It’s the question every NFL franchise and fan around the league has been asking for weeks. How can the Eagles ink Nnamdi Asomugha and Cullen Jenkins on back-to-back days. How can they sign Vince Young to a deal and Ronnie Brown.

And, how can Joe Banner, when asked if the Eagles still have flexibility to to more, answer with two words: “Hell, yes!”?

The Eagles have created a paper champion during free agency. How have they done it?

Honestly, I’ve been wondering the same myself. We all know that Banner has a Master’s in NFL Salarycapology. But, this? Even for him, this free agent signing period has been one for the ages. Better than Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse.

So, how did the Birds do it? The New York Times had a tremendous piece in its Sunday edition detailing how the Eagles had planned for this for two-plus years. Suddenly, the cutting of players and quiet free agency period from last year made sense.

Banner used business strategy to develop the plan. He realized that the uncapped year would mean two free agent classes were available in one year, creating a “buyer’s market.”

From the NYTimes story:

“You’ll have twice as many players available as usual, and we’re either locked out or there is a reduced cap,” Banner said. “You don’t have to be a brilliant person to figure out there’s going to be huge opportunity. You can’t have increased supply and reduced dollars and not have it. We didn’t know the names, but we did it to take advantage of what was clearly going to be a very team-friendly marketplace. There was a strategic element to this. There was luck as well. Frankly, it turned out better than we hoped.”

Smart moves. Smart guy. And, the fact that they’ll still have money to do long-term deals with Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson makes this even more unbelievable.

Rip them all you want for being “Salary Cap Champs,” but this is the philosophy that gives the Eagles a chance to win a Super Bowl year after year. The window has reopened. Savor it, Philly.

The NovaCare Complex was overflowing with player activity on Tuesday.

Glad I didn’t. In going through the good old Twitter timeline, the only ones at the complex are the beat reporters who are … waiting.

Les Bowen reports that, “You know, if you’re into tractor-trailer watching (and who isn’t?) Pattison Ave. is the spot.“

He later abandoned waiting for … nobody? “I have abandoned the vigil. No players, iPhone battery low, draft work to do.”

It appears that players themselves went elsewhere. From Winston Justice: “Already showed up at interim eagles rehab (the bellevue) Knee worked on by “NovaCare” (not eagles) employee.” He had gone to PowerTrain earlier in the day with Trevor Laws and Jamaal Jackson.

Earlier in the day, Jamar Chaney indicated that players were continuing the workouts at “NovaCare Jersey.”

“Just got done goin #HAM at #PowerTrain. Lower body day. Had to work off all that good old soul food I ate this weekend,” he tweeted.

In fairness, reports last night indicated teams would open up their facilities, but keep the weight rooms locked. So what was the point of going?

Yeah, just business as usual in this crazy an boring NFL offseason.

Casserly’s take on Kolb? He’s better than Cam Newton and worth a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft.

Top 5? Really?

We like Kolb and think the fact that he has a body of work in the NFL, no matter how small, gives him value. He’s young and has not taken many hits.

Kevin Kolb is worth a top 5 draft pick accoording to a former NFL GM.

Still, a top 5 pick? You’re going to be hard pressed to get close to that unless you throw in your first and a lower pick and flip draft positions like the Seahawks did when they got Matt Hasselbeck.

Of course, the fact that teams worry about Kolb’s salary demands will keep his value down a bit. And, the fact that the Eagles themselves are putting stories on the web site to prop up his value can be deemed propaganda.

Nobody can blame the Raiders for wanting to secure their first round pick in the 2011 draft, even if it is in the form of an aging veteran defensive lineman. Still, the NFL owners can’t be happy with Al Davis today.

The Raiders and Richard Seymour have agreed to a two-year deal worth upwards of $30 million. Sure, the Raiders overpaid for him two years ago by sending a first round pick to the Patriots for him. Sure, they overpaid last year by paying him more than $12 million as a franchise player.

Raiders owner Al Davis made a lot of noise outside the NFL owner's offices today by handing a crazy rich deal to Richard Seymour as the owners cry poor.

Now, they are clearly overspending right as the owners are crying poor during a labor dispute with the player’s union. Oh, and they made this deal without knowing the rules under the yet-to-be-determined CBA and salary cap going forward.

Nobody ever accused Al Davis of doing things the way everybody else does.

Still, throwing around this kind of money to a 31-year-old lineman — even a Pro Bowl lineman — at this point in time is not good business sense for the raiders or the NFL and its owners.

Somewhere, Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones, Jeff Lurie and Roger Goodell are seething.

This is yet one more reason it’s good to not be a raiders fan.

The infamous “Tuck Rule” game should never have been played. The Eagles 1948 NFL Title should have an asterisk next to it because it was played around a blizzard in Philly.

