Ex-Eagle QB's For Sale....and how much money is an NFL job worth?

The Philadelphia Eagles released veteran QB A.J. Feeley yesterday, virtually at the same time the Oakland Raiders released former Eagle QB Jeff Garcia. Feeley, age 32, is entering his 9th season in the NFL, and Garcia,at age 39, his 11th...(Garcia spent his first 4 pro years in the CFL). You may recall how Garcia gave the Eagles a serious airlift in 2006 when, after Donovan McNabb tore an ACL in the 11th game against the Titans, Garcia led the Eagles to a 5-1 finish the rest of the way, making the playoffs and beating the Giants before losing to the New Orleans Saints, 27-24, in the conference championship game. In 2002, A. J. Feeley accomplished a similar miraculous comeback performance for the Eagles. In Week 11, Donovan McNabb had given one of the gutsiest performances in the history of pro football when he played an entire game on a broken ankle against Arizona, and led the Eagles to a 38-14 win over the Cards. Despite a 7-3 record at the time, the Eagles' playoff chances were regarded as doomed without McNabb, who was X-rayed after the game and put on the injured list for at least 5 weeks. The following week, in a Monday Night game against the 49ers, the Eagles bounced back with a blowout of San Francisco, 38-17, led by the backup QB's Koy Detmer and rookie A.J. Feeley. However, Feeley was left all alone to take over the offense when Detmer dislocated his elbow in the game. All Feeley did from there was run the table for the next 4 games, beating the Rams, Seahawks, Redskins and Cowboys in convincing and efficient fashion, before finally falling to the Giants, 10-7. Still, Feeley had reliably led the Eagles to a Division Title, and from there Donovan McNabb took over the reins, beating Atlanta and Michael Vick 20-6 in the second playoff round, but falling short to the Tampa Bay Bucs, 27-10, in the championship game. Feeley stayed with the Eagles for two more seasons before signing and spending 2 years with the Miami Dolphins and 2 more years with the San Diego Chargers. Ironically, it was the re-signing of the younger Feeley by the Eagles in 2006 to a 3-year deal, and the failing of the Eagles to offer Garcia a contract for 2007, that convinced Jeff Garcia to test the free-agent waters, and Garcia signed a nice 2-year contract with Tampa Bay in March of 2007, at about $3.5 million plus incentives per season. In 2007 Garcia led the Bucs to the playoffs. He started the 2008 season at QB for the Bucs, but became disgruntled when the Bucs refused to grant him a new contract extension. Released by the Bucs, Garcia signed a one-year-deal with Oakland this past spring to serve as backup QB to Jamarcus Russell, for a reported $3 million contingent on his making the team. But it didn't work out for the 39-year-old Garcia in Oakland. He publically admitted it was tough to play under the backup shadow again, and at age 39, he could still play and start in the NFL. These words apparently rubbed Al Davis the wrong way, and Garcia was released yesterday. At this point you may be asking: why release these two fairly valuable QB's when you could still trade them off the roster for some value? Well, it turns out the GM's and head coaches in the NFL have figured out a little poker-bluff game where, if you dare to wait out a team whose roster has a QB you may want, the team will usually release the player anyway before opening week just to avoid paying the player any guaranteed money on his contract. Now, if New England or Detroit or any other NFL team which needs a quality backup moves fast enough, they can sign either Feeley or Garcia as free agents without having to offer any value in trade, such as a future draft pick or other compensation. Nor to they have to worry about assuming Feeley's or Garcia's existing contract terms with the Eagles or Raiders, respectively. How much is an A.J. Feeley "worth" in NFL money? Feeley was scheduled to make $2.4 million in contractual salary from the Eagles in 2009 if he made the roster. If he were to be released prior to the season opener, he would receive a $1 million buyout in what is known as "dead money" in the NFL. Garcia's "dead money" situation is probably very similar to Feeleys, but I can't confirm that dollar amount at this time. Speaking of money, ever wonder what a practice squad (aka "taxi squad") player makes these days in the NFL? I was curious to know when it was announced yesterday that the following Eagles who were recently released have actually been signed to practice squad contracts for the Eagles: -TE Rob Myers -G Paul Fanaika -G Mike Gibson -WR Danny Amendola. Also, the Eagles claimed DT Antonio Dixon, the big rookie run-stuffing tackle from U.of Miami, off waivers from the Washington Redskins. Very book-smart and having had a great preseason game against the Ravens, yet coming off a leg injury and struggling with NFL conditioning standards, Dixon may be a "project player" who may also be signed to the practice squad. The standard practice squad salary under current NFL collective bargaining agreement is $5200 per week, lasting anywhere from 17 weeks (regular season) to 21 weeks (if your team makes the playoffs and beyond). Not bad money, I could live off that, although might get a little tight in New York or L.A.! And as long as we're talking money, the minimum NFL salary under the collective bargaining agreement has risen in 2009 to $310,000 per season. Hey, throw in some meal money and per diems (which they do receive), and it's a living!