Eagles Wake-Up Call: Trade Competition

If the Eagles want to trade up in the draft, who could they be bidding against?

Howie Roseman. (USA Today Sports)

Howie Roseman. (USA Today Sports)

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There’s a lot of talk about the Eagles moving up to grab Wentz or Goff, but unless they trade up to either the first or second picks, they certainly aren’t guarenteed to get one of them. There may well be another team (or more) that would also trade up for one of them. Which other team(s) would be the most likely to rain on the Eagles’ parade? -Bill

Two teams, outside of the Eagles, appear to be most interested in trading up for a quarterback: Los Angeles and San Francisco. The MMQB’s Robert Klemko wrote a couple of weeks ago that there are “four teams in play to trade up to the No. 1 spot,” namely the Browns, Eagles, 49ers and Rams. Earlier this week, Peter King added that “there are teams like San Francisco or Los Angeles or Philadelphia that might want a quarterback, and might be desperate enough to overpay for the top pick.”

From the outside looking in, Chip Kelly’s new quarterback situation is murky at best. It’s dubious whether Colin Kaepernick will be his starter next season, although the Broncos may be the only serious suitor. Mike Klis of Denver’s KUSA 9 News station provided an update on the situation a few days ago:

Kaepernick does not want to play for the 49ers this year. He has wanted out since last November. The 49ers don’t want Kaepernick on their team. That’s why they gave Elway, the Broncos’ general manager, permission to meet personally with Kaepernick at least twice in recent weeks.

The Broncos want him but on their terms. They want either the 49ers, or Kaepernick, or both to kick in some money. So far neither is willing to budge.

Compared to the Eagles, it could be easier for the 49ers to trade up, as their first-round pick is one slot higher, they have a second-round pick and they own a league-high 12 picks.

As for the Rams, many mock drafts expect them to select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, but with Case Keenum as their current starting quarterback, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them gamble on trading up to the top of the draft. Although Los Angeles only has six draft picks, they have two second rounders, thanks to the Sam BradfordNick Foles trade.

The Browns are an interesting team to keep an eye on because although they have the No. 2 pick, they may be tempted to trade up to ensure they get whichever quarterback they prefer. There are other teams who may not be willing to trade, but are still open to selecting a quarterback up high. One such team is the Cowboys, which NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah recently wrote about:

Personnel people disagree as to whether Dallas will select a quarterback fourth or 34th overall, but almost everyone in the league expects the Cowboys to take a signal caller with one of those picks (or at the bottom of the first round, should they trade back up). In terms of names you hear connected to them, Wentz comes up as an early first-round choice, given the familiarity they have with him from the Senior Bowl, where Jason Garrett coached Wentz’s North squad. He’d make plenty of sense at No. 4.

WHAT YOU MISSED

Pre-draft visit tracker: Ezekiel Elliott is coming to town.

The Eagles’ 2016 preseason opponents were announced.

Yesterday’s Draft Daily on DeForest Buckner and whether he fits in Jim Schwartz’s scheme.

Tim talked to a linebacker prospect the Eagles have shown a lot of interest in.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

The Eagles’ biggest post-free agency needs, according to Jimmy Kempski.

1) Long-term answer at quarterback

As we know, the Eagles signed Sam Bradford to a two-year deal worth $36 million, $22 million of which is fully guaranteed. That deal puts Bradford among the top half of starting quarterbacks in the NFL, earnings-wise, even though he has never been close to the top half of the league’s performers. The Eagles were likely to achieve a shorter, less risky deal long-term by paying him a figure higher than many of his more successful peers. That’s the trade-off for being able to escape his contract with manageable pain after one year, and no pain after two.

Bradford’s $18 million per year average is more than what he has shown he is worth over his seven-year NFL career. However, he allows the Eagles to maintain continuity for at least one more season in Doug Pederson’s first year as the Eagles’ head coach. The shorter duration of the deal indicates that the Eagles are not sold on Bradford as a long-term answer at quarterback.

COMING UP

Draft Daily continues with the top receiver in the class, Mississippi’s Laquon Treadwell, while Asher takes a look at the latest mock drafts.