Getty Odell Beckham Jr. of the Cleveland Browns.
The Eagles currently reside in first place in the NFC East. It’s an abysmal division that probably will only take seven or fewer victories to win. So common sense dictates that Philly ride the wave and let their young players develop. It would be foolish to give up any big names or draft capital to make a drastic move at the NFL trading deadline. Or would it?
It depends on whom and what might be available on Nov. 3. The most recent speculation has centered on the Eagles trading Zach Ertz or Alshon Jeffery as the organization has reportedly been fielding phone calls on both players. That would make them sellers, something that both FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer and ESPN’s Adam Schefter agreed on in separate appearances earlier this week.
Other Eagles trading pieces include Fletcher Cox and DeSean Jackson, possibly Malik Jackson or Jalen Mills. It all depends on how strongly the front office feels about making the playoffs. The Eagles are in first place right now.
“Well, yeah, sitting on top of the NFC East is obviously a good thing,” head coach Doug Pederson told reporters on Friday. “The fact that we were two scores down, came back and won this football game, that’s a huge positive. With the amount of injuries that have piled up on offense, it just shows the resiliency of the entire football team.”
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Odell Beckham Back on the Trade Market?
One interesting name that could be back in play is a familiar one: Odell Beckham Jr. Does it make any sense? No. The Browns are 4-2 and in a prime position to make a playoff run, yet there is a report out there indicating that Beckham isn’t clicking with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
According to FOX Sports’ Nick Wright, the “Odell trade rumblings are rumbling again” and he mentioned New England as the ideal landing spot for the former Giants receiver. The Eagles and Packers were listed as the next most likely destinations for an unhappy Beckham.
“I look around the league and I say, ‘Who is a team that if (Beckham) were to become available could fit him in under the cap,” Wright said, via Game 7, ” and would make sense (and) has an obvious need there, and the top of that list is your Patriots.”
.@getnickwright on why Odell is treated the way he is:
Joe Thuney Straight Up for Pro Bowl TE
Meanwhile, CBS Sports’ proposed the idea of swapping Ertz straight up for Patriots’ All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. It makes sense from a pure need basis but the numbers don’t match up very well considering Philly’s stressed salary-cap situation.
The 27-year-old Pro Bowler is playing on the franchise tag this year ($14.78 million) and is seeking a lucrative long-term extension. But, money notwithstanding, this deal would make a lot of sense. Especially since Thuney has experience playing center and could potentially take over as Jason Kelce’s successor there at some point in the near future. The main problem is Ertz’s high-ankle sprain which makes trading him tough right now.
The Patriots have also been linked (to a much lesser degree) in trade talks to Alshon Jeffery and Hakeem Butler. The latter might not net more than a fifth-round pick in return and the Eagles clearly have bigger plans for the former receiver turned tight end. Butler was in on a crucial fourth-and-goal on Thursday night and narrowly missed a touchdown reception.
Hakeem Butler got UP for this one 💪 #SCtop10
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