Nnamdi Asomugha Released by Philadelphia Eagles

Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha has been released by the Philadelphia Eagles, according to the team's Twitter feed. 

The three-time Pro Bowler—who was widely considered to be one of the best cover corners in the NFL when he was with the Oakland Raiders—signed a five-year, $60 million deal with the Eagles as a free agent two years ago.  He struggled to live up to the high expectations his contract produced.

When he, defensive end Jason Babin (5 years, $28 million) and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins (5 years, $25 million) all signed in the 2011 offseason, it spurned Eagles 'Dream Team' talk.  Two offseasons later, none of the three remain with the Eagles.

GM Howie Roseman had this to say about the corner, according to the team's Twitter feed: 

The news doesn't exactly come as a shock. The Eagles met with Asomugha's agent on Feb. 22 to talk about restructuring the 31-year-old's contract, per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but McLane wrote on Feb. 26 that Asomugha was "more likely to be released than kept" after discussions hit a snag.

Asomugha was due to make $15.5 million with the Eagles in 2013. The Eagles will still have to pay him $4 million in guaranteed money after his release, but they undoubtedly shed some salary with the move and are well below the salary cap as a result.

This paves the way for the Eagles to open some eyes in free agency this year. Following a miserable 4-12 campaign last season—which led to the firing of longtime coach Andy Reid—they are hoping to begin a new era. After making the playoffs in nine of 11 years, Philadelphia has missed out on the postseason the past two years.

As for Asomugha, it's unclear what his value will be to other teams. While he disappointed in Philadelphia, some believe the Eagles' "Wide 9" scheme didn't play to his strengths as a pure cover corner.

It's going to be interesting to see if Asomugha can get his career back on track with another team moving forward.