Eagles Hosting WR Chris Olave
For the second time this week, there is a high-profile receiving prospect meeting the Eagles. Philadelphia is hosting a visit with Chris Olave today (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
[RELATED: Eagles Host WRs Williams, Pickens]
The Eagles have already hosted Alabama alum Jameson Williams, signalling a willingness to draft a wideout in the first round for a third consecutive year. Jalen Reagor has had a disappointing start to his NFL career, leading to his name being involved in trade speculation. DeVonta Smith, on the other hand, had a productive rookie campaign, but the team actively tried to add an impact veteran to the WR room.
With the draft becoming the best way to do so this late in the offseason, it comes as no surprise that Philadelphia is doing their due diligence at the position. The team owns picks No. 15 and 18 after their trade with the Saints last week. That should give them a chance to land Olave, who is generally rated behind USC’s Drake London and fellow Ohio St. product Garrett Wilson.
In four years with the Buckeyes, Olave put up consistent receiving numbers despite a healthy competition for targets. In his final three campaigns, he totalled 163 receptions for 2,505 yards and 32 touchdowns. That has placed him in the mid-first round conversation, and drawn the interest of the Cowboys and Commanders; each team has already hosted him. Philadelphia is becoming the third NFC East team to do so, as they continue to eye additions to their pass-catching corps.
Eagles Host WRs Jameson Williams, George Pickens
With wide receiver being touted as one of the Eagles’ top needs in the upcoming draft, it comes as no surprise that the team is hosting some of the position’s top prospects. In a pair of tweets, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP reports that the Eagles are meeting with Jameson Williams today, having already done so with George Pickens. 
[RELATED: Eagles’ Reagor Drawing Trade Interest]
Williams played one season at Alabama, having transferred there from Ohio State. 2021 was the only year in which he put up significant numbers, but his performance rightly earned him first-round consideration. In 15 games, he made 79 catches for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those totals place him among the best receivers in school history in terms of single-season statistics, a list which also includes 2021 Eagles first-rounder DeVonta Smith.
The biggest concern surrounding the true junior, of course, is his health. Williams tore his ACL in the National Championship Game. As a result, his stock has taken a hit, but he is still expected to hear his name called on the first night of the draft. His combination and size and speed would compliment Smith in the Eagles’ receiving corps.
There is much less certainty regarding Pickens’ expected draft position. He had a productive freshman year with Georgia, posting 727 yards and eight touchdowns. He only managed to play in 12 games since then, however, having missed most of the 2021 season due to a torn ACL. His size and production (when on the field) still likely places him within the top-10 wideouts in this year’s class, though, meaning he could be taken in the second round.
After last week’s trade with the Saints, Philadelphia currently owns picks No. 15 and 18, both of which could put them in Williams’ range. Their second-round selection (51st overall) might also allow them to take Pickens if they turn their attention to other positions on Day 1. Ultimately, the Eagles will have a number of options if they wish to upgrade their pass-catching corps for 2022.
Eagles’ Jalen Reagor Drawing Trade Interest
Jalen Reagor hasn’t had the start to his NFL career he or the Eagles were hoping for. That has led many to believe his days in Philadelphia are numbered. On that point, Tim Kelly of 94WIP reports that teams are showing interest in trading for him. 
[RELATED: Eagles Sign WR Pascal]
The 23-year-old was a first-round pick in 2020. He was highly touted as a vertical threat after a productive college career, but that hasn’t translated yet to his NFL tenure. In 28 games, the TCU product has averaged a healthy 10.9 yards per reception, but only totalled 64 catches for 695 yards and three touchdowns. With that said, he has also contributed on special teams as a returner.
As Kelly details, trading Reagor would be preferable to a release from a financial standpoint. Cutting him would incur dead cap charges of $7.8MM or just over $6MM, depending on if it happened before or after June 1st of this year. By contrast, a trade would lower those figures to $3.6MM and $1.8MM, respectively.
