Eagles aren't crazy to deal boatload for No. 2 pick

By Charles Robinson 6 hours ago Yahoo Sports

 

Why?

Before the Philadelphia Eagles trade away significant portions of the next two drafts, this is the question they'll have to resolve in their minds. Why is moving to the No. 2 overall pick worth it? And perhaps most important, why is a third offseason commitment to a quarterback necessary?

Make no mistake, the Eagles are thinking about it. The Cleveland Browns and Eagles have engaged in conversations about the No. 2 pick, two league sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports. The sources declined to offer parameters, but Fox Sports' Alex Marvez reported the Eagles and Browns have reached a framework. In it, the Eagles would net the No. 2 overall pick in exchange for Philadelphia's first-rounder (No. 8 overall), two third-rounders (Nos. 77 and 79 overall), as well as a first- and third-round pick in the 2017 draft.

View gallery

.

Sam Bradford (AP)

With Philadelphia already lacking a second-round pick this year, it would effectively strip out large portions of two drafts for the franchise. It would also ostensibly add a third quarterback – either Cal's Jared Goff or North Dakota State's Carson Wentz. As it stands, the belief in a handful of NFL personnel circles is that the Los Angeles Rams prefer Goff's experience to Wentz's potential at the No. 1 overall pick. It would appear moving to No. 2 would be to draft Wentz, who would be added to a depth chart that includes Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel, a pair of quarterbacks who signed new deals this offseason.

On its face, accruing so many quarterbacks looks like personnel madness. But a deeper consideration reveals some method. In the ongoing scramble to find a 10-year franchise starter at quarterback, sometimes this is what it takes from a franchise. It's the most important position in the game, capable of turning a franchise into the right direction for a decade. So loading up with as many starting-quality candidates as possible and hoping for one to rise, well, that's certainly an aggressive approach.

According to a source familiar with the Eagles' thinking, this is what is going on inside the heads of the Philadelphia brain trust – comprised of owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson. The Eagles signed Bradford because they see him as capable of being at least a mid-level starter. Then they signed Chase Daniel, a QB Pederson believes is also a starting-level player. Now, after draft evaluations of Goff and Wentz, they believe both are capable of developing into cornerstones.

It might seem like bad timing to fall in love with Goff or Wentz so soon after signing two other quarterbacks to deals. But the Eagles positioned themselves in case this exact opportunity came along. While Daniel is positioned in the long-term as a high-end backup, the franchise structured Bradford's two-year deal so that he could be easily cut after one season. Specifically, offset language in Bradford's contract allows the Eagles to cut him in 2017, swallowing a reasonable salary cap hit of only $5.5 million. Perhaps more preferable, they could put him on the trade block immediately and see if another quarterback-needy franchise comes calling. Either way, it's conceivable that the Eagles 

could carry three quarterbacks next season, with Bradford eventually being the odd man out.

That the Eagles set themselves up for this possibility says a lot about the "why?" in what is happening now. A trade would be controversial, sticky and awkward. But when a team is within striking distance of a quarterback it believes could be special, that franchise will measure its shot. The Eagles failed to do that appropriately under Chip Kelly. It can be argued they've failed in that mission ever since Donovan McNabb began to descend as a player.

In light of that history, that's why the Eagles are mulling this over. They have plenty of talent. And with new coordinator Jim Schwartz, the defense could be significantly better next season. There are weak spots, but it's not a barren depth chart by any means. The Eagles believe this. And that has them weighing two risks: surrendering a bounty of draft assets for a quarterback who may be an agent of change, or surrendering the opportunity and possibly missing out on a pivot point for the next decade.

View gallery

.

Doug Pederson will have his hands full at whoever is his starting QB. (AP)

There is risk in moving. But there is also risk in staying put. Particularly when there is no telling what the next quarterback class will look like, or whether the Eagles will ever be in striking distance of another special player. There won't be a guarantee of a willing trade partner, either. If anyone needs a reminder of that, just recall how tightly the Tennessee Titans held onto the No. 2 pick (and Marcus Mariota) last year.
Risk here also cuts both ways for the Browns. Wentz or Goff could be the pick that ultimately turns the franchise around. But changing their direction promises to be a less nimble process, too. More like turning around an aircraft carrier. In Cleveland, large swaths of the roster are barren and there is a need for talent infusion across the board. Is Wentz or Goff worth passing up an ability to lay multiple pieces of the foundation in the next two drafts? That's the "why?" that Cleveland is mulling.
This is why draft trades are so precarious when it involves one team carving out a fistful of picks just to get one player. History is pocked with smoking craters that can be seen from far away and for long periods of time. Coincidentally, the Browns just signed one of those quarterback craters – Robert Griffin III – whose draft day acquisition smashed a coaching staff and front office into pieces.

But for every Griffin, there is another quarterback who shows great possibilities. Ask the Oakland Raiders how much Derek Carr means to them now. Or the Jacksonville Jaguars about Blake Bortles. If they were forced to do it over again, how many draft picks would Russell Wilson be worth to the Seattle Seahawks?

That's why the Eagles are entertaining this seemingly crazy thought. Making a less-than-perfect call on a supposed franchise quarterback can spell years of struggle and second-guessing. It can get coaches fired and front offices reshuffled. And the Philadelphia Eagles don't need to be told that story. They've got one of those players lining up under center right now. That's why they made it so easy to move on from Sam Bradford in the first place.

For this exact moment.

More on Eagles-Browns talks