Sometimes trade rumors are complicated. Sometimes they are random or wishful thinking.
With the 2017 Eagles, the team with the best record in the NFL at 7-1, it isn’t hard to figure out what they might do.
Yes, we know, the NFL trade deadline is more or less a joke. And aside from perhaps a new home for Steelers’ wide receiver Martavius Bryant, not much of consequece will likely happen. But we’ve seen more and more, the NFL start to resemble the NBA when it comes to offseason moves, trades, tanking and draft pick accumulation.
The Eagles are the most solidified buyers in the league. If anyone is going to try and win now, it’s Philly.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are going to be very aggressive this week,” Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer said. “The trade deadline is on Tuesday. They are the top team in the league right now, record wise. Expect them to be very aggressive this week and try and upgrade before the deadline.”
So what do the Eagles need? Well they lead the NFL in rushing attempts and are in the top 5 in yardage both in the air and on the ground. Carson Wentz and his group of wideouts (and Zach Ertz) lead the NFL with 19 receiving scores and the defense is beaming with confidence after a 33-10 win over the 49ers that helped boost their turnover differential to plus-5.
But injuries have taken a toll. Two weeks ago Philly lost Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters for the season, as well as middle linebacker Jordan Hicks.
Look in those spots for an upgrade.
“I like where we’re at right now with our roster [with] the way guys are playing,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said. “We’re always looking, obviously. I’m not going to leave it out of the question, but at the same time, the guys that we have in this locker room, we’ve got a lot of confidence in, and we go forward from there.”
The top two players linked to the Birds at offensive line, after San Fran’s Joe Staley got hurt yesterday are Houston’s Duane Brown and Buffalo’s Cordy Glenn. Both have managable contracts, and both are potentially looking for a change of scenery. Both would also be an upgrade for the Birds.
The Bills have shown an eagerness to build for the future with their trade with Philly this offseason acquiring Jordan Matthews and draft picks while trading away Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby. The Texans have a manuverable quarterback in DeShaun Watson and have been looking to get rid of Brown for a while.
The newest Eagle would need to be a perfect fit though.
“It would have to be a dynamic fit,” Pederson said Monday. “It would have to be somebody that could help the team, and it would have to be such a fit that you don’t disrupt the locker room and where the guys are.”
