Asante Samuel

THE TRADE of @pick_six22 returned a seventh-rounder. It's the most significant return Asante Samuel has made in years. The Eagles traded Samuel to the Falcons for the 229th overall pick in this weekend's draft, apparently because a bag of hammers was way too much to ask. The hammers hit a lot harder than Samuel ever did. The Eagles thought they had solved their secondary problems for the long term when they signed Samuel as...

Despite being the subject of trade rumors, Asante Samuel was at the NovaCare Complex for the first day of the Eagles' offseason workout program on Monday. Also in attendance was running back LeSean McCoy, who could be a potential training camp holdout if the Eagles don't extend his rookie contract. Samuel typically spends most of his offseason working out in South Florida. He has skipped a number of the nonmandatory sessions during his previous four seasons with the Eagles. So his presence came as a bit of a surprise.

Rumors continue to circulate about Asante Samuel's future destination, but there was no concrete movement on the Eagles cornerback's fate Thursday. The day began with a report that Samuel, 31, and due a $9.5 million base salary this coming season, could soon be headed to the Tennessee Titans, but the Nashville newspaper, the Tennessean, reiterated its previous reporting that such a move is unlikely to happen soon. One reporter there wrote on Twitter that the Titans' interest is "lukewarm.

Asante Samuel was back in Philadelphia Friday, helping fix up a home for a single mother just a few minutes from Lincoln Financial Field. The most pressing question for football fans is whether Samuel will be spending much more time in Philadelphia or if he will take his game elsewhere. Asked if he wants to be back as an Eagle, Samuel said simply, "Of course. " But he didn't elaborate. "I just take it day-to-day, see what the future holds," Samuel said. But he said he had received no clear indication from the team what its plans are for him next year.

FROM THE DAY he was given the job as the Eagles' defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo had a perception problem. You know, that he wasn't qualified. A year later, nothing has changed. The defense blew a bunch of leads early in the season and Castillo was barbecued. The defense then settled down in the last 11 weeks of the season and Castillo was told it was because he was playing against lousy quarterbacks. He will not win this argument, no matter what. Now that he is going to be back for another season, the truth about Castillo has yet to be written.

Walking out of the Eagles locker room following the season-ending win over the Redskins, Howard Mudd was dressed to ride. The Eagles offensive line coach had his motorcycle boots on and his helmet in hand, but he was not riding off into the sunset. Before the game, Mudd told his linemen that he planned on returning for his 39th season as an NFL coach. "I didn't know the cat was out of the bag," Eagles tackle Todd Herremans said. "I like Howard. I like his methods.

Walking out of the Eagles locker room following their season-ending win over the Redskins, Howard Mudd was dressed to ride. The Eagles offensive line coach had his motorcycle boots on and his helmet in hand, but he was not riding off into the sunset. Before the game, Mudd told his linemen that he planned on returning for his 39th season as an NFL coach. "I didn't know the cat was out of the bag," Eagles tackle Todd Herremans said. "I like Howard. I like his methods.

THERE'S A good chance the Eagles will look to corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and safety Jaiquawn Jarrett as starters next season. So the opportunity to assess them in those roles this Sunday in the season finale against the Redskins is welcome, even if nobody wished injury upon corner Asante Samuel (hamstring) or safety Kurt Coleman (biceps tendon). "When you're looking for positives, that would be a positive," Eagles coach Andy Reid said yesterday. "We have a pretty good idea about Dominique.

The Eagles may get a glimpse at their secondary of the future on Sunday against the Washington Redskins. Jaiquawn Jarrett, a second-round pick in April, is expected to start for injured safety Kurt Coleman, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie looks likely to start in place of an ailing Asante Samuel. There's a decent chance Jarrett and Rodgers-Cromartie could also start next season - or at least head into training camp with that opportunity, although neither has impressed in 2011.

As expected, Andy Reid said Monday that he will play his starters in the season finale against the Redskins. The Eagles found out early in Saturday's win at Dallas that they had been eliminated from the playoffs, but Reid stayed with his starters the rest of the way. While Sunday's game is meaningless in terms of the postseason, Reid said there was still something to play for. "Listen, this is what we do as coaches, this is what...