There are two trains of thought following the Eagles’ blockbuster trade to move down six spots in the draft. The franchise is either letting Jalen Hurts know that he’s the starter, or they are collecting assets to make a move for a Pro Bowl quarterback.
Deshaun Watson has been thrown out there as a guy high on Philly’s radar dating back to February. And now they have the draft capital — four (potential) first-round picks over the next two seasons — to meet the Houston Texans’ steep asking price. But Watson’s legal troubles make it a complicated and risky move. According to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, the Eagles are plotting a bigger move for Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson.
Wilson, a seven-time Pro Bowler, has been coveted by the Eagles’ organization ever since they whiffed on drafting him in 2012. They wanted to take him with the 88th overall pick but Wilson went to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 75. General manager Howie Roseman never got over it and now they have the assets to consummate the long overdue marriage.
Orlovsky made an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” show on Monday where he described how Wilson might land in the Eagles’ nest. The only setback could be Wilson’s no-trade clause. He would have to want to go play for a rebuilding franchise. Orlovsky mentioned how Philly has been “sniffing around” Watson and sees the 32-year-old Wilson as the better option:
I also think what transpired Friday puts them in the Russell Wilson conversation for the now and for the future. OK, this is a bad football team so I like the fact that they’re not making panic discussions. But the reality is now they have a young quarterback, Jalen Hurts, and probably four first-round picks over the next two seasons. This year and next year. And we know that they’ sniffed around Deshaun Watson.
If you have sniffed around Deshaun Watson, you for sure better be sniffing around Russell Wilson. And this now at least gives Philadelphia two options: they can one, figure out what they have in Jalen Hurts. I’ve said that for weeks now. Or, two, they can go ‘we got Jalen Hurts to Seattle’ you can take our four first-round picks over the next two years and gibe us Russell Wilson if he’s willing to come to our organization.
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Does Wilson Really Want to Leave Seattle?
The reports of Wilson’s unhappiness in Seattle took off in February when he took thinly-veiled comments about the Seahawks’ shoddy offensive line and offensive schemes. He seemed to be pushing for more control on personnel while taking a shot at Pete Carroll’s vanilla play-calling.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll play in Seattle,” Wilson told Dan Patrick, via ESPN. “I think, hopefully, it can be forever. But things change, obviously, along the way.”
What is the most likely outcome for the Seahawks & Russ: a trade or the Week 1 starter?
“It’s more likely he suits up in a Seahawks uniform. This was never about leaving, this was about Russell Wilson wanting to win. He loves Seattle.” — @BMarshall
Trade speculation ran rampant all winter and reached five-alarm levels when his agent released a list of teams that Wilson would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for. The Eagles weren’t on that list. It included the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders or Chicago Bears.
Eagles Land Jaylen Waddle in NFL Mock Draft
The Eagles might just stay put in the first round and take a wide receiver at No. 12. There is a growing sentiment among mock drafters that Alabama studs Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith might be on the board. Both players have been slipping. If that’s the case, Roseman could acquire some serious young talent for Hurts.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says the player to keep an eye on is Waddle as he has Smith going to the Detroit Lions at No. 7. The best wideout in this year’s draft — LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase, according to most scouts — is expected to go to the Miami Dolphins at No. 6. Predictions in March don’t mean too much, though.
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NFL Insider Teases Blockbuster Eagles-Seahawks Trade