to the strong side, but suffered a season-ending ankle injury against the Patriots and was replaced by Akeem Jordan, who did a nice job filling in the rest of the way.

All three players are possibilities, but I would expect the Eagles to either draft another strong side linebacker in the first four rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft or sign a veteran player to compete for a starting job.

Safety

Safety was a position for the Eagles that started out as bad as linebacker, but got much better as the season went along and looked pretty solid late.

Nate Allen was still recovering from major knee surgery and Kurt Coleman was playing out of position at free safety early.

Coleman was eventually replaced by Allen, who was playing alongside Jarrad Page at strong safety. Page was more of a liability on defense then he was a positive.

Coleman won the starting job at strong safety over Page and both Allen and Coleman got much better in pass coverage as the season went along.

Both players were key in the Eagles' four-game winning streak to finish out the season. With defensive coordinator Juan Castillo settled in and both young safeties getting a full offseason to get better, not to mention new defensive backs coach Todd Bowles in town, expect both players to play at a much higher level in 2012.

Quarterback

The Eagles threw 25 interceptions in 2011, which was the main reason for the 4-8 start.

Michael Vick threw 14 in 13 starts while Vince Young threw nine—eight during his three starts—and Mike Kafka threw two interceptions in relief of Michael Vick in a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and a Week 3 loss to the New York Giants.

Calling those numbers high doesn't quite do it justice.

No team can accomplish their goals with interceptions at that level.

Michael Vick has to play better in 2012. He is set to make $13.9 million in 2012 and he has to start earning his monster deal.

The highest-paid Eagle can't be the biggest reason the Eagles aren't a playoff team. He also has to stay healthy.

If he can't do either, don't be surprised if the Eagles draft a quarterback early in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Listing the Eagles 2012 Free Agents

Spotrac lists the following Eagles players as unrestricted free agents (UFAs), meaning unless the Eagles are able to negotiate a deal before free agency begins, any NFL team has the ability to offer these players a contract:

QB Vince Young

RB Ronnie Brown

FB Owen Schmitt

WR DeSean Jackson

WR Steve Smith

OT King Dunlap

OG Evan Mathis

DE Juqua Parker

DE Victor Abiamiri

DT Trevor Laws

DT Derek Landri

The following player is listed as restricted free agents (RFAs), meaning that the Eagles can offer him a one-year tender which any other team must match with draft picks:

DT Antonio Dixon

In determining compensation for matched qualifying offers, a $2.562 million tender must be matched with first- and third-round draft picks from any other team in pursuit, a $2.017 million tender is good for first-round compensation, a $1.417 million tender constitutes a second-round tender and the lowest base tender of $927,000 constitutes matching the RFA's original draft pick (i.e. if the player was selected in the third round, the pursuing team must offer a third-round pick in exchange).  

Any team matching or holding on to the qualifying offer must pay that number as the player's base salary for that season.

Determining Contract Value and Worth for Every Eagles Free Agent

The majority of the Eagles' free agents won't be brought back.

A couple players like Ronnie Brown and Vince Young were only signed for one season for a reason, while other like Victor Abiamiri and Juqua Parker have probably been in Philly for too long and will be replaced by younger players in 2012.

Vince Young: $2 million(estimated)

Vince Young has yet to grow as a quarterback during his six-year career.

He has thrown 51 interceptions in 60 career games and has a completion percentage under 58 percent. He is erratic and most of his famous fourth-quarter comebacks are the result of his poor play in the previous three quarters.

He should get a change as a back-up quarterback elsewhere with a chance to overtake a quarterback that hasn't solidified his spot as the team's franchsie quarterback.

Ronnie Brown: $1 million (estimated)

Another swing and miss on those high-touted veterans signed to one-year deals.

Brown had just 136 total yards in 2011 and his attempted pass as he was going down on a running play inside the five-yard line against the 49ers was the difference in a huge loss in Week 4.

He still has value as a No. 2 back in this league.

Owen Schmitt: $600,000 (estimated)

Schmitt has been a nice fullback for the Eagles the past two seasons since Leonard Weaver had that horrific knee injury in Week 1 of 2010. He is an okay lead blocker in the West Coast offense and he is a decent receiver, but not much of a threat in the running game.

Steve Smith: $1 million (estimated)

The third of the one-year wonder free agents from last season.

Smith decided to sign with the Eagles following knee surgery after his former team, the Giants, refused to offer him anything at the time.

He offered the Eagles nothing, as it became evident that his knee was nowhere near 100 percent. He did score a key touchdown against his team late in the first half in a 17-10 Eagles win.

