Two big names will hit the NFL waiver wire today and teams have until the close of business to put in a claim for one of the two. Randy Moss is the big prize as he's not only a big name but has still been playing at a high level. Shawne Merriman has done very little in recent years, but was at one point arguably the most feared pass rushers in the NFL. Might the Philadelphia Eagles have interest in either guy?
First we'll start with Moss. We know for sure that Andy Reid likes Moss, since in 2008 when his first deal expired in New England Reid offered Moss a deal bigger than the 3-year $27 pact he ended up signing with the Patriots. Of course, that was before DeSean Jackson was who he is and before Jeremy Maclin. The Eagles aren't nearly as desperate for WR help as they were then. Plus, we also have to consider that it's unlikely Moss would fall to the Eagles in the waiver process. Sixteen other teams have a higher priority, many of which could use help at WR. So I'm going to say it's highly unlikely Randy Moss ends up as an Eagle.
What about Shawne Merriman? First, I doubt very much that anyone will claim him off the waiver wire. If they did, they'd be on the hook for a portion of his $3.2 million contract which he hasn't even come close to justifying for several years. I would think the more likely scenario is that Merriman clears waivers and teams would look to sign him to a more equitable deal.
In his first three years in the league, Shawne Merriman was arguably the leauge's best defensive player. In those years he registered 10, 17, & 12.5 sacks respectively. Then it all went wrong. In the three years since he's registered just four sacks and been oft injured. Not to mention his run ins with the law and his suspension for PEDS... If you watch him play now, he's just not the same guy. We know the Eagles love stockpiling pass rushers, but would they be interested in taking on a guy who has done next to nothing in three seasons? Maybe if it was the offseason and they could give him a better look, but at this point they'd probably be better off giving their young pass rushers more time rather than rolling a dice on a guy in midseason that hasn't shown any flashes of his former self for three years. Maybe during the offseason he's a guy who bring and work with, but he's not likely to help much this season.
So, I'm going to say neither of these guys end up in midnight green by the end of the day.