Whether teams are willing to trade for Reagor and whether the Eagles are willing to move on from him are, of course, two very different things. Philadelphia has him under contract for at least two more seasons (three if they were to pick up his fifth-year option), and his age and upside would have to weighed against, in all likelihood, a meager trade return. The Eagles have also prioritized adding to the WR room this offseason, though they were unable to land the likes of Calvin Ridley, Allen Robinson and Christian Kirk.
Many expect the Eagles to target a pass-catcher with one of their two remaining first-round picks later this month in the draft. Especially if they do add to the position, it might not come as a surprise for trade talk surrounding Reagor to increase.
QB Matt Corral To Visit Five Teams
Much of the buzz around this month’s draft has been generated, not surprisingly, by the quarterback class. One prospect at the position who has received less attention than the likes of Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis is Ole Miss alum Matt Corral. That may change over the coming week, given the team visits he has scheduled. 
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that Corral will meet with the Panthers, Eagles, Steelers, Saints and Falcons. Four of the teams on that list have been regularly linked with a number of the top QB options in this year’s class, and have question marks surrounding their long-term future at the position.
The outlier among those listed is the Eagles. The team has publicly committed to Jalen Hurts as their starter of the present, though they have left the door open to his status as the No. 1 changing in the near future. Many thought Philadelphia would have been active during the QB trade market last month; instead, they tried (unsuccessfully) to trade for a number of high-profile receivers. Then, they traded away one of their 2022 first-round picks to the Saints, adding an extra one next year.
In his final two years at Mississippi, Corral’s production jumped considerably. In 23 games since the 2020 campaign started, he threw for 6,686 yards and 49 touchdowns. He added an additional 1,120 yards and 15 scores on the ground. After leading the Rebels to a 10-3 season in 2021, he finished seventh in Heisman voting. That production is contrasted by many with his frame (six-foot-one, 205 pounds) and subsequent questions relating to whether he can withstand NFL physicality.
As the draft draws closer, it may be become clearer how the QB board will shake out this year. That will include where interested teams – including those five – slot Corral in amongst the other first-round-caliber prospects at the position.
Eagles Notes: Cox, Lurie, Kirk
The Eagles released longtime DT Fletcher Cox last month to avoid having $18MM of what he was due under his prior contract becoming fully-guaranteed. The club then re-signed him to a one-year, $14MM contract several days later, which, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is “real” (meaning that Cox will actually earn that money and that the $14MM figure is not inflated by incentives). However, the deal does include two void years to flatten the cap charge, which was especially important since the release already created considerable dead money on the Eagles’ books for the 2022-23 seasons.
Even though Cox is coming off a season in which his play showed noticeable signs of decline and in which he publicly complained about the club’s defensive scheme, his $14MM payout is still $4MM more than what any other free agent interior D-lineman received on a per-year basis this offseason. That has led to plenty of questions about why the Eagles authorized such a contract, but owner Jeffrey Lurie suggested other clubs were willing to pony up for the six-time Pro Bowler, thereby necessitating the financial outlay.
McLane reports that the Eagles did call at least three teams in March to discuss a Cox trade, but just like their in-season trade talks in 2021, the more recent discussions were undermined by Cox’s prior contract and GM Howie Roseman‘s high asking price.
Now for more out of Philadelphia:
- In the same piece linked above, McLane details the growing role of Lurie’s son, Julian Lurie, within the organization. Now 26, the younger Lurie participated in the NFL’s two-year program for prospective executives upon his graduation from Harvard, he took part in the Eagles’ head coaching interviews in 2021 — ultimately advising his father as the team transitioned from Doug Pederson to Nick Sirianni — and even spearheaded the interviews for the team’s analytics department. Assuming he wants to take up the mantle, it seems that Julian Lurie will someday succeed his 70-year-old father at the top of the franchise.
- In a piece exploring whether Jeffrey Lurie is too involved in his team’s personnel decisions, which will be of particular interest to Eagles fans, McLane reports that, in 2018, the team was prepared to select one of two receivers in the second round: Ohio State’s Parris Campbell or Stanford’s JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Roseman and then-VP of player personnel Joe Douglas wanted Campbell, but Lurie preferred Arcega-Whiteside, and after Lurie successfully curried Pederson’s support, Roseman and Douglas felt compelled to go along with their wishes. That has led to broader questions about whether Lurie really values Roseman as a GM as much as he says he does, or if he simply likes that he can use Roseman as a “conduit” to the team.
