This year’s NFL offseason is pulling no punches when it comes to headlines. The Carolina Panthers started their week with a blockbuster trade for Jets QB Sam Darnold. Both teams retain their first-round selections, altering the landscape of the top-10 picks fairly substantially. What does this mean for the Eagles?
A minor quibble for the Eagles
The Panthers were a team in need of a franchise quarterback and the acquisition of Sam Darnold likely means that they won’t be taking a signal-caller with the eighth overall pick. As a result, It also means that they could be looking to snag one of those ‘fringe’ top-10 guys. Players like DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle are now suddenly in play for Carolina, making things that much trickier for the Eagles and potentially removing one of their main targets.
Always look on the bright side of life
When the news broke of Philadelphia trading out of the sixth overall spot, it came in tandem with a report that they eyed up a move to the third overall selection to draft BYU’s Zach Wilson. If there is any lingering internal hesitation about Jalen Hurts, knowing that an extra QB could’ve been pushed down to their clutches at six will leave a sour taste in Roseman’s mouth after pulling the trigger. If that is no longer the case, then this comes as a blessing.
The more QB’s taken in the top 10, the better, for a team who are craving the idea of playmakers tumbling into their clutches at 12. We can assume the four teams selecting in this year’s draft will be picking a quarterback. With Carolina now moving out of the way, it may give a team like New England (10) or Atlanta (9) an incentive to move up and select whichever quarterback remains.
By removing themselves from the top ten, the Eagles can watch the chaos and the reaches unfold knowing that regardless of who it is, there will be one very talented player who slides into their grasp as a result. Maybe it’s an offensive tackle like Rashawn Slater. Perhaps it’s CB Patrick Surtain II. The bottom line is that it doesn’t really matter so long as they take the best player available and the one who will become a cornerstone of their franchise for the beginning of the Jalen Hurts era.
Would the Eagles move back up?
This also opens up the possibility of Carolina looking to trade out of that eighth spot. With QB now off the board, they may be more than happy to drop back a few spots and select a premier receiver. For those fans still clinging onto the Kyle Pitts pipedream, the party isn’t over yet!
Overall, this move causes an extra headache for the Eagles and their fans, who have already had a bumpy ride just to get to this point. Whether this ends with a fairytale chapter or one of heartbreak is anyone’s guess. The first domino has fallen. It’s now down to the QB-needy teams giving Carolina the eye emoji to make a move and push the pile so that the Eagles regain some ground.
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