Birds land Jevon Kearse on first day of free agency
This article was originally published in the Inquirer on March 4, 2004.
The gate to free agency opened yesterday, and the Eagles pounced on the player regarded by many inside the NFL as the best on the market.
All that stands between Jevon Kearse and an eight-year, $66 million contract with the Eagles is the thorough physical examination he'll undergo this morning.
The Eagles released a statement saying they had agreed to the terms of a deal, but that no team officials would have any comments until after Kearse takes today's physical.
If Kearse passes his physical, the Eagles will have themselves one of the league's most feared pass rushers and a wealth of depth at defensive end. It's not a guarantee, however, that Kearse will pass the physical. He has been slowed by injuries in each of the last two seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
A league source said that was part of the reason the Titans were reluctant to give him a $20 million signing bonus similar to the one agent Drew Rosenhaus negotiated with the Eagles yesterday. The Eagles have agreed to give Kearse a $16 million signing bonus and $2 million roster bonuses in each of the next two seasons.
Negotiations between the Titans and Kearse broke down late last week.
Rosenhaus says he is convinced Kearse won't have any problems passing the physical and insisted the Titans had no concerns, either.
"It's not even an issue," the agent said.
When healthy, Kearse is among the most destructive defensive ends in the NFL. As a rookie in 1999, he was instrumental in leading the Titans to the Super Bowl as he registered 14 1/2 sacks and forced eight fumbles.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Kearse earned the nickname "The Freak" at the University of Florida because of the combination of size, speed and strength that made him such an effective pass rusher. As a rookie, he was often compared to the legendary Lawrence Taylor.
Though Kearse has never duplicated his gaudy rookie numbers, he did register double digits in sacks in each of his first three seasons while starting 48 straight games.
His clean bill of health ended on opening day in 2002 when he fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot chasing Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb in the first quarter of a game at Tennessee. The injury kept Kearse out of the next 12 games.
Kearse, who'll turn 28 in September, seemed to have recaptured his rookie form in 2003. He registered 9 1/2 sacks and forced four fumbles in the Titans' first nine games of the season. In the Titans' 10th game against Jacksonville, however, Kearse left with a severe left ankle sprain that forced him to miss the next two games. In six games after the injury, he did not record a sack.
Several things about Kearse's signing are fascinating.
At the top of the list is the fact that the Eagles allowed Pro Bowl defensive end Hugh Douglas to walk away as a free agent last season after some contentious negotiations with Rosenhaus.
The Eagles, however, found themselves dealing with Rosenhaus again when they traded up to get University of Miami defensive end Jerome McDougle in the first round of last year's draft. McDougle signed after a brief holdout in training camp, but his rookie season was hindered by hip and ankle injuries that forced him to miss the first eight games.
Proof that neither the Eagles nor the agent hold grudges when it comes to making a deal clearly surfaced yesterday as the sides reached a quick agreement.
With Kearse on board, the Eagles will have six defensive ends and a chance for a drastically improved pass rush. After leading the NFL in 2002 with 56 sacks, they slipped to 10th in 2003 with 38. Only 7 1/2 sacks came from their defensive ends.
The Eagles' starters at defensive end last season were N.D. Kalu and Brandon Whiting. Derrick Burgess was slated to start before he tore the Achilles tendon in his left foot three days before the season opener.
In 2002, Burgess broke the same bone in his right foot that Kearse broke in his left foot during the game between the Eagles and Titans. Burgess missed the remainder of the season and has played just one game in the last two years.
Though the Eagles have said Burgess has fully recovered, they obviously didn't feel they could count on him being healthy. The Eagles also will have Jamaal Green back at defensive end in training camp. Their fourth-round pick out of Miami missed the entire 2003 season with a fractured ankle.
Kearse's signing bonus would be the second highest in franchise history, just behind the $20.5 million Donovan McNabb received during the 2002 season.
Still, the Eagles have plenty of room left under the salary cap and more work to be done.
Reports surfaced yesterday that the Eagles were interested in talking to San Francisco about making a deal for 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens. Agent David Joseph, who represents Owens, did not return a phone call yesterday.
As for the Eagles' own free agents, they were in the process of making visits all over the country yesterday.
Running back Duce Staley was in Tampa to talk to the Buccaneers today. Troy Vincent was in Buffalo to talk with the Bills yesterday and will be in Cincinnati to talk to the Bengals today. Linebacker Carlos Emmons will be in North Jersey today for a visit with the New York Giants and has scheduled visits with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his former team, on Sunday and the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. Guard Bobbie Williams has a visit scheduled for this week to Miami.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are hoping to welcome a healthy "Freak" to their nest today.
Jevon Kearse At a Glance
* Age: 27.
* Height: 6-foot-4.
* Weight: 255.
* Contract: Eight years, $66 million.
Career summary
* 2003: Kearse missed two games with a variety of leg injuries. He had 9 1/2 sacks in 14 regular-season games.
* 2002: A foot injury sidelined him for all but four regular-season games.
* 2001: He had 10 sacks in 16 games.
* 2000: He had 11 1/2 sacks in 16 games.
* 1999: Kearse was a first-round pick by the Titans out of Florida. He was defensive rookie of the year with 14 1/2 sacks and eight forced fumbles.