Eagles Sign Free Agent Clemons
Defensive End Chris Clemons Leaves Oakland Raiders for Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles marked the second day of the 2008 NFL free agency period by signing another impact player to their defensive squad
The Eagles have made it very evident to the entire league and their loyal, yet impatient, fans that improving their team on the defensive side of the ball is priority number one during the early stages of free agency. Just one day after signing Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel to a six-year deal the Eagles inked defensive end Chris Clemons to a five-year contract. The signing of Clemons also comes one day after the team cut oft-injured defensive end Jevon Kearse from its roster. Clemons will now be looked to fill the void left by the departure of Kearse, who had been hampered by injuries while in Philadelphia and seen his performance consistently decrease since his 1999 rookie-of-the-year campaign. While having been in the league for only four years, Clemons has experienced the opposite of Kearse, starting slow and having a breakout season last year with Oakland.
Clemons began his NFL career in 2003 after signing as an undrafted rookie with the Washington Redskins. He spent the entiriety of his first season on the sidelines with an injury but showed promise in his next two seasons with the Redskins, recording five sacks and 16 tackles in a very limited role. His 2005 season was cut short by an injury, and another injury forced him to miss the entire 2006-2007 campaign. But Clemons persevered through his injury and had a break-through season with the Raiders the next year when he recorded eight sacks while still in a limited role. In fact, Clemons was on the field for only 37 percent of the Raiders' defensive plays and still managed to tie former-Eagle Derrick Burgess for the leam lead in sacks. He also made 20 tackles and forced two fumbles. This impressive play made him a hot commodity on the free agent market and the Eagles were quick to snap him up.
The Eagles have suffered through numerous injuries over the years -- many of them on the defensive side -- and are undoubtedly keeping their fingers crossed that Clemons can remain healthy and prosper with the team. Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson will likely have fun fitting Clemons into his defense and working to return his team to the top of the league. Clemons will become part of a potentially potent defensive end rotation that includes 2008 Pro Bowl selection Trent Cole, Juqua Thomas, and Victor Abiamiri. The financial details of the deal have not yet been made public.
