skinsngibbs4life Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 http://www.nj.com/eagles/times/index...510.xml&coll=5 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. -- -- -- Right tackle Jon Runyan, an unrestricted free agent, said no deal is done with him yet -- by the Eagles or anyone else. "Unless it's done and they haven't told me," Runyan said on his way home from Daytona, Fla. where he spent "Bike Week." "To be honest with you, I have no idea what's going to happen." Buffalo, Arizona, Tampa Bay and Houston are four teams believed to have some interest in the 32-year-old tackle who has not missed a start in 10 years. "I'm just glad the labor deal finally got done," Runyan said. "Not just for me and free agency, but for the future of the league." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awesome2 Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Why can't we get players like that in the 2nd round? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWUeagleMD Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Only 17.5 guranteed in the first three years? Those guys are so cheap. Any real large market team would have given him at least 20. Garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 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. Roster bonuses aren't guaranteed. I'm curious to see what his signing bonus is. This is a much better signing for Philly than whatshisname with the torn tricep they were originally looking at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pollaxt Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Only 17.5 guranteed in the first three years?Those guys are so cheap. Any real large market team would have given him at least 20. Garbage. If you're an Eagles fan, you're ecstatic you spent less money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWUeagleMD Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 If you're an Eagles fan, you're ecstatic you spent less money. Actually, I'm attempting to satirize the ludicrous claims that the Eagles are a cheap team. Now, if this report proves false, and word comes out that the Eagles tightened the check book as negotiations came through, I'm going to end up with serious egg on my face. I guess we'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhead36 Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Why can't we get players like that in the 2nd round? Jon Jansen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 They did not sign Bently! His flight was canceld last night and it appears that Cleveland has jumped in. This is being reported on WIP radio in Philly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinz1972 Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 bentley should have shown loyalty to saints fans.................after what they've been through...............a monster hurricane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Gut Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 bentley should have shown loyalty to saints fans.................after what they've been through...............a monster hurricane. :laugh: yeah right, it was time to get the hell away from that situation at all costs and the contract seems steep for a center, maybe not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWUeagleMD Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 11:00 without a deal. He's apparently in Cleveland. Count me as nervous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potato Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 They did not sign Bently!His flight was canceld last night and it appears that Cleveland has jumped in. This is being reported on WIP radio in Philly. John Clayton confirmed that Cleveland is in the running just on ESPN just now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinz1972 Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 are skinz in the running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Weirdo Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Eagles don't have anyone scheduled today for visits. Bentley is visiting Cleveland per Spadaro and Clayton. **** this. I can't believe this organization is going to allow a **** up like this to happen. I'm disappearing for a few days. This is god damn embarassing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f_trizzy Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Did Cleveland hijack him before he could get to Philly? Whats up with the Browns, their name is coming up in a lot of FA talks. Guess Romeo is turning that ship around, of course their only official signing at this time is Zastudil so they still have to get guys in uniform instead of just talking about it. I think this would be a big shock if they steal Bentley away from the Eagles, then again maybe the Eagles changed their mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerpsEagles Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 yeah, if they blow this and don't get this deal done, there will be no excuses. Would be very, very bad. Nervously awaiting the outcome of this one.... ugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWUeagleMD Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Eagles don't have anyone scheduled today for visits. Bentley is visiting Cleveland per Spadaro and Clayton.**** this. I can't believe this organization is going to allow a **** up like this to happen. I'm disappearing for a few days. This is god damn embarassing. I'm holding hope for a few more hours that this isn't what I think I see happening. The worst-case scenerio looks on the horizon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoCommiesGo Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 It would be rather funny to see the Eagles get outbidded for a young very good player. Either way Mawae(sp?) would still be a good pickup just not as good as Bentley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f_trizzy Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Eagles don't have anyone scheduled today for visits. Bentley is visiting Cleveland per Spadaro and Clayton.**** this. I can't believe this organization is going to allow a **** up like this to happen. I'm disappearing for a few days. This is god damn embarassing. Do you think the Eagles could have backed off on signing Bentley for some reason? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWUeagleMD Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 It would be rather funny to see the Eagles get outbidded for a young very good player.Either way Mawae(sp?) would still be a good pickup just not as good as Bentley. Opting for Mawae over Bentley is accepting lesser talent due to a lesser price tag. Not what I want to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 are skinz in the running? Why would we be? We just got a Center last year. We could use depth, especially now that the turnstyle just got cut, but Bentley is a very, very good starter, not depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoCommiesGo Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Opting for Mawae over Bentley is accepting lesser talent due to a lesser price tag.Not what I want to see. I don't know if it's a lesser talent but definetly a lesser price tag for an good aging player. I wouldn't cout the eagles out yet, their is still a lot of time to wine and dine. You just have to hope that the Browns don't blow him away with a proposal. :2cents: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potato Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Eagles don't have anyone scheduled today for visits. Bentley is visiting Cleveland per Spadaro and Clayton.**** this. I can't believe this organization is going to allow a **** up like this to happen. I'm disappearing for a few days. This is god damn embarassing. The Eagles have a lot of money to spend but it's a very shallow FA class. If you guys let Bentley get away, this really would be a failure of an offseason for the Eagles. A player of Bentley's caliber and age rarely hits the market. Unless, you can outbid the Rams for Will Witherspoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdarugar Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Damn ****ty start to FA for the Eags... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Opting for Mawae over Bentley is accepting lesser talent due to a lesser price tag.Not what I want to see. I agree with this post. It's a no-brainer. Mawae was having a good year before his injury, but he's 35 and I don't know if you all would be willing just to have a stop-gap for a year or two. He'd be cheaper, but Bentley would be the much better prospect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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