Philadelphia Eagles' Offseason Has Already Started

Well, it is yet another offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. It wasn't a true disappointment in a sense, but I guess it is every teams goal to make it to the big show and win it all!

Though it is the beginning stages of what should be a wild offseason for every team, through draft and free agency. A team could go from awful to good, which makes the NFL and the game of football that much more fun to watch.

The Eagles have made a few minor moves so far, but worth mentioning nonetheless. I am going to supply Eagle nation with that information and what some of the possibilities would be!

The Philadelphia Eagles claimed veteran DT Amon Gordon off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday and also added two Canadian Football League players to their defense.

The 6'2"/305 Gordon has 29 tackles in 13 career games over a five-year career that has included stints with the Titans, Ravens, Broncos and Browns, who drafted him out of Stanford. The Titans added him to the practice squad midway through 2008.

The Eagles also signed LB Charleston Hughes and DB Byron Parker from the Canadian Football League, each to three-year contracts.

Hughes made 71 tackles and five sacks in 18 games for the Calgary Stampeders in 2008. He had 372 tackles and six interceptions in 45 games at Division II Northwood University from 2003 to 2006.

Charleston Hughes 6'1"/242lbs. ran a 4.6 second 40-yard dash for the Eagles and saw his film from Calgary, where Hughes had 66 tackles and five sacks as a defensive end. He has been told "no" before, by teams in the National Football League, Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.

But on Tuesday, he didn't get no for an answer.

Instead, the 2002 Saginaw High graduate signed a three-year contract with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and is to report to offseason workouts on Monday, Mar. 16, he said. "I'm happy to be on the doorstep, now all I have to do is get to training camp and walk in", Hughes said.

"This is the opportunity I've been waiting for and hoping for. "I've been waiting for somebody to give me a chance, and I've got it now".

The former All-American linebacker from Northwood University worked out for the Eagles on Tuesday, was asked to take a physical, and then inked a deal via telephone with his agent Marvel Trice of Saginaw.

"Obviously, it went well", said Trice who is an attorney and certified agent with Braun, Kendrick, Finkbeiner PLC. "He did the position drills with scouts and coaches, shortly after he went through a physical and 10 minutes later I got a call from the legal department".

Hughes parlayed his one season with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders not only into a Grey Cup championship, but also tryouts with Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Philadelphia. He'll join former rival Todd Herremans, an Eagles offensive guard who played against Hughes while at Saginaw Valley State University.

Hughes, 25, played high school football in the shadow of LaMarr Woodley, who is preparing for the Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers this week.

However, Hughes went on to make nearly 400 tackles for the Timberwolves before getting a tryout with the Detroit Lions, who declined to sign him. He also had a tryout with an AFL team before going to Canada, where the Stampeders made him the last cut of training camp this season before calling him back a week later when two defensive ends got injured in the season-opener.

"This kid deserves an opportunity to play in the NFL," Trice said.

On Jan. 27, 2009, Parker who can play both corner and safety was reported to have signed a reserve/future contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. The signing was officially confirmed by the Eagles on Feb. 3, 2009. Parker Height/Weight: 5-11/197, a four-year CFL veteran with the Toronto Argonauts, has 18 interceptions over the past three seasons, six returned for touchdowns.

Parker initially enrolled in Tulane on a college basketball scholarship and played on their team from 2001 to 2003. It was also in 2003 that Parker won the NCAA slam dunk competition. His slam dunking abilities were showcased in a 2005 CFL game at Molson Stadium against the Montreal Alouettes.

Lined up as a wide receiver, Parker caught a 42-yard touchdown reception and celebrated by dunking the ball over the cross bar uprights. He also has a 43" vertical leap.

There are also some interesting free agent names that I will list that the Eagles may be interested in as well!

I will first list a few free agents they might be interested in and then draft picks!
______________
FREE AGENTS

Jordan Gross, OT, Carolina Panthers
Jon Runyan, OT, Philadelphia Eagles
Tra Thomas, OT, Philadelphia Eagles

Ricky Williams, RB, Miami Dolphins
J.J. Arrington, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Owen Daniels, TE, Houston Texans
Leonard Pope, TE, Arizona Cardinals

Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Oakland Raiders
Brian Dawkins, S, Philadelphia Eagles
______________
DRAFTABLE

Knowshon Moreno - RB, Georgia
Chris Wells - RB, Ohio State
LeSean McCoy - RB, Pittsburgh
Donald Brown - RB, Connecticut

Hakeem Nicks - WR, North Carolina
Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR, Maryland

Chase Coffman - TE, Missouri
James Casey - TE, Rice

Eugene Monroe - OT, Virginia
Brandon Pettigrew - OT, Oklahoma State
William Beatty - OT, Connecticut
Phil Loadholt - OT, Oklahoma
Fenuki Tupou - OT, Oregon
Alex Boone - OT, Ohio State
Selvish Capers - OT, West Virginia

William Moore - SS, Missouri
Domonique Johnson - CB, Jackson State

Thanks for reading my article and have a pleasant day!!

P.S. For those who didn't see T.J. Houshmandzadeh, there is good reason. I would personally hate the signing, period. I came across an article which might open your eyes to why!! Click this link and read the article, some interesting FACTS!!