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Cheesehead
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It's hard for Hank Fraley to say he wouldn't welcome a trade to a team where he could start, because, well, he would.
Fraley, 28, an Eagle since 2000, is in the final year of his contract. After 4 ½ seasons as the starting center, he opened this training camp backing up his former understudy, Jamaal Jackson. Officially, Jackson and Fraley are competing for the starting job, but Jackson has gotten all the starting reps, except for a few days he missed recently with an ankle sprain.
Fraley made it clear yesterday it would be hard to leave the Eagles, but it might be even harder to enter free agency next spring off a year spent as a little-used backup.
"You always want to be out there starting," Fraley said yesterday. "I can't worry about that stuff. I can't predict the future and what's going to happen. I'm just battling here. I'm worried about what's happening here. Everything else'll work itself out. Things happen for a reason... Who knows what's going to happen?... All I can predict right now, I'm going in to get a shower."
Media speculation has held that the Cleveland Browns are interested in Fraley, after losing LeCharles Bentley to knee surgery and seeing replacement Bob Hallen retire. Fraley said he doesn't think about situations around the league where teams might need starters - although in the Sports Illustrated article last week detailing Fraley's battle with Jackson, Fraley was quoted as being interested in going to Pittsburgh, where he played in college at Robert Morris, and attended his first pro camp with the Steelers. Fraley, now married again, also has a son by his first wife who lives in the Pittsburgh area.
Fraley agreed that Cleveland "is real close" to Pittsburgh, but said it hasn't been on his mind.
"That stuff'll get sorted out after the season," he said.
Fraley said his brief fracas yesterday with Jeremiah Trotter, meanwhile, was sorted out very quickly.
"It wasn't really a fight, it was a little tussle, I guess," Fraley said. "That stuff starts on the field and stays on the field."
Trotter conceded that Fraley might have had a right to be angry, given that the middle linebacker grabbed Fraley by the facemask and threw him to the ground.
Do we go after him?
Fraley, 28, an Eagle since 2000, is in the final year of his contract. After 4 ½ seasons as the starting center, he opened this training camp backing up his former understudy, Jamaal Jackson. Officially, Jackson and Fraley are competing for the starting job, but Jackson has gotten all the starting reps, except for a few days he missed recently with an ankle sprain.
Fraley made it clear yesterday it would be hard to leave the Eagles, but it might be even harder to enter free agency next spring off a year spent as a little-used backup.
"You always want to be out there starting," Fraley said yesterday. "I can't worry about that stuff. I can't predict the future and what's going to happen. I'm just battling here. I'm worried about what's happening here. Everything else'll work itself out. Things happen for a reason... Who knows what's going to happen?... All I can predict right now, I'm going in to get a shower."
Media speculation has held that the Cleveland Browns are interested in Fraley, after losing LeCharles Bentley to knee surgery and seeing replacement Bob Hallen retire. Fraley said he doesn't think about situations around the league where teams might need starters - although in the Sports Illustrated article last week detailing Fraley's battle with Jackson, Fraley was quoted as being interested in going to Pittsburgh, where he played in college at Robert Morris, and attended his first pro camp with the Steelers. Fraley, now married again, also has a son by his first wife who lives in the Pittsburgh area.
Fraley agreed that Cleveland "is real close" to Pittsburgh, but said it hasn't been on his mind.
"That stuff'll get sorted out after the season," he said.
Fraley said his brief fracas yesterday with Jeremiah Trotter, meanwhile, was sorted out very quickly.
"It wasn't really a fight, it was a little tussle, I guess," Fraley said. "That stuff starts on the field and stays on the field."
Trotter conceded that Fraley might have had a right to be angry, given that the middle linebacker grabbed Fraley by the facemask and threw him to the ground.
Do we go after him?