Eagles' haul gets even bigger: RB Brown, RT Harris, S Page

The Philadelphia Eagles' offseason onslaught continued Tuesday when the team added three more free agents: running back Ronnie Brown, safety Jarrad Page and right tackle Ryan Harris.

Brown, who spent his first six seasons with the Miami Dolphins, agreed to a one-year contract that will pay him $1 million in base salary plus incentives, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Brown, 29, rushed for 4,815 yards and 36 touchdowns and caught 184 passes for 1,491 yards in Miami. He ran for 1,000 yards in 2006 and made his only Pro Bowl team in 2008.

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"Ronnie is an all-around running back with a versatile skill set," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said in a statement released by the team. "He can run the ball, catch it, and does very well in pass protection. He'll add some good size to our backfield, and he's a good character guy. We think he'll be a tremendous compliment to LeSean (McCoy) and the other young backs on this team that we really like. You can never have enough good running backs in this league, and we are happy to have Ronnie join us."

Before adding Brown, the Eagles' only experienced running backs were starter McCoy, who ran for 1,080 yards and caught 70 passes last season, and Eldra Buckley, who has just 36 carries in two years with the team.

Brown was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, behind San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

Later in the day, the Eagles signed free-agent offensive tackle Harris to a one-year deal.

Harris spent his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos, starting 34 games. He was their third-round pick in 2007 out of Notre Dame, where he played with Eagles defensive linemen Victor Abimiari and Trevor Laws.

Right tackle is a question mark for the Eagles, with Winston Justice, the starter the past two years, beginning training camp on the injured list with a knee injury. The team has been using second-year pro Austin Howard and former seventh-round draft pick King Dunlap at right tackle during the early days of camp.

Harris started 16 games in 2008, eight in 2009 and 10 last season.

"I appreciate everything the Broncos have done for me," Harris told the Denver Post. "I'm grateful they drafted me, and I built a lot of great relationships with a lot of great people over the past four years. It wasn't an easy decision. But in the end, money had nothing to do with my decision. This was about what I thought was the best opportunity at this point in my career."

Finally, the Eagles scooped up former New England Patriots safety Page late Tuesday. Page, 26, had 12 tackles and two interceptions in 10 games last year for New England. Before that he spent four years with the Chiefs, starting 39 games.

Like all other NFL free agents, Brown, Harris and Page aren't permitted to practice with their new team until Thursday.

In the week before Tuesday's flurry, Philadelphia had already acquired defensive linemen Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, offensive lineman Evan Mathis and quarterback Vince Young.

That plethora of new talent sparked Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to call the Eagles the "all-hype team" on Monday, and the additions have made Philadelphia early Super Bowl favorites in the eyes of many.

In other Eagles news Tuesday, the Inquirer reported that wide receiver Jeremy Maclin reported to the team's training camp at Lehigh, Penn. He had been out with an unspecified illness. The team is still waiting for star wide receiver DeSean Jackson to report. Jackson is holding out for more money.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Falcons focused on bigger goals after Bryant's FG seals win over Packers

ATLANTA -- Don't even mention a third straight winning season to the Atlanta Falcons.

Their goals are so much bigger than that.

The Falcons stayed atop the NFC when Matt Bryant kicked a 47-yard field goal with 9 seconds remaining Sunday for a 20-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, one of the teams trying to chase down Atlanta in the conference standings.

Make no mistake. The Falcons (9-2) were very much aware of the possible ramifications this game might have beyond the regular season.

"I have no plans of going to Lambeau Field in January," Atlanta receiver Roddy White said. "I plan on staying right here and sleeping in my own bed in the playoffs."

The Falcons have won five in a row for their longest streak since the 1998 season, when the team reached its only Super Bowl. Also assured is a third consecutive winning record -- not too shabby, considering the franchise had never even had two in a row before this run.

Yet that's just an afterthought for these guys, who have won six straight games decided by a touchdown or less after losing the opener to Pittsburgh in overtime.

