Rashad Baker has already played a major role in getting the Eagles to the playoffs and he just signed with the team today.
Some people may recall that it was Baker, a Camden native, who came up with a game-clinching interception on the final day of the 2008 regular season that made the Eagles' finale against the Dallas Cowboys meaningful.
Baker, a product of Woodrow Wilson High School and the University of Tennessee, intercepted a Jeff Garcia pass to seal Oakland's upset victory over the Buccaneers down in Tampa Bay. That play eliminated the Bucs from playoff contention and, combined with a Chicago loss in Houston, gave the Eagles a chance to earn an unlikely postseason berth. The Eagles, of course, trounced the Cowboys and went on to win two playoff games before losing to Arizona in the NFC championship game.
"I didn't know the impact it had at the time," Baker said after signing a one-year contract with the Eagles. "After the game, I saw that Philly had won and I started getting a lot of phone calls and texts telling me I helped the Eagles get into the playoffs."
Baker, 27, thinks it might have helped him get a job with his new team, too.
"It was definitely a good feeling," Baker said. "I never thought as a result of that play that Philadelphia would be interested, but I'm grateful for the opportunity."
Troy Archie, the Camden-based agent for Baker, said his client also had been in talks with Oakland, Cleveland and New Orleans. Archie said Baker wanted a chance to play near home and he felt this was a good opportunity after Brian Dawkins signed with Denver.
"He's a Philly fan and this was a great opportunity for him to play for a team that he followed since he was a kid," Archie said. "He wanted to get closer to home and his family and the Eagles were that opportunity. I think he'll make a contribution."
After losing Dawkins and Sean Considine via free agency, the Eagles were down to two Quintins -- Mikell and Demps -- at the safety position, but with the addition of Baker and Sean Jones, who signed a one-year deal last week, the team again has safeties in numbers.
Baker, who had a career-high three interceptions with Oakland last season after having a total of two in his first four NFL seasons, is hoping to compete with Jones for time at safety. Like Jones, Baker, 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, said he is capable of playing either free safety or strong safety.
"Through my years of playing, I always had to learn to be interchangeable," Baker said. "Whatever best fits the opportunity for me, whether its strong safety or free safety, I want to take advantage of it. Watching this team on TV, I've seen Brian Dawkins blitz and I've seen him back in coverage. I like the versatility of this defense."
Baker, who now lives in Williamstown, N.J., started his NFL career with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent in 2004 and has since played with Minnesota, New England and Raiders. That's a lot of moving in a little bit of time, but now Baker is hoping to find a home in the place he calls home.
The Eagles fell short of the Super Bowl this year, but owner Jeffrey Lurie has joined another exclusive club:
He's one of the world's 793 billionaires, according to Forbes magazine.
In these times of economic freefall, that's quite a feat.
Last year, the annual list had 332 more names.
Ten fortunes dwindled by a combined $238 billion last year - more than the gross domestic product of Ireland, according to Forbes.
Yet Lurie, along with only 20 other Americans, defied the downturn and made the list for the first time.
He just made the list, tying for No. 701 with $1 billion.
Apparently, the man who once said other franchises viewed the Eagles as the NFL's "gold standard" has a lot of gold.
The Boston-born heir to a publishing and movie-theater fortune was regarded as an undistinguished Hollywood producer when he bought the Eagles in 1994 for $185 million - then a record for any sports franchise.
Re: Philadelphia Eagles Offseason/Draft/Free Agency News
I have seen a couple comments about Philly taking Moreno. I am just wondering why his name is coming up instead of Wells'? I will assume that it is because some of you don't expect him to fall that far maybe? I didn't read through all of this thread, so sorry if that has already come up.
Also, I have forgotten why it is that the Eagles have two first round picks this year, could some one give me a reminder?
Re: Philadelphia Eagles Offseason/Draft/Free Agency News
Moreno is better and I dont trust Big Ten RBs in the NFL. A RB from Georgia? I'm sold.
Sheldon Brown/Asante Samuel/Joselio Hansen at CB
Sean Jones/Q.Mikell/Rashad Baker/Q.Demps at S
Nice secondary. You gotta figure Baker/Jones will have productive seasons for free agency next year. When is Sheldon due for a contract? I gotta check that. Could be next season? I can see Hansen replacing him.
Re: Philadelphia Eagles Offseason/Draft/Free Agency News
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An Eagles source confirmed yesterday that the team is interested in signing free-agent fullback Leonard Weaver.
The source added that negotiations with Weaver's agent, Harold Lewis, had not become serious. The agent said that was the case and that he was not in a rush to get Weaver signed because he knows his client is a sought-after player.
"Right now, we're just talking" with the Eagles, Lewis said. "We're talking with many other teams as well. There's a lot of interest because Leonard is the No. 1 fullback on the board."
Even though Weaver is listed as a fullback, Lewis believes he brings more to the table than the average player at his position. In other words, the agent thinks Weaver should be paid more like a running back than a fullback.
"He's definitely not the average bear," Lewis said.
"He's an excellent receiver, runner, and blocker. The fullback pay scale doesn't reflect his talents. We're just trying to find the right situation and the right contract. We can always go back to Seattle, because they'd like to have him back."
Re: Philadelphia Eagles Offseason/Draft/Free Agency News
John Clayton is speculating that the Eagles could be targeting Buffalo's pro bowl left tackle Jason Peters
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Those 12 draft picks the Eagles have stockpiled are attracting much speculation.
ESPN's John Clayton has mentioned in a couple of venues that the Birds could be involved in trades for either Arizona wideout Anquan Boldin or Buffalo Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Jason Peters.
Obviously, it would probably be impossible to pull off both acquisitions. Just as obviously, neither Boldin nor Peters officially is available.
Scuttlebutt holds that the Cards are more likely to part with Boldin than the Bills are with Peters - the Cards are already paying Larry Fitzgerald.
Peters would leave a huge hole in Buffalo's rebuilding scheme, although he seems disgruntled and wants a new contract. The Bills already have released guard Derrick Dockery, who signed with Washington, and tight end Robert Royal, who signed with Cleveland.
Re: Philadelphia Eagles Offseason/Draft/Free Agency News
the Eagles do alot of trading out of the first rd(and draft day trading in general), but I dont know how real these rumors about Boldin and peters are.
Re: Philadelphia Eagles Offseason/Draft/Free Agency News