Any team that signs Smith is going to make sure his knee is healthy before signing him, as he was one of the top slot receivers in the game before the injury. He will probably get a one-year offer with a chance to be signed long-term if he is able to stay healthy.

DeSean Jackson: $10 million(estimated)

DeSean Jackson is going to cash in somewhere this season.

Whether he gets the $9.4 million franchise tag from the Eagles or he signs a long-term deal elsewhere, he will make substantially more then his rookie deal paid him.

King Dunlap: $3 million(estimated)

It's difficult to determine how much King Dunlap will make in 2012.

He has the ability to be a starting tackle in this league, while also serving as a very valuable backup who can play both tackle spots and has experience at the guard position as well.

Someone will see Dunlap's ability on film and give him a decent shot at being a starting tackle next season.

Every year, we see former backups get signed to a starter-like contracts.

Players that stand out as a backup in a couple start and then hit the open market usually cash in.

See Matt Flynn this free agency.

Evan Mathis: $5 million (estimated)

Evan Mathis is going to cash in this offseason.

He thrived in Mudd's blocking scheme and won a starting spot at left guard after he was figured to just be a key backup. He was a perfect fit in Mudd's scheme and while playing next to All-Pro Jason Peters.

Mathis has made over $1 miilion in just one season.

His average salary per year is at a very humble $735,000. He should get a nice long-term deal worthy of his Pro Bowl-caliber play.

Victor Abiamiri: $600,000(estimated)

Victor Abiamiri has been a huge bust for the Eagles during his five seasons in Philly. He has played in just 29 games and has suffered injury after injury.

His rookie contract expired following the 2010 season and he was signed to a measly one-year, $440,000 deal. He will get a shot somewhere in training camp with a very humble contract again.

He has great ability, but the fear with Abiamiri is that he has lost too much speed and can't make an NFL roster anymore. He will get his final shot in 2012 to prove himself not to be a bust.

Juqua Parker: $1.5 million (estimated)

Despite being on the wrong end of 30, Parker has performed well in the past few seasons. He has racked up 15.5 sacks the last three years and can still play at a high level as a backup defensive end.

Now, at the age of 34, he will get less money on the open market than the $4.3 million he made last season. A pass rush is crucial to any defense and he will get plenty of calls as a solid backup.

Derek Landri: $1.3 million (estimated)

Derek Landri was a victim of the final roster cuts in 2011, but found a home in Philly regardless following a season-ending triceps injury to Antonio Dixon. He also found a home in opposing backfields as he thrived as a backup tackle in Jim Washburn's aggressive defensive line scheme.

His play is evident on film and he should get a good offer from several teams running the 4-3 defense.

Trevor Laws: $1.8 million(estimated)

Trevor Laws's value went down just a little bit when the Eagles re-structured Jenkins' contract.

His value went down because like Jenkins, Laws is a versatile defensive tackle that can also line up as an end. If Jenkins had been cut to save cap space, Laws would be almost assured to be back.

Now, Laws is in limbo again and will probably take what he can get, if anything, from the Eagles where his ability fits in well with Coach Washburn.

Antonio Dixon: $1.92 million (second-round tender, estimated)

Antonio Dixon is a valuable run stuffer not yet in his prime yet. He is also coming off injured reserve following a tear in his triceps. He most likely gets a second-round tender from the Eagles.

Projecting Which Free Agents the Eagles Will Sign and Which Will Walk

The Eagles have a couple major decisions to make with their current free agents.

First off, they need to decide whether or not they want to sign left guard Mathis to a long-term deal. Oh, and there's that whole Jackson situation that has to be resolved very quickly one way or another.

The Eagles currently have just three defensive tackles under contract and three more are free agents. They have to decide which of those players to bring back and which to let go. They also have several key veterans to make decisions on as well.

Let's take a look at the projected re-signings the Eagles will make:

Vince Young: Released

Nine interceptions and a 1-2 record as a starter doesn't do him justice for how bad he was as a backup.

The Eagles will most likely bring in a veteran backup with experience in the West Coast offense to compete with Mike Kafka for the second-string spot.

Ronnie Brown: Released

The Eagles only brought in Ronnie Brown for one year.

They like Dion Lewis to be their backup for the long term and will either bring in a rookie to be the third-string back or a veteran player with some speed. Brown offered the Eagles very little in 2011 and won't be offered any kind of deal to come back.

Owen Schmitt: Released

Owen Schmitt is a nice fullback for the Eagles' offense. He doesn't wow you as a runner or a lead blocker and I think the Eagles will look in the open market for an upgrade. Schmitt was really just a last-second replacement after Leonard Weaver went down to a serious knee injury in 2010.

