Late in the 2012 season, the Eagles would have enhanced their ability to keep cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on the roster in 2013 by taking him out of the lineup.
By participating in 90 percent of the snaps on defense last season, $4 million of Asomugha’s $15 million base salary for the coming season became fully guaranteed, with no offset.
The absence of the offset means that, even if the Eagles cut Asomugha, he’ll still get $4 million from Philly in 2013. Which, as a practical matter, means that the Eagles will need to offer at least $4 million more than another team in order to ensure that Asomugha will choose to stick around -- if his decision on a destination comes solely from money.
What’s that, you say? It’s tampering for other teams to tell Asomugha what he’d make on the open market? It is, but it happens. Walking around Indy for the last few days has made it clear that there’s simply no way for the NFL to prevent agents and teams from communicating in a way that leaves no evidence.
Asomugha will know what other team(s) would pay if he’s cut, and Asomugha ultimately will compare Philly’s offer to what another team would pay, plus the $4 million he’d cut from the Eagles if/when he’s cut.
As of late Friday afternoon, there had been no developments between the Eagles and Asomugha. By Tuesday, when folks clear out of Indy, chances are there will be much more clarity about where he’ll be playing this season.