Derrick Gunn at Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia reports that the Eagles have a deal in place with Asante Samuel.

The following is the story:

Samuel Visiting Eagles on Friday

ComcastSportsNet.com

It appears the Eagles are planning once again to deviate from their model and sign a high-profile free agent.

A league source has told Comcast SportsNet’s Derrick Gunn that the Eagles have a deal in place with Patriots free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel.

Now, it’s just a matter of finalizing it – which the Eagles failed to do two years ago when they lost center LeCharles Bentley to Cleveland.

Samuel, 27, is visiting the Eagles’ practice facility on Friday.

Donovan McNabb has made a cry for more playmakers – and Samuel is one, albeit on the other side of the ball. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound five-year veteran had 22 career interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns.

The Eagles were not only last in the league last season with 19 takeaways but also the only team not to reach 20. They were also tied for last in the league with 11 interceptions.

Samuel would give the Eagles a secondary with three starter-quality cornerbacks – but whether all three can happily co-exist is another matter. Because the Eagles often play three cornerbacks, it would behoove them to keep all three.

If the Eagles had to move one – Sheldon Brown or Lito Sheppard – it would likely be Sheppard, given his purported dissatisfaction with his contract and his fragility.

A prolific playmaker when healthy, Sheppard was limited to only 10 games last season because of a sprained knee suffered in the season opener that hindered his play throughout the season. He has failed to play a full season since 2003.

Moving the hard-hitting Brown to safety is another option.

Samuel would be the first high-profile free agent to sign with the Eagles since defensive end Jevon Kearse in 2004. The Eagles signed Kearse to an eight-year, $62 million deal, which at the time made him the highest paid defensive end in league history.

Kearse was cut on Thursday.

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