One of the more intriguing stories of the NFL Draft that we never saw coming ends in the most peculiar way possible. Since Thursday, we've gone from believing the New York Giants had interest in Shedeur Sanders to learning they valued Jaxson Dart higher. Sanders slid, and somehow, Philly was inserted into the conversation.
Who saw that coming two and a half months ago? Shedeur Sanders in Midnight Green? Seriously, what are we doing here?
Okay, so let's rewind the tape some. Some were surprised that Shedeur went undrafted in Round 1, but once the slide began, there was seemingly no ending in sight. That is, until Tom Pelissero reported the Eagles were potentially one of the dark horse candidates to consider.
Wait! What?
Round 4 came and went. Philly took a defensive lineman, albeit a good one, and traded back twice. Round 5 came, and the rumor mill began churning again.
Sanders to Philly in the fifth round? Now, that's an idea we can get behind (maybe). We're talking about a quick spin in the QB Factory and churning him out as a trade piece, right? Things never got that far, though. The plan went up in smoke. You're never going to guess who ruined the party.
How about a hand for those lowly Cleveland Brownies?
Dare we say the Browns handed the Eagles a slice of karma?
It feels like someone's trying to pay us back for something. Think about it. Night one of the NFL Draft in 1999... You guys remember it well. Cleveland, in essence, handed Donovan McNabb to the Birds by taking Tim Couch with the first overall selection.
17 years later, you'd think the Browns would have learned their lesson. They didn't; Cleveland traded the second pick to the Birds. Philly selects Carson Wentz. Say what you will about Wentz (some of you), but it was obvious the Eagles got the best of the Browns again.
Heck, if we're being honest, we can even throw in the Kenny Pickett/Dorian Thompson-Robinson trade. From where we're sitting, Philly came out ahead on that deal. Getting anything for Pickett feels like a win, but seeing the Eagles gain a fifth-round draft choice out of the deal makes this one feel like the Birds hit a mini-lottery.
By now, you've heard the news. Cleveland traded ahead of the Eagles in Round 5, presumably to rob the Birds of the chance to take Shedeur Sanders. Thank Ian Rapoport and NFL Network for the report.
Being on this side of the spectrum feels weird. When do the Browns ever beat Philly to the punch in these scenarios? We were kind of looking forward to a few months of talking about Shedeur in green whatever Deion Sanders threw out as a theory, and how the former Colorado signal-caller might be used as trade bait.
That dream has died, and you know what? We don't know how we feel about that. It's like losing a friend without actually losing that friend.