With Asante Samuel out of the mix, the Eagles plan to shadow opposing number one wide receivers with Nnamdi Asomugha.  With Samuel, the Eagles were stuck playing him on one-side of the field and Asomugha on the other.

Now with Samuel out of the mix, now the Eagles can move Asomugha around and play more press coverage. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie moves into the starting lineup and Joselio Hanson becomes the full-time slot corner - a role that Rodgers-Cromartie struggled in last season.

While the Eagles are losing one of the most talented players at that position in Samuel, they gain much more versatility in their defensive scheme.  Samuel was a play-maker, no question, but he was limited in how he could be used.  Samuel strictly played "off" coverage on the left side, which limited the Eagles from moving Asomugha around.

They signed Asomugha to take elite wide outs out of the game like he did in Oakland, now he can.  Just think if Samuel wasn't here last season (like the Eagles wanted), it would have been Asomugha lined up against Larry Fitzgerald and not Jaiquawn Jarrett on the left-side of the field.

With Samuel on-the-field, the Eagles simply could not use Asomugha the way he needs to be used.  While getting a seventh round pick for Samuel flat-out  isn't enough for a player of his caliber, the Eagles got some cap-space and now can use their 2011 free agent star the way he was intended to be used.

 

More From 97.3 ESPN