ESPN NFL

Unrestricted defensive tackle Ed Jasper, who played 15 games for the Oakland Raiders in 2005, is headed back to the franchise with which he began his NFL career.

	Jasper

The nine-year veteran has agreed to a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, who chose him in the sixth round of the 1997 draft. The deal, which is expected to be officially executed on Thursday, includes a $40,000 signing bonus and $710,000 base salary.

Jasper, 33, will provide more depth to a well-stocked tackle position, which already includes veterans Darwin Walker, Hollis Thomas, Sam Rayburn and Mike Patterson.

His addition could allow the Eagles to part with Thomas, a veteran run-stuffer who has asked to be traded because of a contractual dispute. In re-joining the Eagles, after an absence of seven seasons, Jasper is returning to a scheme that is a nice fit with his skills set and is more conducive to his success. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson likes to rotate a lot of tackles, and Jasper should maximize his production by not having to play as many snaps.

The former Texas A&M standout played two seasons in Philadelphia but was released following the 1998 campaign, and signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 1999. Jasper became a starter with the Falcons and, for six seasons, was a stalwart performer on the team's defensive front and a strong leader in the locker room. But following the Falcons' disappointing loss at Philadelphia in the 2004 NFC title game, Jasper hinted at retirement, and Atlanta released him shortly thereafter.

Jasper signed a one-year deal with the Raiders last spring, appeared in 15 games, and registered 24 tackles and two sacks, appearing mostly as the team's No. 3 tackle.

In 118 games, including 60 starts, Jasper has 247 tackles, 17 sacks, six forced fumbles and four recoveries.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.