The Eagles also have Stanley Havili on their roster who is a very athletic fullback but little experience as a lead blocker. If he can demonstrate himself as a good enough blocker in the West Coast offense, he could be handed the job after the dust settles from free agency.

Steve Smith: Released

Steve Smith wasn't any good in 2011.

His knee was never at 100 percent and until it is, he won't get anything more than a cheap one-year deal in 2012. He should be able to get back to being the solid slot receiver he was in years past, but the Eagles should stay pretty happy with Jason Avant in the slot.

DeSean Jackson: Traded for Second and Fifth-Round Draft Picks

DeSean Jackson was a problem for the Eagles' offense in 2011. He has a history of concussions and dropped passes. He becomes invisible in the red zone. Jeremy Maclin is a legitimate No.1 receiver in this league.

These are all reasons for the Eagles to not pay close to $10 million a year on Jackson.

They will get something out of this former second-round steal and slap him with the franchise tag and trade him to a team that could really use his services. He should garner a second and fifth-round draft pick that would give the Eagles four picks in the first two rounds.

It won't be the popular solution to the Jackson situation, but it's the right one in the long term.

He relies solely on his speed and will decline at a faster rate then most wide outs. Factor that with his concussion history and you have a player who is a big risk for a long-term deal that could be worth $10-12 million a year.

King Dunlap: Released

Dunlap is a good offensive linemen who has come a long way since losing his starting job as a senior at Auburn. He has played well at both tackle positions and should earn a starting job next season somwhere. He doesn't move well enough to fit in Mudd's blocking scheme but should be a nice fit for any team that needs help at the tackle position.

Evan Mathis: Resigned

Mathis was signed during training camp as a versatile backup offensive line who turned out to be an outstanding starting left guard. His ability made it possible to move Todd Herremans to right tackle after Ryan Harris went down with a knee injury.

Mathis was a Pro Bowl snub and the most physical interior blocker on the Eagles line who Michael Vick would follow behind on quarterback sneaks. He is the perfect fit for Mudd and both parties should want to make each other happy this offseason. It's hard to imagine Mathis testing the market after breaking out so well in 2011.

He is 30 years old now, so that will factor into his contract, but he still should be paid pretty well.

Estimated Contract: 5 years/$30 million

Victor Abiamiri: Released/Retired

It's very possible that Abiamiri has just suffered far too many injuries and will have to end his football career before it really got started. He won't get any kind of offer from the Eagles and will have to earn his way on to any football team.

Juqua Parker: Released

The Eagles will thank Parker for all he has done and write him a nice recommendation for their former defensive assistant, Steve Spagnuolo, now the defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. Parker would be a nice fit in New Orleans as a backup defensive end where they need help.

The Eagles, however, are overstocked at defensive end and will have to let Parker go and possibly even release another player already under contract.

Derek Landri: Released

Here is another player that played his heart out for the Eagles that will have to look for work elsewhere. The Eagles already have Mike Patterson, Cullen Jenkins and Cedric Thornton  under contract, with Antonio Dixon most likely back as a restricted free agent. They will keep either Derek Landri or Trevor Laws who are both free agents right now.

Landri loses out because Laws is more versatile and is younger. It's a tough business, but Landri should get signed elsewhere after coming off two solid seasons.

Antonio Dixon: Resigned/Tendered

The Eagles run defense really suffered when Antonio Dixon went down for the reason last October. He is the only really true run-stuffer on the roster and the defense is better with him. He is a restricted free agent and should get a second-round tender.

Nobody is going to give up a second-round pick for a player that is coming off season ending surgery. Dixon will get another year to earn a long-term deal he deserved before going down with a torn triceps.

Estimated Contract: One year, $1.9 million

Trevor Laws: Resigned

Laws will sweat it out it out this offseason with both him and Landri both deserving to be back, but the Eagles won't have the room for both on the roster. Laws is younger, has more potential and is more versatile, so he gets the contract.

Laws spent time last season lined up as both a tackle and a defensive end and should be utilized even more in 2012 with a full offseason working under defensive line coach Jim Washburn.

Estimated Contract: 4 years, $7.5 million

Cuts/Trades

Asante Samuel: Released

It would be nice if the Eagles could trade Samuel this offseason, but with his lofty contract and the fact he is 31 this season, it's not likely. The Eagles will shop him around a bit this season but regret holding onto him last season. They will be forced to cut him and save $10 million in cap space this season.

Winston Justice: Released

At $4.25 million, Winston Justice is a very expensive backup right tackle. The Eagles won't get much in return for a player that hasn't played much since he had knee surgery following the 2010 season. They should cut their losses and sign/draft a tackle or two to replace him.

