Last week, most Eagles fans had it in their minds that the team would be sitting comfortably at the eighth spot in the 2016 NFL draft, and would probably select former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot or former Notre Dame offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley. After all, the team had dished out $32 million in guaranteed money to pocket passers Sam Bradford and former Kansas City backup Chase Daniel.
Then came the shocking news that the Eagles had catapulted their way to the number two selection in the NFL draft.
The Eagles swapped a boatload of picks with the continually horrendous Cleveland Browns. In case you forgot, let’s take a look at the breakdown of the trade again.
Eagles receive:
- 2nd overall pick in 2016
- 4th round pick in 2017
Browns receive:
- 8th overall pick in 2016
- 3rd round pick in 2016 (77th)
- 4th round pick in 2016 (100th)
- 2017 first round pick
- 2018 second round pick
From the outside looking in, many seem to think the Eagles gave up a lot to move up to the second overall pick. If you look at the Eagles roster, it’s quite the opposite.
The majority of the Eagles core is set at this moment. All of the teams’ marquee players are locked up to deals, with the exception of pass rusher Fletcher Cox, who is still in contract talks with the team.
For the last five plus seasons, the Eagles have struggled mightily to find a franchise quarterback. Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez, and Sam Bradford have all been named the starter at one point or another, and none of these names have led the Eagles to a postseason win.
As the team still attempts to annul itself from the Chip Kelly debacle, EVP of personnel Howie Roseman did what he thought was best and moved up to assumingly select former North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. That is assuming former University of California quarterback Jared Goff goes to the Los Angeles Rams with the top pick. Wentz would have been a Cleveland Brown had the Eagles not moved up, but I guess the Browns are sold on former Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III.
Not to much surprise, the Eagles are going to have a polished new toy to play with come Thursday. How soon we will get to see Wentz or Goff in midnight green will be determined, but it could be sooner rather than later.
Another ripple in the quarterback situation just took wave as current Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford has demanded that the team trade him as a result of them moving up and not keeping it a secret that they will select a quarterback. He has also said he will not attend any of the team’s offseason workouts. It’s no secret the team is taking a quarterback, but there is no guarantee that whomever they select will be deemed the starter.
On the other hand, how about those Cleveland Browns? They couldn’t possibly mess up getting a bunch of picks from the Eagles right? I mean they passed on either Wentz or Goff. For a team that has had 15 plus quarterbacks lineup behind center since 1999, where they took Tim Couch over Donovan McNabb (chuckles), the Browns are hoping RG3 can manage to keep his legs intact as they have a legit dual threat quarterback.
Cleveland could very well use these added picks to add some depth to the roster. The Browns have to get this right. Hasn’t the Dawg Pound suffered enough? The Browns have had one playoff appearance since 2002, where they lost to the Steelers and it’s pretty much been the equivalent of watching C-Span in Ohio. Thank goodness for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
In the end, both teams will get what they want. The Eagles will pretty much get whoever the Rams think is the lesser of two quality quarterbacks, and the Browns will use the extra picks to revamp a roster in dire need of playmakers who don’t smoke marijuana.
The Eagles look in prime position to add a quarterback who played at a little school in which most of us will probably never hear of again. Don’t fear that fact though because Wentz has history on his side.
Other 1-AA quarterbacks, who have been successful in the NFL include Steve McNair, Doug Williams, Phil Simms, and Joe Flacco. All but McNair have won a Super Bowl, and even the late McNair led his team to the Super Bowl. Also, he isn’t a quarterback but a guy named Jerry Rice attended Mississippi Valley State University. Take it for what it’s worth but I’m a believer in Wentz, and hopefully his name will be called with the second overall pick on draft night.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
