Eagles add star-caliber center Bentley Saturday, March 11, 2006 By MARK ECKEL Staff Writer PHILADELPHIA -- By the time you read this, Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley already will be an Eagle. Bentley, who went to the Pro Bowl last season as a member of the New Orleans Saints, agreed to a mega-deal with the Eagles before free agency began at 12:01 a.m., according to a source close to the situation. A key member of another team, which also was interested in Bentley, said the Eagles had a deal in place with the center for close to a week, and waited through the several delays to the start of free agency. The league and the players union agreed to put off the start of free agency for a total of eight days as a new collective bargaining agreement was finalized. All the terms of Bentley's deal are not known, but according to the source he will earn a guaranteed $17.5 million over the first three years of the contract. More than half of that money will come in either a signing bonus, a roster bonus or a combination of both. Bentley, a 2002 second-round pick (No. 44 overall) of New Orleans, just completed a four-year deal with the Saints that paid him a total of just around $3 million and included a $1.55 million signing bonus. The 6-foot-2, 313-pound Cleveland native out of Ohio State played in -- and started -- 14 games as a rookie, missed three games his second year with a knee injury, and two games last year with a leg injury. He was named to the Pro Bowl as a guard after the 2003 season, but did not go because of the knee injury and was replaced on the NFC roster by Steve Hutchinson of Seattle. Last year he was named to the Pro Bowl as a center. The Eagles are expected to play Bentley at center, letting veteran Hank Fraley and Jamaal Jackson compete for the backup job. Jackson, who played well late last season, could be moved to guard or tackle, where he played at Delaware State.
It wasn't tampering. He was already a cap-casualty release. He was available days ago. The Eagles could have signed earlier, but they were probably just waiting to see what the FA market wound up looking like before finalizing the deal.
Ahh, my bad, thanks for the correction. I was under the impression he was cut. Wow, the league let's teams get away with murder these days then. Maybe they are letting the shit roll downhill to not stir the pot started by the CBA?
funny thing is they did it with kearse and owens a few years ago. i remember kearse said he knew he was going to the eagles a week before FA started.same with TO untill his dumb agent forgot to submit his FA papers.
Well, if a player says it, I don't know if it could be determined to be tampering. A player has the right to choose where he goes if he is a FA. It would be strange, but a player could decide to accept a significant paycut to play for a team if he felt he had the best chance at a title. Why not? When you are making 10M a year, what's another 1 or 2?
Looks like Mangold is our Man Time to see what it will take to get mangold...late 1st or early 2nd...don't think he'll be there at our current 2nd rounder.
he wont be there for our 2nd because the saints would probably draft him in front of us. if we can get 22 and trade down to like 27-28 and pick up another 3rd and take mangold i have no problems with that.
Eagles | Rumor alert: team could sign Givens Sat, 11 Mar 2006 05:41:46 -0800 Mark Eckel, of the Trenton Times, reports there is some talk that the Philadelphia Eagles could sign free agent WR David Givens (Patriots) looks like givens is on his way too. lol the eagles are moving fast
The Eagles seem to do this every year now. No wonder they have been making it to the playoffs every year (except last year.)
Actually, Bentley is still very much a FREE AGENT. It would seem, his flight to Philly was cancelled last night and he is currently visiting with Cleveland. This is being reported by WIP local Philly sports radio. As well as John Clayton. Jets front office needs to seriously consider jumping into the fold.
Whoa. Is this true? If so, we really should jump on the bandwagon! I know people want to draft a center, but the value of grabbing one with experience cannot be overstated.
I would much rather take Eslinger in the 3rd than spend a 1st rounder on a center, no matter how good Mangold is.
