Pick 6 has been sent packing.
That’s the moniker Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel used for himself on Twitter. (Isn’t everybody on Twitter these days?)
The Eagles yesterday traded him to the Atlanta Falcons. That didn’t really come as a surprise. What raised a few eyebrows is what the Eagles got in return.
The Birds walked away from the deal with a 7th round draft pick. That’s it.
For an All-Pro cornerback, a ball hawk whose gambling style routinely led to big plays, the Eagles got a pick that will struggle to make their roster.
This one looks like a blunder months in the making. From the time last year when the Eagles first acquired Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and then the stunning move to bring in Nnamdi Asomugha, this troika was a bad fit.
Both Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha are press corners who thrive in man-to-man situations. Instead the Eagles insisted on pounding these round coins into square pegs. They tried to use Rodgers-Cromartie in the slot, with Samuel and Asomugha manning the corners. Coupled with the brand new Wide 9 alignment, the experiment was a disaster.
You can read beat writer Bob Grotz’s version of what went down here.
One thing Eagles fans will not miss is Samuel’s aversion to contact. That’s not the Philly style.
But those interceptions – 23 in his years here – are another matter.
Making matters even worse are the reports out there that last summer the Eagles had the makings of a deal in place to send Samuel to the Lions in exchange for a 2nd and 3rd round pick.
Now they’re holding the bag – and a 7th round pick.
The “gold standard” brain trust that runs the Eagles keeps saying they’re “all-in.”
The draft is tonight. Mini-camps await. Then it’s back to Lehigh.
The Eagles probably can’t wait to get back on the field. Things off the field this winter have not exactly gone as planned.
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