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Getty Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers could be two elite NFL quarterbacks on the move in blockbuster trades.
Surprise number one, the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster isn’t as bad as you think. Surprise number two, there could be a Pro Bowl quarterback adding his name to the depth chart in the near future. Yes, it truly is always sunny in Philadelphia these days.
While many Philly fans are preparing for a tedious rebuild in 2021, one plugged-in national reporter is painting a rosy picture of Super Bowls to come. ESPN’s Adam Schefter told the John Kincade Show on 97.5 The Fanatic on Wednesday to watch out for the Eagles this year. He believes the roster is better than people realize. Not only that, Schefter sees a scenario where the Eagles make a blockbuster trade for a franchise-changing quarterback.
Assuming Jalen Hurts fails his audition for the starting job, two names to keep an eye on are Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers. One of those MVP-caliber signal-callers could be wearing midnight green in 2021 or 2022. Watson is the more likely choice and if that happens, start booking flights for Los Angeles or Arizona. Instant Super Bowl contenders, according to Schefter.
“There is no team out there that is better positioned than the Eagles to go make a run at the quarterback of their choosing,” Schefter said. “And I’ll just say it again, we said it many times, there are few organizations and few general managers any more aggressive than the Eagles and Howie Roseman. If you put Deshaun Watson on the Philadelphia Eagles today they would be a Super Bowl contender.”
Rodgers is a longer shot to switch zip codes, per Schefter. He doesn’t see the Green Bay Packers trading him at all, let alone to an NFC rival like the Eagles. But never say never and don’t rule it out.
“The Eagles have more ammunition than any team in football to go be as aggressive as they want for Deshaun Watson. And they could do the same thing for Aaron Rodgers if that’s the guy they deemed that they wanted to play quarterback,” Schefter said. “So even though I think Houston may be more open to listening to Philadelphia, that doesn’t preclude the Eagles from going hard on whichever quarterback they want if that’s what they decide they want to do.”
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Watson Dealing with Legal Troubles, Future Uncertain
The Houston Texans appear to be mentally moving on from Watson. He requested a trade out of town in January, then a bevy of allegations accusing him of sexual misconduct came to light. The three-time Pro Bowler is now facing 22 civil lawsuits as the NFL carries on its own investigation. His future remains very much in limbo.
“I am told that Watson, through his lawyer Rusty Hardin, made clear to the NFL that he would cooperate with them if they wanted to interview him at some point,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said, via Texans Daily. “So, right now, we wait and see,” Fowler said. “But Watson is preparing to play the season.”
Meanwhile, the Texans drafted his potential replacement in April when they used a third-round pick on former Stanford quarterback Davis Mills. But don’t think for one minute that means Houston is ready to lower the price on Watson in a trade. They want a full and fair market value.
“My guess is they won’t sell him at 25-percent off the price,” Schefter said. “They going to wait to get full value.”
The assumption is that Watson will start the 2021 season on the commissioner’s exempt list. From there, everyone must wait to see how the legal process plays itself out.
Rodgers Continues to Dodge Questions
Rodgers has been playing a cat-and-mouse game with the Green Bay Packers. The reigning NFL MVP skipped mandatory spring minicamps and the expectation is that he’ll sit out training camp later this month. Why? No one is positive on what his beef is with the organization. He might be upset they drafted a rookie quarterback in the first round last year, or maybe he simply wants a new contract.
Either way, Rodgers isn’t saying which has further fueled speculation that he wants a trade out of town. When asked about the situation at “Capital One’s The Match 4,” Rodgers said: “Yeah, I don’t know, we’ll see.”
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‘Super Bowl Contenders’: NFL Insider Thinks Eagles May Nab Star QB