That’s the message the NFL indirectly sent its fans today when it postponed the Eagles-Vikings contest from Sunday night until Tuesday due to snow.

The NFL also told the world that TV ratings dictate schedules. Let’s take a look at both issues.

In today's wussified NFL, this image never happens. The game would be postponed due to God's dandruff.

First, the NFL postpones a game when past precedent has dictated that games are played no matter what once both teams are in the city. Find me another situation like this in recent history. You can’t.

Here’s the problem with moving the game from Sunday to Tuesday. Now, the league has to do it in every other city. If fans can’t get to games safely, they will look back and point out this situation. But, can the NFL postpone, say, playoff games due to snow?

First of all, snow weather is football weather. Second, some of the classic football moments have been in the snow. Tom Brady against the Raiders comes to mind. Did he tuck the ball? Didn’t he tuck the ball?

There’s also the game where there was two feet of snow in the stands and people threw snowballs. Is it fair that those fans lost money because they couldn’t get there?

Now, the NFL will have to postpone or face possible class action lawsuits for those who miss games or get injured in accidents getting to games played in snowy conditions in cities not as wussified as Philly. (I live here and am appalled at the postponement!)

Think that’s an a total overreaction? Then, you’ve never met a lawyer.

But, will the NFL postpone a playoff game? Or, gasp, the 2014 Super Bowl in New York due to snow? Can you imagine giving a team a short week during the playoffs? Can you imagine moving the AFC Championship game because it is snowing in late January in Foxboro? Could happen now.

Or can it? Will NBC, FOX or CBS allow a game to be moved from Sunday afternoon or evening to Monday night or later and lose ratings?

The NFL Championship game played in Philly in 1948 would have been postponed today.

Ratings rule the world. Don’t think so. Then why would the Eagles game be moved from Sunday to Tuesday instead of Monday? Because ESPN has exclusive rights to national broadcasts on Monday. Think they want to give up that audience when they have the Falcons and Saints on tap?

Think NBC wants to split audiences between that game and Michael Vick? They flexed the Eagles game against the Vikings for Vick. They want the World to see the Eagles MVP candidate exclusively without competition.

Tuesday it is. Who gives a flying you-know-what that the Eagles will get a crazy short week to battle the rival Cowboys while chasing the second seed in the NFC.

Roger Goodell, I hope you are happy. May it snow in Foxboro and Atlanta on Championship Sunday!

Already delayed one day because of heavy snow on the roof, the Giants-Vikings game is now in jeopardy of being held in Minnesota at all. The roof on top of the stadium partially collapsed from the weight of the snow early Sunday morning.

The Metrodome's traditional white roof is now seen early Sunday morning. The roof collapsed from the weight of heavy snow in the Twin Cities. (Photo from KARE 11 TV)

If the roof is deemed unsafe, as we expect, the NFL must quickly figure out a solution as to when and where the Giants and Vikings will play.

The initial thought will be to move the game to The Meadowlands. However, how is that fair to the Vikings?

The better scenario would be to move the game to a true neutral field as the NFL did a couple of years ago when they moved the Chargers game to Arizona due to forest fires.

In this case, have the two teams battle it out in Arrowhead Stadium. The field is not being used today, so it won’t be torn up too bad. Plus, the Giants are already there.

Asante Samuel may not tackle, but he is a takeaway machine. The Eagles stud Pro Bowl corner added two more turnovers to his total in the first half on Sunday. He recovered a fumble that turned into a David Akers field goal.

On the ensuing possession, he picked off Eli Manning with four minutes left in the half. Akers added another field goal to give the Eagles a 13-3 lead.

Asante Samuel chases Hakeem Nicks as he catches a ball out of bounds on Sunday. Samuel later recovered a fumble and picked off Sheli Manning.

Of course, if DeSean Jackson or Jason Avant could pull in a wide open pass, this game could be a rout. Ah well.

On the season, Samuel has six interceptions, just four shy of his career high. He picked off ten passes in 2006.

What in the name of Kenny Britt is going on here? Britt, the Titans second year wideout from Rutgers, poured dirt in the wounds of Philly sports fans Sunday by posting 225 yards and three TDs on seven catches en route to leading the Titans to a 37-19 victory,

The player, who started the day on the bench due to being involved in a nightclub brawl at 1:45 a.m., posted the most yards ever against an Eagles defense. Once he entered the game, he made Ellis Hobbs and the Eagles secondary look as fearsome as a miniature poodle.

Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt went from punching people outside a nightclub to knocking out the Eagles secondary on Sunday.

The Eagles had jumped out to a 16-7 lead before Britt entered the game and turned it into his own personal video game.