Jamaal Jackson: Released

The last remaining Eagle from the 2005 NFC Championship team. Jackson is a poor fit for Mudd's blocking scheme and is a very pricey backup center at $1.8 million. The Eagles cut him early and we all hope he finds a job as a starting center elsewhere.

Available Cap Space After Resignings

Available Cap Space(Projected) $29 million

The Eagles are the only team to get more cap space after the re-signing period, following the releases of Asante Samuel, Winston Justice and Jamaal Jackson while trading away DeSean Jackson.

The Eagles are somehow major players in the free agent market once again. They have to be careful, however, as they should re-sign LeSean McCoy at some point before the season starts, which could cost the Eagles somewhere around $9 or $10 million a year.

They would still have around $20 million to spend in free agency and to sign draft picks. Losing DeSean Jackson doesn't sound so bad when you have the money and the competitive team to sign any free agent wide receiver in a very deep market.

They also would have three second round picks after the DeSean trade and the 15th overall pick to trade up and select a Justin Blackmon if they wanted as well.

The Eagles really have a chance to do something special this offseason.

Biggest Needs After Re-Signings

The Eagles spent little money in the re-signing period, so they will have a few holes to address. They have the money to make a few big moves in free agency along with the now 12 picks in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Offense

Running Back

The Eagles currently have two running backs on the roster and will need to add a third back to the roster, hopefully one with some ability on kickoffs. It would be ideal if this back was a speed back who can add a change of pace from LeSean McCoy or Dion Lewis on passing plays.

Full Back

Owen Schmitt is gone, so the Eagles need to add a fullback that is a better fit in the West Coast. Somebody who can effectively run the ball would be ideal. The player would compete with current Eagles fullback Stanley Havili who spent all of last season on the practice squad.

Wide Receiver

The Eagles have everyone back at wide receiver but DeSean Jackson. They need either a No. 1 wideout in free agency or a rookie who can come in and compliment Jeremy Maclin on the outside as a No. 2. The Eagles could use some help in the red zone as well, as they have always struggled under Andy Reid to convert their opportunities inside the 20 with their smaller receivers.

Depth on the Offensive Line

The Eagles are now set with their starting offensive linemen for years to come, but need some depth. Right now, they have backup guard Julian Vandervelde and recently-signed backup tackle D.J. Jones. They will need to either sign or draft another backup tackle and a guard who can also play center in a reserve role.

Defense

Linebacker

The Eagles just need to add some competition at outside linebacker and a veteran at middle linebacker. Weak-side linebacker seems set with Brian Rolle, but if they come across a player in the draft they really like they should take him.

They need a proven veteran to solidify middle linebacker who can make an impact against the run and also make some open field tackles.

Strong side linebacker is wide open and the Eagles should draft a good young player early in the draft who has a shot at winning the job right away.

Identifying Potential Free Agents the Eagles Could Sign

Wide Receiver

The Eagles will go a different route at the wide receiver position this offseason.

Speed is good, but what good is it when the defense is bunched up inside the 10 and your best receiver is 5'10"? I see the Eagles going after some taller and physical wideouts.

I believe Plaxico Burress wants to play with his buddy Michael Vick this season and the Eagles will make it happen. The Eagles will also need a starting receiver opposite of Jeremy Maclin and will go after the best free agent left, whether it be Dwayne Bowe or Vincent Jackson.

Fullback

Jerome Felton is a player the Eagles coveted last season when he was released by the Detroit Lions, but he was claimed off of on waivers by another team with a high waiver order, the Indianapolis Colts.

Felton had over 120 total yards for the Lions in 2010 and has shown good ability as a West Coast offense fullback. It's his blocking abilities that have come into question.

Linebacker

The Eagles will wait and see who gets re-signed this offseason as they look to upgrade a position that badly needs it. Curtis Lofton is the best available middle linebacker, but it's hard to imagine the Falcons letting him walk. Next is Stephen Tulloch, who has played his entire career behind the wide-9 scheme which the Eagles utilize.

After that there is a handful of serviceable linebacker that may or may not be an upgrade over Jamar Chaney.

If the Eagles want to move Chaney back over to the outside and both Lofton and Tulloch are brought back to their original teams, then I would expect the Eagles to go all out and draft Luke Kuechly.

Projecting Contract Values for Eagles' Free-Agent Targets

The Eagles will go into free agency with about $20 million in cap space after they re-sign LeSean McCoy to a long-term deal. After free agency, they will cut a few more players at some point to create more room to sign draft picks.

They will make a big splash in free agency—maybe not as big as last year when they came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha—but they will add a few big names this season.

