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Nnamdi Asomugha agrees to deal with Eagles
Nnamdi Asomugha has agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. The deal is worth $60 million over five years.
The former Oakland Raiders cornerback appeared headed to the Dallas Cowboys, but Asomugha's agent said Friday evening the Cowboys were not in consideration.
The Eagles also confirmed the signings of defensive end Jason Babin, tight end Donald Lee and wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins on Twitter Friday.
Asomugha will join an Eagles secondary that includes accomplished cornerback Asante Samuel and the recently-acquired Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
The New York Jets went hard after Asomugha, who would've been paired with fellow All-Pro Darrelle Revis -- arguably the two best cornerbacks in the NFL. Coach Rex Ryan delivered a strong sales pitch, according to a source, but the intense, four-day negotiation ended with a "No."
The San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans were involved at various points.
This was a setback for the Jets, who basically put their free agent operation on hold as they waited for Asomugha's decision. It leaves them with a gaping hole in their defense, but they will move immediately to try to re-sign free agent Antonio Cromartie, who started opposite Revis last season.
With their attention focused on Asomugha over the past few days, the Jets may find it awkward to go back to Cromartie, who might not want to be their consolation prize. Cromartie is no Asomugha, but he played well for much of the season in Rex Ryan's cornerback-reliant defense. Ryan needs two lockdown corners in his system because he plays so much man-to-man coverage.
"I have a philosophy that you lose games fastest at quarterback and cornerback, so you better make sure you have some corners who can cover some people," Ryan said Wednesday.
The Jets ranked sixth in pass defense last season, but they allowed a surprisingly high number of touchdown passes -- 24. They intercepted only 12. For the most part, opponents stayed away from Revis, attempting twice as many passes in Cromartie's direction.
The Jets are flirting with other free agent corners, namely Chris Carr (Baltimore Ravens), but they're all a notch below Asomugha and Cromartie. On the bench, they have former No. 1 pick Kyle Wilson, who's coming off a shaky rookie year.
Their fascination with Asomugha may have been costly. On Thursday, they let all-purpose star Brad Smith bolt to the Buffalo Bills without so much as an offer, because they were planning to use the money for Asomugha.
To make room for Asomugha and other free agents, the Jets re-worked the contracts of running back LaDainian Tomlinson, linebackers Calvin Pace and Bart Scott and guard Brandon Moore. On Friday, the Jets released backup quarterback Mark Brunell, but they intend to re-sign him at a lower salary.
Source: AP