The Philadelphia Eagles’ top objective this offseason is to get a starting quarterback. At this point it might wind up being Sam Bradford by default, but if Doug Pederson’s comments are any indication, the Eagles are looking towards the draft.
With pick No. 13 overall, it’s reasonable to expect that one of the top three passers — Jared Goff, Carson Wentz or Paxton Lynch — will be there when the Eagles are on the clock. But regardless of who’s there and who isn’t, the Eagles will be best served by trading down.
The second-round pick the Eagles don’t have is a real killer, especially with the team needing quality starters at more than one position. The two picks in the third round do help somewhat, but waiting until then all the way from No. 13 means they’re missing out on a lot of talent. Getting that pick back in a trade would be a huge boost, and if the cards play out right there will be players at No. 13 teams would covet enough to cough that pick up.
The other catch to trading back is that in doing so, it doesn’t necessarily take the Eagles out of the quarterback market. Passers like Connor Cook and Christian Hackenberg are looking like late first/second-round prospects at this point, and while they may not become studs they could develop into solid options. Hackenberg was once talked about being the top overall prospect before his offensive line decided to stop blocking defenders. And Cook, well, he has a ton of talent even if his personality rubs people the wrong way. They’re both being undervalued right now, and if that continues the Eagles could take advantage. It’ll give the Eagles a future and great insurance against Bradford not coming back.
The question boils down to this: Would you rather the Eagles have Lynch or Wentz and two third-round prospects, or Cook/Hackenberg with a first or second-rounder and two third-round prospects? I take the latter and pray those other picks include a safety, wide receiver and offensive lineman. That approach gives the Eagles help at four positions that need it, rather than three with lesser help.
Fans are getting enamored with the top three quarterbacks and which one is going to make it to Philly. But trading back might become a more real possibility and could actually wind up being the best move to get the Eagles back on track.
