Free Agency Could Answer Some Troubling Questions

by Ryan Thompson

If there is one thing that the NFL lockout has taught us over the past few months, it’s that nothing in this league is certain. Especially not a roster spot.

Looking back two years ago, one thing that Eagles fans would have been sure of is that when the Donovan McNabb era came to a close, it would be Kevin Kolb’s time to step in for good. Interestingly enough, those two players, who were once sure things for this franchise, have more question marks surrounding them during this time than anyone.

And as fate would have it, the Eagles enter into this off season without #5 or #4 under center; and with McNabb already long gone, it is looking increasingly certain that a spot on this roster for Kevin Kolb is unlikely as well.

The failure of players and owners to reach an agreement has put players such as Kolb and McNabb in an overwhelming state of limbo over the past months. While Michael Vick is anchoring light practices for the Eagles at Memorial Field in Marlton, New Jersey, Kevin Kolb and Donovan McNabb are practically twiddling their thumbs wondering where and if they will have a team to play for next season. Therefore when an agreement is finally in place, and teams have the ability to adjust their rosters, expect a lot of slicing and dicing from front offices, especially from the Eagles.

Kevin Kolb is practically dangling like a piece of meat amongst lions for teams who have quarterback concerns. Some of the teams that have continually expressed interest include the Cardinals and Seahawks, and it should be interesting to see if the Eagles will unleash their most valuable piece of trade bait before the season, in order to round out a roster that Andy Reid has expressed could use improvements. Reid has revealed to media that the Eagles are anxious to pursue their needs when the time comes. The most notable player that has garnered attention from the Eagles is the Raiders standout defensive back Asomugha.

The addition of a player like Asomugha would sure up a secondary that otherwise will be extremely young and vulnerable. Another notable player to keep an eye on when the bidding wars finally begin is former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress. An offensive roster compiled of players like Vick and Burress would surely make the Eagles the jail-house favorites, and let’s face it, adding Burress to the mix of a receiving group that is already one of the deepest in the league would provide a redzone threat that the Eagles have been missing since the Mayflower first touched American soil.

Vick, Desean Jackson and others have publically expressed that guys like Burress and Asomugha would be great additions to the team, and it should be very interesting to see how the Eagles will choose to finalize this roster at the conclusion of the lockout.

While the window of the McNabb era has been slammed shut forever, it seems that in the coming weeks the window of the Kolb era – never really open all that long in the first place – is slowly closing as well. However, when one door closes, or in this case when yet another window shuts, Eagles faithful can remain optimistic that with room for the addition of guys like Plaxico and Asomugha, another window is now wide open, with Michael Vick – of all people – leading the way. The next few weeks as an Eagles fan could get very interesting. Hold on tight.