Quote:
Originally Posted by albionmoonlight
Potential interesting situation with Donte Stallworth and the Eagles (and some as yet unidentified team(s)) at the very beginning of Free Agency.
The Saints traded Stallworth to the Eagles for a 4th rounder. That pick, however, converts to a 3rd rounder if the Eagles re-sign Stallworth to a new deal before the start of Free Agency.
The Eagles and Stallworth have both talked about how they would like to do a longer term deal, so the popular thinking is that the Eagles already have a contract in principle with him and the parties are just waiting until midnight on the start of Free Agency for him to sign it. That would keep the Eagles from having to convert the 4th to a 3rd.
And that, probably, will happen.
The Eagles, are, however, taking a little bit of a risk here. If any team really wants Stallworth, then they are going to call his agent at 12:00.01 on the morning of Free Agency and say something to the effect of "whatever contract you have in principle with the Eagles, we will add 10% to it." I could totally see a Dan Snyder or a Jerry Jones pulling this move on a division rival.
Anyway, it may be much ado about nothing, but thanks to the strange nature of the trade between the Saints and Eagles, a pretty good (not great, but pretty good) wide receiver is going to hit the free agent market for a very brief time this season.
In a year where cap money is flowing like wine down a prom date and no great players are hitting the market, the whole thing might blow up in the Eagles' face.
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First, I don't think for a second that every team abides by the no-contact rule until March 1. My guess is Stallworth's agent already has an idea of what's out there. Second, Stallworth's no dummy. I doubt he would have signed anything with the Eagles until after March 1 anyways, regardless of the draft arrangement with New Orleans. He wants to get paid and to not wait (in an offseason devoid of FA WR talent) until after March 1 is stupidity on his part. I have no doubt they have negotiated to see where they stand, but there is no way Stallworth is not testing the market regardless of the New Orleans situation.