Getty Andre Dillard was the Eagles first-round pick and heir apparent to Jason Peters at left tackle.
The Andre Dillard experiment hasn’t been going well in Philadelphia. New concerns over his mental makeup and overall skill level have drawn sharp criticism.
Of course, it’s all conjecture at this point as the Eagles have gone on record saying Dillard is their left tackle of the future. Well, the future is now and an oddly-timed trade report, coupled with a curious tweet from a Jets beat reporter, has fueled rumors about a potential draft-day deal. Would the Eagles move last year’s first-round pick? There is smoke, but no fire.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweeted out a photo of Dillard with the caption: “Jets fans … Andre Dillard is pretty good.” It could be nothing. Or it could be the lead-in for a trade involving the Eagles and Jets. New York holds the No. 11 pick in Thursday’s draft while there are reports that the Eagles are trying to trade up. This could be a perfect marriage if Philly is indeed ready for a breakup with Dillard.
Jets fans…
Andre Dillard is pretty good.
One trendy rumor had the Eagles sending the 21st overall pick to the Jets in exchange for the 11th and 68th overall picks in Thursday’s draft. Then, Philadelphia could select Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb at pick No. 11 and trade their second-round pick (53rd overall) to Washington for Trent Williams.
#Eagles are going to trade Andre Dillard and the 21st overall pick to the Jets for the 11th and 68th overall picks.
They’re going to draft CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy with the 11th overall pick.
Then they’re going to trade the 53rd overall pick for Trent Williams.
Dillard Struggling to Adapt to Life in Philly?
Andre Dillard spent the majority of his life on the West Coast, specifically in the Pacific Northwest. He grew up in Woodinville, WA and then played college football at Washington State University. The 24-year-old admitted that the transition to life in Philadelphia hasn’t been easy.
“One of the biggest differences I noticed was the people,” Dillard told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “You’re at Washington State, Pullman, Washington, kind of countryside, middle of nowhere. You kind of know everybody; everybody is nice to each other, just super friendly.”
Remember, Dillard boiled over with emotion last year at training camp and took shots at fans on social media.
“Then you come here and your own fans say just foul things to you,” Dillard told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Everybody, fans, media, they’ll hate you one minute and love you the next. That’s the big difference that I learned. Just going from small city to big city in itself, it’s a lot different.”
Jason Peters Still Planning to Return in 2020
It’s been all quiet in free agency for former Eagles starter Jason Peters. The team let him go back on March 5 and the left tackle is still available. Despite early reports that the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were interested, no one has signed Peters.
The Eagles did leave open the door for possibly bringing him back after cutting him. The Eagles said the two sides had “mutually agreed” to part ways but they would “remain in communication.” If they don’t intend to turn the reins over to Andre Dillard, maybe those conversations will resume.
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NFL Rumors: Eagles Looking to Trade Former First-Round Pick?