The free agency storms have settled and all eyes are now turning to the NFL Draft. But as teams finalize their big boards under unique circumstances that is going to limit the usual intake of information, the trade market is beginning to ripen.
‘It’s better the Devil you know, than the Devil you don’t’ is a quote that rings true here and the Eagles have several assets they could use in trade negotiations. Howie Roseman is notorious for flying into the trade market and extracting every last drop of value he can and this offseason may not be too different.
The Eagles have already leveraged a trade for Darius Slay in which they sent Detroit a pair of mid-round draft picks in exchange for the Pro-Bowl cornerback, who then signed a juicy new three-year contract with the team.
There have been plenty of murmurs since that day involving the Eagles. From Yannick Ngakoue and Alshon Jeffery to Rasul Douglas and the idea of moving from their first-round spot as they have in recent years, there’s a lot of room for change…and the wheels already seem to be turning.
The market for CB Rasul Douglas, who is entering his contract year is already beginning to blossom. There are some ideal landing spots outside of the NFC in the way of Jacksonville and Houston, but there’s at least one in-conference opponent that has inquired about the West Virginia product.
According to a source who has requested anonymity, the San Francisco 49ers have sent out feelers to the Eagles with regards to acquiring their rangy cornerback.
This makes sense. Jimmie Ward’s return has eliminated the need for a direct starter, but the 28-year old has suffered a broken bone in five of his last six seasons. Richard Sherman will be entering his contract year and Ahkello Whitherspoon was benched at one point last season. Some competitive depth makes sense here, and Douglas would fit the mold.
The source cited that the Niners had offered the Eagles a direct player swap, but aware of interest from other teams around the league, the Birds countered with an offer that was a little too steep, forcing the Super Bowl 54 runners up to walk away.
One player the Eagles may well have in interest in is running back Matt Breida. The Niners placed a second-round tender on the running back who largely fell out of favor in a similar vein to Douglas last season. After a career-year in 2018, Breida rushed for 623 yards one year later, still averaging over 5 yards per carry.
Having lost Jordan Howard to the Dolphins, it’s not hard to imagine the Eagles trying to push the envelope to swap a former third-round pick who has flashed some ballhawking instincts during his time as an Eagle, for the 25-year old running back.
How much accuracy there is to the intricate details is obviously an unknown, but it’s at least logical.
Howie Roseman was never going to snap the bait from the hand who offered him the first package, and with interest from numerous teams around the NFL, sending Sul out of conference would do less damage. Not to mention the idea of a Yannick Ngakoue trade and a potential deal sweetener…
Either way, expect the Eagles to be active in the trade market as the NFL Draft approaches.
Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
