Well he is sticking to his story...
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/fo...ll/14026598.htm
If free agency ever starts, Birds plan to sign Bentley
By Bob Brookover
Inquirer Staff Writer
At some point, the Eagles actually will begin signing free agents. The NFL delayed the start of free agency for another 72 hours last night, pushing it back to Thursday at 12:01 a.m.
Free agency was supposed to start this past Friday, but it was delayed until today in order to give the NFL owners and the players' association another chance to strike a deal on a new collective-bargaining agreement that would have increased this year's salary cap by nearly $10 million.
It was delayed again last night.
Talks failed, so teams will work under a cap of $94.5 million this season.
All indications remained that the Eagles planned to strike a quick deal with unrestricted free agent LeCharles Bentley despite a denial by the New Orleans Saints center over the weekend.
After a source close to the center said Thursday that Bentley planned to join the Eagles once the free-agent period opened, he denied The Inquirer's report in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He did not deny, however, that he had no plans to return to the Saints.
"I would rather sit out a season than play for the Saints again," Bentley told CBSSportsline.com.
Bentley, considered by many to be the best center in the NFL, also addressed a question about missing the Saints' final two games of the 2005 season with an elbow injury.
According to a report on
CBSSportsline.com, he angered some of his teammates and some members of the Saints' organization with that decision because they felt he was protecting himself for free agency.
"That's why they're the Saints," Bentley said. "That isn't true. If anyone in that organization has any questions about whether I gave everything I had while I was there, then they can go to hell."
According to Comcast SportsNet, the Eagles are also going to make quick moves to sign Jeff Garcia as a backup quarterback to Donovan McNabb and Shawn Barber as an outside linebacker.
Signing Garcia would be an interesting move because it would briefly make him teammates again with wide receiver Terrell Owens. Those two combined for some outstanding seasons with San Francisco before going through a public separation that was even more ugly than Owens' divorce from quarterback Donovan McNabb and the Eagles.
If Owens is not traded by Saturday, the Eagles plan to release him before they have to pay him a $5 million roster bonus.
Garcia, 36, spent five seasons as the starting quarterback in San Francisco and one as a starter in Cleveland before going to Detroit last season. He started five games and played in six for the Lions, throwing three touchdown passes and six interceptions. He would replace Mike McMahon as the Eagles' No. 2 quarterback.
Barber, 31, had one of the best seasons of his career as the Eagles' weakside linebacker in 2002, then signed with Kansas City and had his best season with the Chiefs in 2003. Injuries, however, have limited him to just 11 games the last two years. He played in just three games last season because of a hamstring injury.
The Eagles also have interest in Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle-El, but he was expected to field offers from a number of teams.
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Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.