The Philadelphia Eagles decided to keep Michael Vick, but other overpriced, disappointing players may not be so lucky. The Eagles are expected to let Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie go without a fight, yet the fate of fellow cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was in doubt. However, the buzz from the recent NFL combine is that Philadelphia will let Asomugha walk as well.
According to CSN Philly’s Geoff Mosher on Feb. 27, it is “almost 100 percent certain” that both Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie aren’t coming back. The Eagles were rumored to have discussed a restructured contract with Asomugha at the combine, like they had done with Vick. Yet Philadelphia had more urgency to redo Vick’s contract, given its lack of options at quarterback.
With Rodgers-Cromartie on the way out, the Eagles may have wanted to keep Asomugha and leave at least one high profile cornerback in their secondary. However, Asomugha has been even more of a letdown than Rodgers-Cromartie since their high profile arrivals in 2011. As such, Mosher alleged that the Eagles “had already made up their minds to move on” before talking to Asomugha.
Both Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie were expected to put the Eagles over the top in 2011, but instead became symbolic of Andy Reid’s last two rotten years. They were overpaid, overhyped, ineffective and unable to do the bare minimum by the end of 2012.
Now that the Chip Kelly regime has begun, the Eagles are set on a house clearing. Yet if each of these symbolically disappointing cornerbacks are being let go, it makes it more glaring that Philadelphia’s symbolically disappointing quarterback didn’t join them.
If Asomugha is indeed leaving, this leaves Vick as the one divisive leader left from Reid’s final days. It would make it even more puzzling that he was the only one allowed to stay, especially since he has the biggest responsibility of all.
The Eagles took a massive risk by keeping Vick as their biggest star on offense. Perhaps keeping Asomugha as their biggest defensive star was too much of a risk to take at the same time. Now the defense can completely start over with new leadership, even if the offense remains a slightly different story.
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