The Eagles could use some help at wide receiver. Fortunately for them, this year’s draft is positively loaded with talent at the position. Unfortunately for them, they’ll have 20 teams picking ahead of them in the first round and a run on WRs could leave them without their preferred targets (whoever they may be) by the time they step to the virtual podium.
If that’s the case, Eliot Shorr-Parks of WIP has some thoughts on who they could pivot to. Their best bet, he says, would be Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who tallied 17.5 sacks and 37 hurries over the last two seasons. He was also a stout defender against the run with 34.5 tackles for a loss over that same span. There are a lot of mixed opinions on Gross-Matos and his ability to adjust to the pro game, but the potential is there and it might be too strong for Howie Roseman to pass up.
Other candidates in Shorr-Parks’ view include LSU safety Grant Delpit, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson, LSU linebacker Patrick Queen, and Iowa defensive end A.J.Epenesa.
Here’s more on the Birds:
- More from Shorr-Parks, who explores the possibility of a trade for Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The Eagles now have close to $30MM in cap space, but their future cap crunch could rule out the possibility of another big-ticket contract in 2021. In ’21, the Eagles are projected to be $25MM over the cap. Roseman, well aware of the situation, hasn’t signed any free agents to expensive long-term deals except for Darius Slay and Javon Hargrave. The Eagles will surely add committments for ’21 and beyond between now and the start of this season, but it’s a longshot that they’ll trade for someone like Ngakoue and give him a deal commensurate with his performance and age.
- Historically, the Eagles have not prioritized the linebacker position. Still, they’re looking pretty bare at the group even by their standards, as Zach Berman of The Athletic notes. As of this writing, the depth chart features Nate Gerry, T.J. Edwards, Jatavis Brown, Duke Riley, and Alex Singleton. They haven’t drafted a linebacker in the top four rounds since 2015, but Berman expects that to change this year as they look to fortify the position.
Someone had mentioned including Barnett in a trade for Yannick. Might be an option, along with less draft pick compensation, like a 4th.
i feel like it would probably still take more than that
Idk Yannick refuses to play for the Jaguars so it may not take too much
May not happen til draft day regardless of where he goes. I don’t see them dealing their own 1st for him or their own 2nd. If they accumulate additional picks trading back maybe.
A 2nd round pick Derek Barnett and a 4th should get this done
Get a WR. Thats the pick.
id imagine Howie’s perceived indecisiveness is just snokescreen. he’s good at playing his cards well. id imagine he’s just making it look like he might go elsewhere to squeeze a deal out of another team.
If Queen somehow is there and they gamble on a WR instead…that may be huge mistake. Tired of them taking leftovers at linebacker. I get they don’t value the position but come on. They have nobody there above a C+ grade.
Not prioritized the LBs? That’s putting it kindly, there are XFL squads with better LB units than Philly.
If Alshon is really being shopped, send him and a 1st over to the Jags for YN. Frees up some cap space at the same time.