NFL News and Rumors: 10 Players the Philadelphia Eagles Should Target in FA

With the hope of a new CBA on the horizon, we can only hope that there will be a 2011 NFL season.

Teams are releasing players and are hesitant to sign new ones because of the prospects of a new deal not being in place.

Putting the CBA aside, teams build their foundations for success the next season by signing key players during the offseason in free agency.

The draft is the foundation of the future, but free agency is the foundation of the upcoming season.

The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a very successful and overachieving season. With a new franchise QB in place, they are primed to make another run at the Super Bowl in 2011.

They do have some needs to fill and some problem areas.

With that said, here are guys from each position that they should look at in free agency.

QB: Rex Grossman

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LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Rex Grossman #8 of the Washington Redskins throws a pass in the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Giants at FedEx Field on January 2, 2011 in Landover, Maryland. The Giants won the game 17-14. (Photo by

If the Eagles pull the trigger on a Kevin Kolb trade, they are going to need to get a veteran backup QB in case Mike Vick goes down with an injury.

Veterans like Grossman and Matt Hasselbeck are on the market this summer, and both would be good backups.

The reason I chose Grossman was because of his value. He would come cheaper than Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck could also sign as a starter with another team.

This all, of course, is contingent on whether Kolb leaves via a trade or not. If I were the Eagles, I would keep Kolb, because who knows how long Vick and his legs can last? He is always bound to get injured.

RB: Ronnie Brown

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 19: Running back Ronnie Brown #23 of the Miami Dolphins is upended by the Buffalo Bills at Sun Life Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

It seems that the Dolphins are going to let Ronnie Brown walk this offseason.

Good news for the rest of the NFL teams searching for another RB. Brown brings both size and speed to the backfield. He is also known for his wildcat abilities.

The Eagles desperately need a backup RB or perhaps a 1A type of guy like Brown.

LeSean McCoy took a beating this past season because the Eagles had no other options.

Somehow the team needs to find a complement to McCoy. Brown would be a good fit in Philly with his pass-catching abilities.

Will he cost them too much money though?

WR: Mike Sims-Walker

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 26: Mike Sims-Walker #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs after making a reception during the game against the Washington Redskins at EverBank Field on December 26, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty

ESPN reported this morning that Mike Sims-Walker would not return to the Jaguars next season.

Sims-Walker had some breakout games the past season. However, in some games he was nowhere to be found.

The Eagles are pretty set at the WR position, but if they needed anybody, it would be a big possession receiver.

Sims-Walker is 6'2" and was always a red-zone threat for the Jags. That is exactly what Philly needs.

They need someone to get open after Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson stretch the field.

TE: Donald Lee

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Donald Lee #86 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates as he walks off the field after the Packers won 48-21 against the Atlanta Falcons during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2011 in Atlanta, G

On March 2nd, Lee was released by the Packers.

Lee took over as the starting TE last year for the Packers during their Super Bowl run after Jermichael Finley went down with a season-ending injury.

This is a bit of a stretch for the Eagles though. The Eagles have always valued TEs, but it seemed last year that Vick was clueless that Brent Celek was even on the field.

Celek had a breakout 2009 campaign and then was nonexistent for the most part in 2010.

Another cheap option would be Bo Scaife. He is another red-zone threat, which the Eagles really need.

OL: Damien Woody

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 27: Damien Woody #67 of the New York Jets in action against the Washington Redskins during their preseason game on August 27, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Ima

Damien Woody has been a starter on the Jets' offensive line for the past three seasons.

His 2010 season was cut short due to an Achilles injury.

Woody has been playing RT, a position the Eagles desperately need to address this offseason. Most likely they will address it in the draft, but Woody would be another option.

Woody, assuming he fully recovers from his injury, would battle Winston Justice for the RT spot.

DL: Kris Jenkins

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 13: Kris Jenkins #77 of the New York Jets comes out of the game after getting injured while playing against the Baltimore Ravens as Sione Pouha #91 looks on during their home opener at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Septe

Jenkins is coming off two straight short seasons due to ACL tears in his knee.

Before the two injuries, Jenkins was a force both for the New York Jets and Carolina.

The Eagles need a pass rusher opposite Trent Cole. I think they can draft someone like that.

The Eagles can sign Jenkins relatively cheap because of his health concerns.

The DT positions for the Eagles would then become their strong point. His presence would also help the weak LB corps.

LB: Chad Greenway

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MINNEAPOLIS - OCTOBER 17: Running back Marion Barber #24 of the Dallas Cowboys is pursued by Chad Greenway #52 of the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at Mall of America Field on October 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated

The weak spots in the Eagles defense are the linebackers. All three positions struggled last season.

Weak side LB is the position they need to fix. Ernie Sims was a short-term fix to an already bad situation. He is not the long-term answer.

The Eagles need to get a LB like Greenway who can cover a TE. TEs always seem to kill the Eagles (see Kevin Boss or Jason Witten).

Greenway has averaged 113 tackles a year over his first four NFL seasons.

CB: Ike Taylor

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ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: Greg Jennings #85 of the Green Bay Packers goes for a catch against Ike Taylor #24 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Imag

Nnamdi Asomugha is not coming to Philadelphia. He is going to cost too much money.

Ike Taylor would be another stretch for the Eagles. He and the Steelers are negotiating a new contract already.

If he does hit the market, the Eagles would be a good fit and certainly could use him.

The Eagles need another CB opposite Asante Samuel. They could use Taylor's size to complement the rest of the small Eagles corners.

S: Michael Lewis

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 12: Safety Michael Lewis #32 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the NFL season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on September 12, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Nine-year veteran Michael Lewis might be on the decline, but he could still be useful in the Eagles secondary.

With Nate Allen coming back from a season-ending injury, the Eagles could use some extra depth in case he is not 100 percent.

Lewis made a name for himself during his five years here. A homecoming might bring back some of his old skills.

K: Jeff Reed

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CINCINNATI - NOVEMBER 08: Jeff Reed #3 of the Pittsburgh Steelers kicks a field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 8, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Steelers defeated the Bengals 27-21. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty

If the Eagles do not re-sign David Akers, they are going to need a reliable kicker.

The Eagles' red-zone offense is terrible, so they are going to need a placekicker that can put a guaranteed three points on the board.

Akers rejected his transition tender with the team. Maybe he does not want to play in Philly anymore, or he might be retiring.

It would be tough to swallow to see Akers in another NFL uniform.