EAGLEMANIACAL.com

TRENT Cole says he expects to be around for years to come. Specifically here, as a member of Bill Davis’s defensive unit, for years to come. That would indicate that Cole is willing to accept a massive pay cut to stay.

Then again he also alluded to his current contract by saying “Man, I’ve got three years left! At least give me three years!” It’s a nice soundbite, but the truth is that if he’s not willing to play here for less than say 8-10 mil a year, odds are that he’s gone.  

Proclaiming that he’s still wants to be a factor, and that he still has years left in him, could be a smart move on his part to signal to other teams that over 2-3 years  maybe he’s worth the type of money Justin Tuck just got from Oakland. But just who might be willing to pay him 8-10 million a year?

OAKLAND

When I played semi-pro, I wore Silver and Black. I also cut my NFL teeth on the Los Angeles Raiders. So I have an unabashed soft spot for them. That being said, the Raiders have a history of spending money like drunken pirates. Cole is 6 sacks and a bad year from Lamar Woodley away from being offered enough money to lure him to “Philly West.”

CINCINNATI

Cole is an Ohio native, and while Cleveland has the most in common with the Eagles in terms of internal structure, they are a consistently awful football team and having a choice in the twilight of his career, I can’t imagine Cole would want to spend it losing.

The Bengals on the other hand always seem to think they’re a piece or two away from making the leap from bridesmaid to bride. With Pittsburgh and Baltimore poised to struggle for a couple years, soon than later would seem to be Cincinnati’s window to strike.

DALLAS

Is in need of a pass rusher and it would give the Cowpies a window into specific nuances of Bill Davis’s system. Besides, Jerry Jones is not adverse to spending money and has had pretty good luck getting production from former Eagles (Randall Cunningham, T.O., Herschel Walker…). Just 6 or 7 sacks from Cole in 2014 would be enough for Johnson to throw his Stetson in the ring.

Understandably there are a couple of moving pieces here: Whether or not Cole has a big year. Whether or not a pay cut is levied. Whether or not teams decide to go younger and develop a player instead of chasing the FA quick fix. We’ll see. In the meantime, let’s see what you think.