I guess that takes care of the opening at left guard for the New York Jets. The top free agents were supposed to disappear early, and they have with guard Alan Faneca going to the Jets and Asante Samuel signing with Philadelphia. I like the Faneca move because he fills a need and because, at 31, he should have four years left in him. Look, if you believe Kellen Clemens is your franchise quarterback, and the Jets will give him that opportunity, you better protect the guy. Left guard was a hole for the Jets last season, and Clemens, Chad Pennington and the team's woeful rushing attack suffered for it. But the biggest impact of Faneca's expected signing could be on left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who struggled in his first two seasons in the league. He could use some help from a veteran with Faneca's resume, and Faneca's addition (he still has to sign) might do for Ferguson what Steve Hutchinson's acquisition did for left tackle Bryant McKinnie.
Falcons' pursuit of Turner could affect Dunn
Strong move by Eagles to land Samuel
Wow. The Philadelphia Eagles just landed cornerback Asante Samuel, the top player in this year's free-agent market, in a move that is reminiscent of off-the-field maneuvers in 2004. That was when the Eagles decided they needed to move on impact players to put them over the top, acquiring Jevon Kearse in free agency and Terrell Owens in a trade. They wound up in the Super Bowl. They were determined to take a leap at cornerback this season, either through the improvement of Lito Sheppard or the acquisition of someone like Samuel. Sheppard was a disaster last season, and the Eagles need help at the position. They could use help at safety, too, where Brian Dawkins is in the twilight of his career. Anyway, this is a strong move by Philadelphia to return to the top, and it addresses an immediate need. I still want to know what Sheppard makes of this move and what the Eagles' next move with him is.