- The Eagles have not yet acquired a cornerback this offseason, and while Sirianni hyped the unproven contingent of players behind CB1 Darius Slay on the current depth chart — a group that includes Zech McPhearson and Tay Gowan — McLane says the team will almost certainly add a CB or two at some point. The Eagles will hold a “30” visit with top CB prospect Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, and while Gardner may be off the board by the time Philadelphia is on the clock with its No. 15 overall pick, a player like Washington’s Trent McDuffie or LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. could be an option should Roseman decide to select a first-round corner for the first time in his history as a GM.
- The Eagles have taken some swings at high-profile FA targets this offseason but have mostly come up short (with all due apologies to Haason Reddick and Zach Pascal). In addition to his pursuit of receivers like Allen Robinson and Robert Woods, Roseman also made an offer to former Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk, as McLane writes in a separate article. Kirk, though, received a four-year, $72MM deal from the Jaguars, a move that many have decried as more desperate spending on the part of Jacksonville. Though Kirk would doubtlessly have been an asset to Philadelphia’s WR corps, his $18MM AAV presently looks like an overpay.
Eagles To Meet With Sauce Gardner
- Another candidate to join the Giants, Ahmad Gardner will pay them a visit and meet with several other teams ahead of the draft. The Cincinnati standout has emerged as the favorite to be the first cornerback taken, and ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson notes the Jets, Eagles, Lions and Seahawks join the Giants in scheduling “30” visits. The Giants and Jets are believed to have strong interest in Gardner, who seems unlikely to make it out of the top 10. The Jets hold the Nos. 4 and 10 picks.
Eagles Sign WR Devon Allen
A two-time Olympic finalist in the 110-meter hurdles, Devon Allen will give football another try. The Eagles signed the U.S. track and field standout Friday, providing Allen an opportunity to resume a career that has been on hold for a while.
Allen last played football in 2016, when he suited up at Oregon, but was far better on the track and elected to turn pro in that sport. The former Marcus Mariota target has been a mainstay in the 110 hurdles for the past six years, but he totaled 684 receiving yards and scored seven touchdowns as a freshman with the Ducks — on a 2014 team that played for a national championship. Allen, 27, ventured back to his alma mater last week to participate in the Ducks’ pro day and clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash.
“It’s now or never because I don’t want to get too old,” Allen said last week. “I don’t want to turn 30, 31, and then try and get into the NFL. I know the skill gap is still there from college to the NFL, but I think when I did play college and when I did play at a pretty good level, I would consider myself talented enough to play in the NFL.”
Although Allen has three U.S. national hurdle titles on his resume, he narrowly missed the Olympic podium in 2016 (fifth) and 2021 (fourth) and has seen Grant Holloway usurp him as Team USA’s top high hurdler. Allen entered the professional track ranks after an ACL tear ended his Oregon football run in 2016.
This signing is closer to a flier than a legitimate attempt for the Eagles to upgrade at receiver, but the team has been patient this offseason. Philadelphia has added Zach Pascal but pursued bigger names — from Allen Robinson to Christian Kirk to DeVante Parker — in free agency. The team has two first-round picks in the upcoming draft but has used first-rounders on wideouts in each of the past two years.
Eagles Meet With S Tyrann Mathieu
Tyrann Mathieu‘s previous free agency bid led to a position-record offer from the Chiefs not long after the market opened. The All-Pro’s latest unattached stretch has lasted much longer, but teams are monitoring the nine-year veteran.
Mathieu visited the Saints this week, and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football notes the Eagles are believed to be interested as well (Twitter link). Mathieu went through a virtual meeting with the Eagles recently, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Eagles have re-signed Anthony Harris but have an opening alongside him at safety, a positioned Rodney McLeod manned for the past six years.