The run defense did its job by holding Chris Johnson to 66 yards on 24 carries, but the secondary was atrocious. Ironically, Kerry Collins, subbing for injured Vince Young, may have been the difference. Young is not known for his passing ability and may not have completed the balls to Britt. But, you play who is on the field, and the Eagles couldn’t do that.

Collins finished 17-of-31 for 276 yards, three scores to Britt and two picks. His counterpart, Kevin Kolb, finished 26-of-48 for 231 yards, one score and two picks, including one of the team’s final play.

For a team with visions of entering a bye week on a high note, they’ll have two weeks to live with this loss and get ready to face a guy named Manning and his Colts teammates.

You can just hear sports talk radio, columnists and fans getting back into their Kevin Kolb frenzy already. Two consecutive wins and a 326-yard, three TD performance against the Falcons will do that. Nobody should be on the Kevin Kolb is The Savior Bandwagon yet, however.

Sure, Kolb came out on Sunday and made a statement that he needs to be back in the starting mix. If he could lose his gig due to injury, why can’t he take it back. Andy Reid will likely say Michael Vick is still the starter when he is healthy. What else is he going to say? He has to leave a backdoor in case Kolb sucks next week or gets hurt again. Why mess with Vick’s psyche when you don’t need to.

The bottom line is that Kolb needs to be the starter for this team. That’s no strike at Vick, nor should it be a feather in Kolb’s cap.

Kevin Kolb is going to play great at times and poorly at times this year. The Eagles need to ride the roller coaster and let him start.

Kolb needs to start because he’s still learning and this was the plan when the Eagles dealt McNabb to Washington on Easter Sunday. The Birdbrain trust thought Kolb could be a franchise quarterback who could win the elusive Super Bowl. Who knows? That may just come true. But, don’t dare judge that by today.

The fourth-year pro out of Houston is going to have piss-poor games like he did against Green Bay. He’s going to have stud games like he did against Atlanta. And, he’s going to have mediocre games like he did in San Francisco.

The bottom line is that the only way to fix his mistakes and inconsistencies is to play, and play every week. The Eagles dealt McNabb to see what they had in Kolb. For that reason alone, he is the man who must start the rest of the season. Reid did the right thing by getting Kolb out of the fire, especially in the hype leading up the the Redskins game.

We’re now past that.

If you go back to Vick, at the end of the year you are in the same exact spot you were on Easter 2010. You still wouldn’t know whether Kolb is a franchise-type NFL quarterback. The only way to find out is to play him and go through the ups and downs of a developing signal caller.

Don’t get too excited about Kolb and expect 300 yards a week. But, he needs to be the Eagles starter from this point on.

With the Eagles facing one of the better run defenses, Kevin Kolb had to step up his game if the Eagles ahd any chance to knock off the Atlanta Falcons. Getting DeSean Jackson involved was key to getting the Eagles offense going.

Kolb and Jackson did just that through the first quarter in giving the Eagles a lead they never surrendered. Jackson took an end around 31 yards to paydirt on the Eagles first offensive series. He later caught a 34-yard score from Kolb to put the Eagles up 14-0.

Desean Jackson started the game in impressive fashion before being knocked out by Dunta Robinson.

Jackson, however, was lost for the game in the second quarter on a vicious hit by Falcons corner Dunta Robinson. Just as quickly as optimism around the Eagles offense developed, nervousness set in.

Then, Jeremy Maclin decided to show up in a big way en route to giving the Eagles a decisive 31-17 win, leaving both teams at 4-2 after six games.

Maclin hauled in seven balls for 159 yards and two scores. His first score came in the second quarter when Kolb found him for an eight-yard TD. The two later connected on an 83-yard bomb in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 28-10 lead.

In between the Falcons put up 10 points on a Matt Ryan-Tony Gonzalez score, and a field goal.

Gonzalez also scored in the fourth quarter, while Eagles kicker David Akers connected on a 30-yard field goal to close out the scoring. Akers had missed three attempts before that try.

Kolb, under a ton of scrutiny after playing poorly all preseason and in the first half of the season opener, displayed why the Eagles wanted him to be under center this year. He went 23-of-29 for 326 yards and three TDs. He threw one pick late in the first half, although that really wasn’t his fault.

Kevin Kolb threw for more than 300 yards for the third time in five NFL starts in Sunday's 31-17 win over Atlanta.

LeSean McCoy put up 64 yards against a solid Falcons run defense.

On defense, the Eagles held the league’s second rushing team to just 65 yards, less than half of it’s season average. They also put pressure on Ryan all day, thanks to an improved scheme from second year coordinator Sean McDermott.

The 4-2 Eagles play at Tennessee next week.