Asomugha already had his mind made up
Philadelphia Eagles' Nnamdi Asomugha, right, is greeted by teammate Johnnie Lee Higgins as he walks onto the practice field for the first time during the morning session of NFL football training camp at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. (July 31, 2011) Credit: AP
Nnamdi Asomugha knew where he was going all along.
The All-Pro cornerback, who spurned the Jets for the Eagles on Friday, revealed Sunday that he had targeted Philadelphia as his next destination long before free agency began this week. Asomugha had essentially made up his mind as far back as five months ago.
But, he said, things didn't come together right away.
"If I had never been thinking about the Eagles, if I started thinking about the Eagles when the Eagles came into play," Asomugha told reporters Sunday at Eagles training camp in Bethlehem, Pa., "then, you know, I don't know what would've happened."
Asomugha suggested the Eagles weren't in the picture until late, indicating he left some dollars on the table -- "there was money out," he said -- so he could make his vision of becoming an Eagle a reality. Asomugha, the most coveted free agent on the market, inked a five-year, $60-million deal with $25 million guaranteed. That wasn't much more in guaranteed money than the five-year, $48.75-million deal with $23.5 million guaranteed that the Texans gave Johnathan Joseph, the second-best cornerback on the market.
"But I did it the way I like to do it in making decisions early, so the decision was made in March," Asomugha said. "Once we made that decision, and we put all the pieces together, and marked up the boxes and saw what we felt was the best fit, when that comes around full circle, you've got to go with it. It just happened."
Extra points
Defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis, selected in the third round, signed Sunday. Ellis, who is expected to see time at nose tackle, was the lone remaining player of the Jets' six draft picks who had yet to sign . . . QB Mark Brunell, released Friday, has re-signed to be Mark Sanchez's backup . . . P Chris Novak, who will compete for the job with T.J. Conley, officially signed . . . The Jets' first practice is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday. There are public practices planned for Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, with each of those sessions to begin at 2:15 p.m.
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