While the Eagles may have interest in bringing back McLeod, he is a free agent. Philadelphia saved on its second Harris contract, giving the ex-Vikings franchise player a one-year deal worth $2.5MM. While Mathieu will not set a safety AAV record with his latest free agency accord, he will cost considerably more than what it took for the Eagles to re-up Harris.
Joining the Chiefs after their woeful 2018 defensive season, Mathieu did plenty to reignite Kansas City’s defense under Steve Spagnuolo. The versatile defensive back earned All-Pro acclaim in two of his three Kansas City seasons. Set to turn 30 next month, the Honey Badger would certainly give the Eagles or Saints a considerable back-line upgrade. The Saints are looking to replace ex-Eagle Malcolm Jenkins, who retired last month. Other teams will likely be connected to the three-time All-Pro as well, which would stand to up his price.
Eagles Meeting With Thibodeaux, Booth
- Teams will do their due diligence on Thibodeaux, who is set to meet with the non-Jaguars contingent of the top five (Lions, Texans, Jets, Giants). The Eagles (Nos. 15 and 18) and Falcons (No. 9) are also planning “30” visits with Thibodeaux, Wilson notes. Questions about Thibodeaux’s motor and attitude have injected uncertainty into the defensive end’s status. A fall to Philly at 15 might not shock at this point.
- Andrew Booth may miss his NFL team’s offseason workouts due to hernia surgery, but that should not deter teams from considering the Clemson cornerback in Round 1. Booth has met with the Bills (No. 25) and Eagles, with Rapoport adding Patriots (No. 21) and Saints (Nos. 16 and 19) meetings are also on Booth’s docket.
Saints Acquire First-Round Pick From Eagles
Three weeks away from the draft, the Eagles and Saints made a deal that will shake up the middle of this year’s first round while arming Philadelphia with an additional Round 1 choice in 2023.
The Eagles dealt into their first-round surplus Monday, sending the Saints their Nos. 16 and 19 overall picks in a deal that will provide them with New Orleans’ 2023 first-rounder. Philly, which entered the draft with three first-rounders from No. 15 to No. 19, now holds two first-rounders. The Saints do as well. This gives the Eagles two first-round picks in the next two drafts.
With the dust settled, here is how the full trade looks:
Eagles receive:
- No. 18 in 2022
- No. 101
- No. 237
- The Saints’ 2023 first-round pick
- The Saints’ 2024 second-round pick
Saints receive:
- No. 16 in 2022 (from Colts via Eagles)
- No. 19
- No. 194
New Orleans now has additional ammo in this year’s draft, while Philly can potentially plan for a move in a 2023 draft that is expected to feature a better crop of quarterbacks. This year’s group has not generated much buzz, at least compared to most years, and it points to the Eagles giving Jalen Hurts another audition year. The Eagles pursued Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson but did not get far in either derby. Howie Roseman‘s team, which acquired 2022 first-rounders from the Colts and Dolphins last year, can take a more methodical approach over the next two drafts rather than being the rare team to make three first-round picks in one draft.
Next year’s draft could feature Heisman winner Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Hurts fared decently in his first full-season audition, driving the Eagles’ No. 1-ranked rushing attack and accounting for 26 touchdowns (16 passing) and nearly 4,000 yards. This move will allow the Eagles to keep their options open, while it equips the Saints with a second first-rounder this year. Eight teams have multiple first-rounders in this month’s draft.
With the Eagles now picking at Nos. 15 and 18 in Round 1, the Saints slid up two spots from their No. 18 position. The Saints re-signed Jameis Winston on a two-year deal, but they do not exactly have their quarterback position checked off long-term. That makes this swap more interesting on New Orleans’ end. Obtaining a second first-rounder could provide a bridge to the Saints trading up again for one of this year’s top two passers, a la the Bills’ Josh Allen climb in 2018, but no member of this year’s QB class has generated considerable interest just yet.
Monday’s move does allow the opportunity for the Saints to acquire a cost-controlled starter. Their previous draft with two first-rounders — 2017, when Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk went to New Orleans — had a significant effect on the team’s trajectory.