Philadelphia Eagles rumor mill: Is a Calvin Johnson trade in the works?
Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia Eagles may be players in a very key acquisition prior to the NFL trade deadline at 4 PM EST on Halloween.
Could Calvin Johnson possibly make a return to the NFL? After what some believe was a premature exit from professional football, “Megatron” has seen his name pop up in a rumor or two, but nothing ever came from those discussions. Now, following reports that two teams showed interest in the 32-year-old wide receiver, rumors abound that the Philadelphia Eagles may have one of the best chances to land him.
That is, of course, if Johnson would actually be interested in a return, and if the Eagles do, indeed, have a serious interest. This season, they’ve been enjoying the long-awaited breakout of former first-round draft choice Nelson Agholor. This past offseason, they added Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery via free agency. They also spent draft picks on Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson in the most recent selection meeting. Gibson is currently on the team’s practice squad.
Even with all of that being said, Johnson still keeps seeing his name tied to the Eagles organization in trade talks by quite a few reliable sources.
Take a look:
Per ESPN's @mortreport, the #Eagles and #Jaguars are two teams most interested in trading for Calvin Johnson's rights from Detroit.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 30, 2017
What now?
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Neither the Eagles or Johnson have issued any statements concerning what anyone’s hearing. That’s to be expected. Still, the Lions, as they always have, are listening to offers.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario that Johnson returns. If he never waivered following his decision to walk away from just under $68 million (that included a $15.95 million salary in 2016), it’s hard to imagine him doing it now.
Still, while Eagles fans and supporters are seemingly split, it appears the Eagles aren’t aggressively pursuing him. It also appears that there is some validity to the tale. It makes one think however. If the Eagles, who seem to be gridlocked at the position, are having a hard enough time working guys like Marcus Johnson and Hollins into the offense more consistently, they definitely don’t have a plan to weave Johnson into the offense.
There’s only one football on the field.