Source: Bob Brookover, The Philadelphia Inquirer [ Full Article ]
What should Eagles fans believe? Offer or no offer? Deal or no deal?
Your head could spin around more than Linda Blair's in The Exorcist as you try to get a grasp of what's going on in the NFL's free-agent market.
Wide receiver Dont Stallworth is a classic case - and, of course, the most interesting to Eagles fans.
At various times yesterday, there were reports that Stallworth had received an offer from the Eagles, had signed with the Patriots, and had left a visit with New England to travel to Tennessee and Miami.
Some of those stories were actually true and some were not.
Let's start with the report that Stallworth received a contract offer from the Eagles.
Not true.
A league source said yesterday that agent Drew Rosenhaus and the Eagles spoke Monday to discuss an article in that day's Inquirer, which revealed that Stallworth is in the NFL's substance-abuse program. The Eagles wanted Rosenhaus to know that they were not the source of that story, which is true.
In the course of the Eagles' discussions with Rosenhaus, the agent asked the team if it would be willing to negotiate a one-year deal with the wide receiver if and when the two sides started talking about monetary terms. The Eagles said they would be open to that idea, and they have not dismissed the notion of negotiating a long-term contract, either.
Meanwhile, Stallworth visited the Patriots yesterday despite the fact that New England made a trade with Miami the day before to acquire wide receiver Wes Welker. The Patriots still have interest in Stallworth, probably because wide receiver Chad Jackson, the team's second-round draft pick last season, suffered a knee injury that could sideline him for the entire 2007 season.
Anyway, according to a report out of Boston, Stallworth left New England yesterday without a deal after it was reported on one local television station that the receiver had signed with the Patriots.
Rosenhaus did not return a phone call from The Inquirer, but he did confirm that there was no deal with the Patriots to the Web site profootballtalk.com. The agent confirmed that Stallworth still has visits to make with the Titans and Dolphins before he makes a decision. He will meet with Tennessee today and Miami tomorrow, according to a report on NFL.com, which also said that the Patriots made Stallworth a contract offer.
In the meantime, another day passed without the Eagles' playing host to any free agents at the NovaCare Complex. The team had some mild interest in linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, who played last season in New England, but he signed with the San Francisco 49ers yesterday.
A league source said the Eagles also have some interest in wide receiver Kevin Curtis, but his situation became muddled Monday when he fired agent Tom Condon. Curtis, a former St. Louis Ram, has visited Minnesota and Detroit and had scheduled a visit with the New York Giants.
As for the Eagles' running back situation, it's still possible that the team will bring back Correll Buckhalter, who played a reserve role behind Brian Westbrook last season. There is some belief, however, that Buckhalter would like to get more work than the 83 carries and 24 receptions he had in 2006 with the Eagles.
Did WR Donte Stallworth Get Eagles Offer, Or Patriots Bid? 
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