Getty Eagles GM Howie Roseman is a two-time winner of the NFL Executive of the Year award.
The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t taking a quarterback in the first round. Let’s just get that on record and out of the way, in case anyone was wondering. Jalen Hurts is the undisputed face of the franchise.
However, Howie Roseman is bound to do some wheeling and dealing when the clock starts ticking on April 27. The savvy general manager has made roughly 38 trades on draft day over the past 10 years. Needless to say, he’s not one to sit on his hands in the war room.
Several trade scenarios have already been thrown out there, including possible deals with the Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, and New England Patriots. The latest rumors come courtesy of The Inquirer’s E.J. Smith who predicted a “massive haul” from a quarterback-needy team in Round 1:
I can see two scenarios that could play in the Eagles’ favor. The first is Anthony Richardson or Will Levis falling to them. If one of them is sitting there at No. 10, particularly Richardson, history suggests the Eagles could get a massive haul from a QB-needy team trying to secure him.
The recent quarterback trade-ups around the 10th pick tell us a few things: Teams pay considerably more when there’s a signal caller on the board, and it should net the team trading back at least a future first-round pick. Chicago gave up a future first-rounder, a future fourth-rounder, and a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft to move up 10 spots for Fields. In 2017, the Chiefs gave up a future first- and third-rounder that year to climb 17 spots for Mahomes.
It’s easy to speculate on which franchises Smith is referring to in a possible trade. The Detroit Lions (with Jared Goff) are sitting at No. 18 and may want to jump up to No. 10. Ditto for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 19 as they look for Tom Brady’s successor. Also, watch the Minnesota Vikings at pick No. 23.
Another candidate to make a first-round move would be the Tennessee Titans at No. 11 after reports surfaced that Malik Willis has fallen out of favor there. Smith added the Washington Commanders to the mix at No. 16, although that one sounds like a stretch. All indications coming out of D.C. say they trust second-year man Sam Howell.
Nolan Smith Mocked to Eagles at No. 10
Another day, another mock draft. CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards pegged Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith to the Eagles at pick No. 10 in the first round in his latest version. He cited the franchise’s recent history of investing in the offensive and defensive lines as the reason.
Then, keeping in line with that trend, the Eagles grab Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey at pick No. 30. Pairing him next to Jordan Davis on the interior would be a handful: “Calijah Kancey gives the Eagles more juice to rush from the interior,” wrote Edwards.
He’s an outlier with his size, but Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey is just so damn good that I don’t think it matters.
Absurdly athletic DL, deep arsenal of pass-rushing moves, great leverage and football IQ. Might have top-5 tape of anyone in this class.
Jalen Carter Chatter Continues to Heat Up
The chances of the Eagles selecting Jalen Carter in Round 1 are more than just smoke and mirrors. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jordan Davis was a mentor to Carter when the two were college teammates at Georgia. Davis kept Carter “in line” and that is a big reason why it could be a perfect fit in Philadelphia.
Schefter said (via NBC Sports Philadelphia): “When he was around Jordan Davis, he was on some of his best behavior. Philly would have that advantage, bringing [Carter] to Philly and having Jordan Davis as a guy that could help out there.”
[Adam Schefter] “One guy that kept Jalen Carter in line was Jordan Davis & when he was around Jordan Davis he was on some of his best behavior.” #EaglesReddit #EaglesForum #EaglesFans #FlyEaglesFly #EaglesFan t.co/PsmplQG9NO