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Eagles Notes: Shiancoe spurns Birds; signs with Patriots

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Visanthe Shiancoe signed a one-year contract with New England, an NFL source said, ending the tight end's flirtation with the Eagles.

(Rick Osentoski/AP file photo)
(Rick Osentoski/AP file photo)Read more

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Visanthe Shiancoe signed a one-year contract with New England, an NFL source said, ending the tight end's flirtation with the Eagles.

Shiancoe worked out for the Eagles on Tuesday, but the 32-year-old free agent, who last played with the Vikings, signed with the Patriots instead, even though they already have two of the best tight ends in the league in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

General manager Howie Roseman said not long after the Eagles worked out Shiancoe that he was looking to add competition to the backup tight-end situation. Clay Harbor enters camp as the No. 2 tight end behind Brent Celek.

The Eagles could be interested in bringing in free agent Jeremy Shockey for a look-see. They had tentative plans to give him a physical, a league source said, but put those plans on hold after Shiancoe worked out.

Shockey, the bad-boy tight end who played memorably for the New York Giants, not as memorably for New Orleans, and last for Carolina, will be 32 in August. He caught 37 passes for 455 yards and four touchdowns last season, but has been hampered by balky knees in recent seasons.

"Last year we had five tight ends on the roster [during camp]. Right now we have four," Roseman said. "We're looking at everything."

Harbor has been serviceable as a backup, but hasn't been sure-handed.

Brett Brackett, whom the Eagles added to their practice squad last October, also is competing for the spot, as is undrafted rookie Chase Ford.

"My road's not easy as it is," Brackett said. "That's a long way away. I'm just trying to work, and who knows what could happen from there?"

Zordich on Penn State

Mike Zordich has a unique perspective on the child sexual-abuse scandal that has rocked Penn State and led to the school's receiving unprecedented sanctions from the NCAA on Monday.

The Eagles safeties coach played at Penn State for both Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky, who recently was convicted of numerous child molestation counts. Now his son Michael plays fullback for the Nittany Lions.

"As a parent of three kids, those victims, the things that happened to those kids, those children, that is tough for me to think about," said Zordich, who played at Penn State from 1982-86. "The circumstances, the consequences that came out yesterday, are they difficult? Yes. But we have to accept them and we have to understand why those things were put on Penn State. It's a sad story, and really, that's all I want to say about that."

April on Henry

Special-teams coach Bobby April was blunt when asked about the four punters the Eagles worked out this week: They need more out of that position, whether it's from second-year man Chas Henry, or a veteran replacement.

"I want [Henry] to be pushed so he can get better," April said. "He needs to have a better season than he had last year."

Henry did a "very good job" for a rookie, April said, but the Eagles are looking for improvement. Henry ranked 29th in punting average last year and 33d in net punts. (The NFL statistics include a few punters who had just a handful of kicks).

"We want competition to enhance his ability, or competition to surpass his ability. That means we have a better football team," April said.

The Eagles worked out Brad Maynard, Mat McBriar, Chris Bryan, and Jason Baker - all with NFL experience - and are expected to sign one of them this week.

Staff writer Zach Berman contributed to this article.