Eagles news: Asante Samuel, LeSean McCoy discuss the Asomugah snafu

Hang around some of the familiar areas where Philadelphia Eagles fans congregate on game days, and if you pay close attention, you might still see some ‘wanted’ signs bearing images of Nnamdi Asomugha‘s likeness. On September 22nd of 2013, he suited up for the final game of what had been an NFL career that had gone on for 11 seasons.

It’s been even longer since he played for the Birds, Week 17 of 2012’s NFL season to be exact.

Still, if you find yourself in a conversation with a few of your buddies and his name comes up, if you didn’t know any better, the angst that you’ll see and hear would force you to believe that he left the team this past March. In some ways, we still haven’t recovered from one of the worst decisions in franchise history.

No scratch that. Nnamdi Asomugha is, without question, the worst free-agent signing in franchise history when you weigh his price tag versus the expectations that followed and, ultimately, the results he produced. If anyone is ever going to pry that title away from him, they have big shoes t fill.

Trust us on this one. We rarely discuss other people’s money at Inside The Iggles from the vantage point of what someone does or doesn’t deserve, but we’ll make an exception here. Nnamdi Asomugha should have been taken into custody for highway robbery.

Eagles legends LeSean McCoy and Asante Samuel share some of their worst memories of Nnamdi Asomugha’s tenure.

Asomugha’s stint in the City of Brotherly Love was brief, 32 games with 31 starts, but any mention of his name still makes the most die-hard fan’s stomach turn. His tenure on the Eagles roster ranks among the most disappointing in franchise history. Some say nothing else compares or even comes close.

We don’t discuss him often. Truthfully, we don’t want to. His mention brings up too many bad memories, but we were forced to relive the horror during a recent edition of the highly popular I AM ATHLETE podcast.

Former Eagles corner Asante Samuel sat with another franchise legend LeSean McCoy as well as with Brandon Marshall and Adam Jones. As you might imagine Nnamdi earned a mention. Be forewarned. It isn’t pretty.

Asante discussed controlled narratives, Nnamdi being overrated, and his teammates seeing that on day one. Shady shared a story of his own, one where Brent Celek, a tight end, roasted Asomugha during practice.

The full interview is below, courtesy of the I AM ATHLETE YouTube channel. Fast forward to the 22-minute mark if you want to get to the nitty-gritty.

On July 29th of 2011, Nnamdi Asomugha agreed to terms on a five-year, $60 million deal with $25 million guaranteed that was supposed to ensure he’d play for Philadelphia through the 2015 NFL season. He was dismissed after the 2012 campaign when he and the organization were unable to agree on a restructuring.

Nnamdi made it hard for any Eagles free-agent signing that followed to ever be viewed as the worst ever. He may hold onto that title for a while.

Once a two-time First-team All-Pro (2008, 2010), a two-time Second-Team All-Pro (2006, 2009), and a three-time Pro Bowler (2008–2010), it became evident early in his run with the Eagles that he had nothing left to give. The fans saw it early. His teammates saw it even earlier.

He’s gone on to become successful as an American actor and film producer, but for someone who was once seen as the cream of the crop at his position, you have to wonder how he feels when he hears how some view his NFL legacy, especially the portion that was written as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.