Offensive lineman Nick Cole has signed a one-year deal with the Eagles, accepting his restricted free agent tender at the second-round level.
Cole, 25, is one of two offensive linemen, along with Winston Justice, who started all 16 games for the Eagles in 2009. He started six games at left guard and nine games at left guard before taking over as the starting center when Jamaal Jackson was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
With Jackson working to rehab from his injury, Cole could open the 2010 season as the starting center. One of the most versatile linemen on the team, Cole, 6-foot-0, 350 pounds, joined the Eagles as a rookie free agent following the 2006 draft. He's seen action in every game in his four-year career, appearing in 64 regular season contests (22 starts) and six playoff games (four starts). A versatile and tough offensive lineman, the 25-year-old Cole started in every game in 2009 at three different positions (nine at right guard, six at left guard, and two at center).
A three-year starter at New Mexico State, Cole notched a school-record 40 straight starts at both guard and tackle. The Lawton, OK, native attended Eisenhower High School, where he earned all-state honors at left guard as a senior.
After Cole's signing, offensive lineman Max Jean-Gilles and punter Sav Rocca are the only restricted free agents yet to sign their tender offer.
-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 12:24 p.m., April 7