"It's great to get a winning season," coach Mike Smith said. "But the expectations and goals we talk about are a lot higher than that."

Bryant had to make his winning kick twice.

The Packers called a timeout just before he knocked his first attempt right down the middle. No problem. The 35-year-old had already made two game-winning kicks this season, and No. 3 had plenty of distance as it hooked slightly but stayed several feet inside the left upright.

"Pressure is what you feel when you're not prepared," Bryant said. "I've been preparing for that since I was 6 years old. Was there a little bit of pressure? Yeah. But I was prepared."

His do-over capped a game between playoff contenders that lived up to all the hype: a bruising defensive struggle filled with huge fourth-down plays and one very important kickoff return by Eric Weems.

After Aaron Rodgers threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson with 56 seconds remaining to tie the game for Green Bay (7-4), Weems broke loose up the middle and was dragged down by Matt Wilhelm with a flagrant facemask tackle. The Falcons took over at the Green Bay 49, Matt Ryan completed four straight short passes and Bryant made the winning kick.

The Falcons weren't concerned after Green Bay scored, especially with Ryan at quarterback. He completed 24 of 28 for 197 yards, including a 4-yarder to Tony Gonzalez for Atlanta's first TD.

"We've got Matty Ice," White said. "Ice cold. He just keeps moving the sticks."

Green Bay thought it had forced overtime when Rodgers directed a 16-play, 90-yard drive for the tying score. He improvised two huge plays on fourth down, beginning with a scrambling, backhanded flip of a pass to James Jones for an 18-yard gain on fourth-and-1 at the 21.

John Abraham sacked Rodgers for a 2-yard loss and a false start on Bryan Bulaga left the Packers with another fourth down from the 10. With Falcons owner Arthur Blank waving the crowd into an uproar on the sideline, the home team rushed only two players and dropped everyone else into coverage.

Rodgers had all the time he wanted, finally sliding to his left and rifling a pass to Nelson in the back corner of the end zone. He managed to get both feet down just before being shoved out of bounds by Thomas DeCoud.

"You go down and score a touchdown, and you're thinking overtime," said Rodgers, who passed for 344 yards but had a huge fumble at the goal line midway through the second quarter. "Tying the game was pretty special."

Weems quickly brought the crowd of more than 68,000 back to its feet. He took the kickoff 4 yards deep in the end zone, found a seam up the middle and looked as if he might break it all the way. Wilhelm stopped that by yanking at Weems' facemask. Of course, the 15-yard personal foul penalty pushed the Falcons onto the Green Bay side of the field.

"The penalties were unacceptable," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "You can't have them."

Rodgers tied the game at 10 with a 1-yard run in the third quarter, but all he could think about was that fumble trying to score from the same distance in the first half. On fourth-and-goal, he lowered his head in an attempt to sneak it over, but the ball popped loose in the end zone. Mike Peterson fell on it to end Green Bay's streak of 15 quarters without a turnover, its longest since 1963.

"That's what lost the game," Rodgers said. "It's discouraging not to win a game we should have won."

Michael Turner, who rushed for 110 yards, put the Falcons ahead 17-10 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. On yet another huge fourth-and-goal play, this one from inside the 1, Turner bounced outside and went in standing up.

The Packers gave up more points than they had in the past three weeks combined, having surrendered only 10 in wins over the New York Jets, Dallas and Minnesota. Green Bay had a four-game winning streak overall, good enough for a tie with Chicago for the NFC North lead. The Bears hosted Philadelphia in a late-afternoon game.

Notes: Green Bay lost CB Pat Lee in the first quarter with an ankle problem, and TE Spencer Havner hurt a hamstring in the third. ... Falcons RB Jason Snelling also sustained a hamstring injury and didn't play in the final period. ... LB Stephen Nicholas started for Atlanta ahead of first-round pick Sean Weatherspoon. ... The Falcons improved to 19-1 at home with Ryan starting at quarterback.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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