3 Bold moves the Philadelphia Eagles should consider making

Teams that aren’t afraid to make bold decisions are, often, the ones who move from the fringe to championship contention.

Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles traded their way into the second pick of the NFL draft. In doing so, they found the cornerstone of their future, quarterback Carson Wentz. Then, if that wasn’t enough, just days before the beginning of the 2016 season, Philadelphia traded Sam Bradford for a first-round pick from the Minnesota Vikings.

The Eagles finished 2016 with a 7-9 record for the second consecutive season. To get to the next level, they need to upgrade the roster at some key positions. There are multiple ways to do so. There’s the draft, trades, and free agency. The team lacks the talent in their cornerback group to make key stops at the end of games. Their games against Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins are good examples of this. Cousins may not be worth the money he’s making.

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With that being said, he’s still been a nightmare for the Eagles by simply hitting the open receivers against Philly’s inept cornerbacks. Jalen Mills, a seventh-round pick, could potentially find his way in “nickel” packages, but that’s about it. Mills lacks the speed to stay with with most receivers, and he’s been exposed by polished route-runners. Those deficiencies (and others give us reason to believe the Eagles could, once again, make some serious moves bold moves in the upcoming off-season.

Here are a few ideas:

1) Trade into the Top-10 (again).

Last season’s moves to trade up worked out pretty well. Wentz threw for more yards than any Eagles quarterback has ever thrown for as a rookie with 3,782. He also won seven games.

Another Eagles first-round selection, defensive end Marcus Smith showed flashes in 2016, but his play has been anemic to say the least. Both Smith and wide receiver Nelson Agholor were taken outside the top ten in their respective drafts, and both have been disappointing. Right tackle Lane Johnson, the fourth-overall pick in the 2013 draft, has been the opposite. The suspensions haven’t helped Johnson develop into his full potential, but he’s a fundamental piece in the Eagles’ future. Philadelphia could possibly find a gem in the middle of the first round, but with their track record, trading up may not be a bad option.

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2) Package potential cuts

Players like Mychal Kendricks, Jason Peters, and Jason Kelce have garnered attention this off-season because of their high salaries. Kendricks has already been rumored to be on the trading block, and Peters has been approached to restructure his contract. Not much has been said about Kelce, but each of the three may have viable replacements on the current roster: Nigel Bradham, Isaac Seumalo, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai.

This puts the Eagles in an interesting position. Peters may be on the roster for, at least, the next two seasons, but if restructuring fails, he could serve as trade bait. Packaging Peters, Kendricks, and a pick or packing any assortment of two of the aforementioned three names with Kelce could net a solid return in the form a new piece and possible draft pick. That could even be leveraged into a better one.

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3) Pay the free agency bounty

Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is likely to be the most coveted receiver in free agency this year. The former South Carolina Gamecocks standout has all the physical tools that teams drool over. Jeffery had issues with injures and a four-game suspension in 2016, but there’s also another issue. He’ll likely have a price tag of ten to 13 million dollars next season alone. The last time the Eagles paid the marquee price for a receiver, Terrell Owens walked into Philadelphia and lit “The Linc” up. Jeffery isn’t Owens, but with Wentz, the passing offense would be given an immediate upgrade. Jordan Matthews would have more of a leash to move around the field. Jeffery would draw attention from safeties and create natural voids in the middle of the field for Zach Ertz.

There’s a value to developing young players. It’s also unwise to gamble unnecessarily, but fortune has been known to reward the bold. The risks are worth the potential reward.

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3 Bold moves Philadelphia Eagles should consider making

By Anthony Fabrikant | Feb 14, 2017