Asante Samuel has such good hands and terrific instincts that the All-Pro cornerback rarely drops the ball, one reason why he has 16 interceptions the last two years.

The Philadelphia Eagles' instincts were on the ball, too, that Samuel was the kind of playmaker they desperately needed to strengthen a defense that recorded an NFL-worst 19 takeaways in 2007.

Philadelphia got its first one of 2008, signing the free-agent cornerback to a six-year contract yesterday and ending Samuel's five-year stint in New England.

"I just want a chance to be able to win and get back to the Super Bowl," Samuel said. "That's why I picked the Philadelphia Eagles."

Samuel, an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection this past season, knows something about making timely picks. Samuel, who won two Super Bowl rings, has 22 career interceptions in 75 games.

"We regarded Asante as the No. 1 available free agent in the NFL," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said.

The Eagles wasted little time making an offer, reportedly worth around $57 million with $20 million guaranteed, on the first day of the free agent period.

The Eagles badly needed a shutdown corner — or a "pick magnet," as his agent called him — like Samuel. Philadelphia had only 11 interceptions last year and failed to score a defensive touchdown to go along with its abysmal takeaway record.

JETS

DT JENKINS ACQUIRED; VILMA TRADED TO SAINTS

The New York Jets made a huge splash on the first day of free agency by trading for a big guy to put in the middle of their defensive line.

The Jets acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins from the Carolina Panthers yesterday for third- and fifth-round draft picks. The 6-foot-4, 349-pound Jenkins will move to nose tackle in the Jets' 3-4 defensive scheme.

The Jets also traded linebacker Jonathan Vilma to the New Orleans Saints for a fourth-round pick in 2008. If Vilma reaches certain playing time incentives and signs an extension with New Orleans, New York would instead get a second- or third-round pick in 2009 and would give the Saints its fourth-round pick that year.

LIONS

DT ROGERS REPORTEDLY TRADED TO BENGALS

The Detroit Lions traded Shaun Rogers to the Cleveland Browns instead of dealing him to the Cincinnati Bengals, a person familiar with the moves told The Associated Press.

The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity last night because the Lions and Browns were not commenting on the trade, said Detroit acquired cornerback Leigh Bodden and a third-round pick from Cleveland after the deal with Cincinnati fell through.

The Lions were aggressively trying to move Rogers, a talented but inconsistent defensive tackle who was due to make a $1 million roster bonus at 12:01 a.m. EST today.

BROWNS

QB ANDERSON AGREES TO 3-YEAR, $24 MILLION DEAL

Derek Anderson ran a reverse on the Cleveland Browns.

Only a few hours after the quarterback hit the free-agent market, Anderson agreed to terms on a three-year, $24 million contract with the Browns, who were prepared to move on without the Pro Bowl alternate.

The deal reportedly includes over $13 million in guaranteed money.

Anderson officially became a restricted free agent at 12:01 a.m. yesterday, when other teams were allowed to make contract offers for the 24-year-old. But by 5 a.m. his agents had worked out a deal with general manager Phil Savage for him to stay in Cleveland. The sides had been working on a three-year, $20 million deal and had been negotiating for weeks.

ELSEWHERE

49ers: Receiver Isaac Bruce agreed to a two-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers last night, one day after the St. Louis Rams released one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history. The deal is worth $6 million.

Also yesterday, after two much-criticized naming rights agreements with corporate sponsors over the past 12 years, the San Francisco 49ers formally announced their aging stadium will be known as Candlestick Park for the rest of its days.

Redskins: Todd Collins, who took the Redskins to the playoffs after taking over for an injured Jason Campbell, agreed to a three-year, $9 million contract to stay put. Coach Jim Zorn already has said that Collins will remain Campbell's backup next season.

Bills: Linebacker Kawika Mitchell signed with Buffalo after having a career season in his only year with the Super Bowl champion Giants. Mitchell, who was born in Hawai'i but grew up in Florida, signed a five-year contract worth a reported $17.5 million. The Bills also cut defensive tackle Larry Tripplett.

Raiders: Oakland signed safety Gibril Wilson, who like Kawika Mitchell started for the Giants in the Super Bowl, to a $39 million, six-year deal.

Rams: Jeff Wilkins, St. Louis' career leading scorer and the best active long-range kicker in the NFL, announced his retirement after 14 seasons. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also reported that the Rams had signed Seattle kicker Josh Brown to a five-year deal.

Chargers: San Diego re-signed backup QB Billy Volek, who led the Chargers to a playoff win in Indianapolis in relief of the injured Philiip Rivers.