Samuel hoped Sheppard and Brown would be on the roster and felt the trio could give the Eagles perhaps the best secondary in the NFL.

Samuel said the Eagles were on the top of a list of four teams he considered visiting. After the Eagles gave him a hard sell on the first day free agents could sign, Samuel decided to stay in Philly.

“When you come to one that makes you happy, why wait around?” Samuel said.

Samuel is the latest in a line of former New England Super Bowl winners who have moved on, joining Deion Branch, Adam Vinatieri, David Givens and Daniel Graham.

Samuel did allow New York’s David Tyree to get loose for a touchdown and the cornerback muffed a potential clinching interception with less than 2 minutes left in the Giants’ 17-14 upset win in the Super Bowl. The stinging loss was still tough for him to get over.

“He’ll have a chance to recover twice this year,” Reid said.

The Eagles finished in last place in the NFC East at 8-8, the same division that includes the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, whose 13-3 record was the best in the conference.

The last time Lurie made such a bold move with his offseason acquisitions came in 2004 when they signed defensive end Jevon Kearse, released on Thursday, and traded for wide receiver Terrell Owens. The duo led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in their first season but, because of injuries, contract disagreements and other issues, they fizzled and were eventually let go.

Lurie said those disappointments wouldn’t steer him away from signing another star.

“I never want to be the type of organization or owner that doesn’t keep reloading or going for it,” he said. “You’re always going to have a chance to make mistakes by taking risks. Keep going for it.”

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