WR Vincent Jackson: 5 years, $50 million

Jackson is the perfect fit for the Eagles' offense. He's a big target at 6'5" and 230 pounds, but he also is still a very solid deep threat. He will thrive with Michael Vick throwing to him but also with  LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek taking pressure away from him at the same time.

The Eagles get their red zone threat and a star wide receiver with far less headaches. Jackson gets to play in a bigger market, a fuller stadium and a chance to win a Super Bowl right away.

The Eagles could still add Plaxico Burress for help in the red zone, but why bother?

The Eagles have their red zone threat and will probably add a speedy receiver in the draft like Joe Adams to keep that speed factor in the passing game.

FB Jerome Felton: 2 years, $1.5 million

Felton isn't much of a lead blocker, but that could improve during camp. The Eagles need a fullback who is more of a threat in the offense and Felton can be just that. He will still have to beat out Havili. Both players are good receivers and runners who have to prove themselves to be servicable blockers.

The Eagles are left with some holes, but will have 12 draft picks to clear those up. Linebacker is still a huge need, but I don't see the Falcons letting Curtis Lofton walk nor the Lions letting Stephen Tulloch go.

QB Trent Edwards: 1 year. $1 million

The Eagles have already worked out the former starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and will probably bring him in as a backup. Edwards doesn't have a cannon for an arm, but he has experience and is a very accurate passer.

He fits the system well and would be a very cheap but very efficient backup for Vick and possibly even Kafka as well.

Analyzing the Eagles' Draft Strategy, Positions of Need

The Eagles will head into the 2012 NFL Draft with a few positions of need and every single draft expert, mocker and viewer will know who the Eagles will select with their 15th pick.

Middle linebacker will be their biggest need in the draft and I expect the Eagles to trade up to insure they get him. Kuechly will be their guy and I expect them to trade up to around the 10th or 11th pick, depending on which team wants to trade out of their pick.

Teams like Kansas City at number 12 and Dallas at number 14 could be interested in Kuechly, so expect the Eagles to use some of their 12 draft picks to trade up and make sure they get their guy.

The Eagles still need a third running back who can contribute in the return game and compliment the current backs with his speed.

There aren't a lot of backs that fit that mold in the draft class so expect the Eagles to reach on someone a few picks early in the third or fourth round to make sure they solve their issue with kickoff returns.

They also could use a speedy wide receiver that can play in the slot. There's a few players like that in the draft from the first round all the way to the sixth round, where the Eagles have their final three picks.

Depth on the offensive line is still an issue. Look for the Eagles to select an athletic tackle to fill in the depth chart and a guard who can also play center as well.

The Eagles will still look to add some competition at outside linebacker as well on both sides.

Nobody's job is safe at linebacker for the Eagles, so they will look to push everyone this training camp with young players from the draft.

Draft Names to Keep an Eye on

Kuechly is the obvious name to watch for or expect if the offseason works out exactly as I predicted (which it won't because the Eagles front office always has a surprise or two in the works).

After middle linebacker is taken care of in the first round, the Eagles can spend their draft picks shoring up the offensive line, adding another running back and then finding the best players available and plugging them into the roster.

Running Back

The Eagles need a jolt of speed and return ability at running back. There's really only two that stand out to me in this draft class. Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati) and Chris Rainey (Florida).

Both players were invited and participated in the Senior Bowl. Pead did a lot to improve his draft status by how he ran the football and how he looked as a returner. Rainey looked indecisive with the football and showed poor hands. He probably pushed himself back a round later.

Wide Receiver

The Eagles need to add some speed at wide receiver and player with great punt return ability. Joe Adams is both and then some. He also is strong enough to get yards after the catch.

He should be high on the Eagles' draft boards and a huge priority. Look for the Eagles to reach for him in the second round.

Offensive Line

The Eagles need to draft a couple of quality linemen to fill out their depth chart who also fit in Mudd's blocking scheme. Nate Potter (Boise State) and Markus Zusevics (Iowa) are the best fits at tackle. They are definitely worth keeping on eye on throughout the whole draft process.

Moe Petrus (Connecticut) and David Molk (Michigan) are also great fits on the interior line. Both players have racked up a lot of starts at center and both players move well enough to play under coach Mudd. Molk would be the better fit as he is already being compared to Jason Kelce.

Linebacker

With middle linebacker already being settled with Kuechly, the Eagles should add a outside linebacker or two. Keenan Robinson out of Texas should be a top priority. He has first round ability but has shown third round talent on film. He played great against Oklahoma but was inconsistent against less teams. Maybe a NFL paycheck will motivate him. That or Juan Castillo yelling two inches from his face.