Eagles re-sign Hobbs, Gocong
Restricted free agents Ellis Hobbs and Chris Gocong signed one-year contracts with the Eagles yesterday. The Eagles tendered Hobbs at a first-round level and Gocong at his original third-round draft level earlier this month. Neither free agent, however, was expected to draw much interest, especially since other teams would have had to part with high draft picks if the Eagles weren't going to match an offer.
Restricted free agents Ellis Hobbs and Chris Gocong signed one-year contracts with the Eagles yesterday.
The Eagles tendered Hobbs at a first-round level and Gocong at his original third-round draft level earlier this month. Neither free agent, however, was expected to draw much interest, especially since other teams would have had to part with high draft picks if the Eagles weren't going to match an offer.
Hobbs will make $2.621 million in base salary, and Gocong will make $1.176 million.
Hobbs, a cornerback and kick returner, had season-ending neck surgery last November, but the Eagles are expecting him to make a full return. Gocong started last season at strong-side linebacker but eventually lost his spot to rookie Moise Fokou.
The Eagles now have five of their nine restricted free agents signed for next season. Linebacker Akeem Jordan signed his tender (second round) last week, and fullback Leonard Weaver and wide receiver Jason Avant were inked to multiyear deals earlier this month.
Linebacker Omar Gaither (fifth round), guard Nick Cole (second round), guard Max Jean-Gilles (fourth round), and punter Sav Rocca (right of first refusal) have not yet signed their tenders. Each player is expected to sign before an April 15 deadline, however.
Hobbs was the Eagles' third cornerback last season behind starters Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown. He also returned kicks, averaging 24.1 yards per return, until he injured his neck against Dallas. The 26-year-old Hobbs underwent surgery to correct a herniated disk in December.
Gocong started the first seven games of the season but injured his quadriceps and hamstring the week before the first Dallas game. He sat out against the Cowboys but was inserted the following week at middle linebacker. That experiment failed, and he was moved back to strong-side until Fokou took over with three games left in the season.
"You got Chris and Fokou," Eagles coach Andy Reid said last week at the NFL owners' meetings when he asked about strong-side linebacker. "I think they're going to compete, and we'll see what happens there."
Now that they are under contract, Hobbs and Gocong can participate in the Eagles' optional off-season conditional program already under way. Samuel and Brown, both the subject of trade rumors, have reportedly been no-shows for the program, as has quarterback Donovan McNabb.
McNabb, needless to say, has also been the subject of a few trade rumors himself.
Preseason schedules. Preseason schedules will be released today at 3 p.m.
