The Philadelphia Eagles have announced they are parting ways with cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. As the transition phase has started for the Eagles under new head coach Chip Kelly, many veteran players are finding themselves on the chopping block. Asomugha is another name on a long list of Eagles being shown the door this offseason. With Asomugha on the market now, he could find himself back with the Oakland Raiders or possibly with the New England Patriots as both teams are targeting cornerbacks.
"Coach Kelly and I each had a chance to speak with Nnamdi earlier and he took the news with a lot of class. We expected nothing less of him. Coach and I both felt we needed to move in a different direction at the cornerback position for 2013 and beyond," general manager Howie Roseman said.
Asomugha will be paid $4 million before he is officially cut. He was originally set to earn $15 million in 2013. Asomugha signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Eagles in 2011 after coming over from the Oakland Raiders where he was a standout defensive star. However, he never lived up to the hype once arriving in Philadelphia. After two rather unproductive seasons on an underachieving defense, the Eagles have decided they have seen enough.
Asomugha thrived during his time as an Oakland Raider, a team that is looking to improve a number of positions, including cornerback. Both starters for Oakland are not expected to return and now the team is reportedly interested in bringing back their old star. Oakland could get Asomugha at a relatively cheap price considering his level of production is down.
The New England Patriots are also targeting the position either with free agency or the draft. There are uncertainties surrounding current cornerback Aqib Talib and Asomugha could step in and fill the void. It is unlikely the Patriots will look for a high-priced player and Asomugha fits the bill of talented but cheap.
The market for cornerbacks is growing increasingly crowded. The draft stocked with talent at the position and the free agent market has more cornerbacks than teams. However, Asomugha can still play and is still viewed as one of the best at the position. It is only a matter of time before another team swoops in and signs him to a deal. He will not be able to find another contract worth $60 million, but he will garner a lot of interest.