Eagles, Deebo Samuel rumors: It doesn’t get more expensive than this idea

It was the shot heard round the world as they say. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch or an over-exaggeration of the facts. We know Philadelphia Eagles fans were paying attention though. How could they not have done so?

Somewhere between breakfast and an early lunch, depending on what part of the country you live in, the NFL world was given something to talk about (other than mock drafts) when ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported that he had spoken to San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel, and the 2021 Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro had advised him that he had formally requested a trade and a one-way ticket out of the Bay Area.

As you might imagine, that caused a bit of conversation. That was followed by the expected memes showcasing Deebo in a midnight green jersey and tweets like the following.

How expensive is too expensive if the Eagles are serious about being a part of the Deebo Samuel conversation?

Sure, we get it. Samuel is 26. He won’t turn 27 until the middle of January. He’s already a game-breaker and one of pro football’s most feared offensive weapons. Who wouldn’t want this guy on their roster?

There’s just one issue if you’re the Birds and really keen on making this happen. You see, Deebo is signed through the 2022 season. He wants a new deal, and he’s expecting the number on it to have a lot of zeros and a couple of commas.

It won’t just be expensive to land him. It’s going to be expensive to keep him, and that begs a very serious question. How expensive is ‘too expensive’ if you’re the Eagles? One would expect they’d be willing to go ‘all-in’ for the former South Carolina Gamecock as soon as we set the parameters of what going ‘all-in means’.

Recently, The Pat McAfee Show’s resident intern, Mitt, shared a theory during a mock draft unveil. What if the Birds traded BOTH of their first-round selections (the 15th and 18th) to the Niners? Don’t take our word for it. Take a look for yourselves.

Depending on how desirous you are that Philly lands an elite offensive weapon, you might see this as a fair asking price or too high of a price to pay. No one would knock you for taking either stance.

Here’s where we land. At 15, Philly could land an offensive stud of their own, one they get on a rookie deal for the next four seasons, and they’d have the advantage of exercising a fifth-year option for the 2026 season.

Perhaps if Deebo was the final piece for a championship puzzle, we’d be ‘all-in’ too, but with so many holes to fill, it’s probably better to keep their first-rounders. Again, it has to be stated that you’d have to exhaust huge resources to land Samuel. Then, you have to pay top-dollar to keep him around for a few more years.

Currently, the Eagles are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to managing dead-cap money. As a matter of fact, that’s what’s been keeping them from being aggressive with free-agent signings over the past couple of offseasons.