Eagles claim they're reloading - not rebuilding

The Eagles bolstered their bounty of 2010 draft picks to 10 by dealing cornerback Sheldon Brown and outside linebacker Chris Gocong to Cleveland on Friday.

Philadelphia received fourth- (105th overall) and fifth-round (137th) picks, in addition to linebacker Alex Hall. Hall is one of the key pieces to the deal, as he'll compete with 2009 seventh-rounder Moise Fokou for the strong-side job - along with anyone else the Eagles add to the mix in the draft.

A seventh-round pick by Cleveland in 2008, Hall has started two of 30 career games, and brings good size at 6-feet-5 and 250 pounds.

"Alex Hall is a big, athletic linebacker who we've had our eyes on over the last couple of years and he'll have a chance to compete at the SAM linebacker spot," said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. "He'll have an opportunity to put his hand down on third down, as well. (Hall is an) interesting prospect for us. He was productive for Cleveland a couple years ago and didn't have as much of an opportunity in the last year."

Brown's departure creates an opportunity for Joselio Hanson to earn the starting job opposite Asante Samuel. Brown has spent all eight of his NFL seasons with the Eagles, but created friction with the front office by requesting a trade last offseason when the team declined to renegotiate his contract.

The team also expects to get Ellis Hobbs back from the neck injury that ended his 2009 season. A third-round draft choice of the Patriots in 2005, Hobbs played in eight games during his first season in Philadelphia in 2009 after being acquired in a draft-day trade last April. He recorded 14 tackles and returning 20 kickoffs for 481 yards (24.1 average), but underwent surgery for anterior cervical decompression and fusion for a herniated disk in December after being injury in a Nov. 8 primetime game against Dallas.

"We think Ellis Hobbs is a good starting corner in this league," Roseman said. "We think we have other players on this team who can step into that spot and contribute. Obviously we have some options here going forward in the draft and we'll just see what other things become available here."

Macho Harris, who played free safety as a rookie, could also figure into the mix at cornerback.

In Cleveland, Gocong and Brown will be reunited with former Eagles general manager Tom Heckert.

Roseman, who was promoted after Heckert was hired by Mike Holmgren, disputed the notion the Eagles are rebuilding as they get younger - even amid reports that quarterback Donovan McNabb is being shopped, which would hand the starting quarterback job to untested Kevin Kolb.

"The word rebuilding will never enter our vocabulary. We're trying to win. We're trying to win right now," Roseman said. "I think we're just trying to get better in all areas. We're trying to build a team that this city can be proud of. We're excited about that. We've got a lot more work to do."

The Eagles also have draft picks in the first (24th overall), second (55th), third (70th, from Seattle and 87th), fourth (121st), sixth (200th, from Indianapolis) and seventh rounds (243rd and 244th, both compensatory).

"I think it's exciting," Roseman said of the flexibility the Eagles now have in the draft. "I think it allows us to have a lot of options on draft weekend. If we wanted to go and move up or move around, I think that gives us those options."

And more could be on the way before the April 22-24 draft.

Coach Andy Reid publicly acknowledged the Eagles were "entertaining offers" for their three quarterbacks, and there have been published reports that McNabb was close to being dealt to the St. Louis Rams and the Oakland Raiders. But nothing has happened yet.

"(Reid) said they are listening to offers for all three quarterbacks, and you (media) guys decided that means they're trading McNabb," said McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith.

There has been very little interest in Mike Vick and the Eagles really aren't interested in dealing Kolb, who they drafted in the second round of the '07 draft to eventually replace McNabb.

They had been discreetly shopping the 33-year-old McNabb for weeks, hoping to acquire at least a first-round pick for him. But after getting no offers that were to their liking, they decided to go public with their "entertaining offers" comments.

Reid has insisted that it's still possible that all three quarterbacks will return -- "I can see that happening; that's a pretty good situation for a coach" -- but now that their willingness to trade McNabb is out in the open, there is little chance he will be back with the team for a 12th season.

While Kolb is essentially untested -- he's started just two games in three years, though he threw for 300-plus yards in both -- Reid and his offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, feel he is ready to be a starter in the league. The fact that the Eagles probably have the best receiving corps in the franchise's history will help Kolb make the adjustment to a starting role.

"It's been very interesting," said Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson of the trade talk concerning McNabb. "I'm not really used to anything like it. It's really out of my control. It's not like I'm the GM or the owner. As far as the team is concerned, we're not going to pick and choose as far as who we want. At the end of the day, we all have a job to do. We've all got to go out and do our business, regardless of who the quarterback is."

McNabb has yet to participate in the Eagles' offseason workout program. He has been training in Phoenix, where he lives during the offseason. Both Kolb and Vick have been working out at the Eagles' training facility, but have declined to comment on the team's quarterback situation.

"I know (Kolb) just wants the opportunity to be able to go out there and play," said Jackson, who had nine touchdown catches last season and averaged 18.5 yards per catch. "Anytime you're on a football team and you're not starting and you're not playing, it's a very competitive game, so you would only expect him to want to have an opportunity. He's just waiting for that opportunity to come, and I think he'll definitely take advantage of it."

After last season, there appeared little chance that Vick would return to the Eagles in 2010. He made it clear that he wanted an opportunity to start somewhere, and the Eagles were hopeful of getting an early-round pick for him in a trade.

But there has been little interest in him. The Eagles paid him a $1.5 million roster bonus last month and would have to give him another $1 million in guaranteed salary if they released him.