As evidenced by a report on Monday that the Eagles offered up a second-round pick for Amari Cooper, it certainly seems like Howie Roseman is itching to make a trade before next Tuesday’s deadline.
Maybe he can strike a deal with the Denver Broncos, who are 3-4 and are looking up at the Chargers and Chiefs in their own division. If the Broncos are sellers, the Eagles could be their buyers. (The Eagles are also 3-4, so it’s amazing how different things can be in a weaker division.)
According to CBS' Jason La Canfora (h/t 247 Sports), the Eagles have inquired about Broncos corners Bradley Roby and Chris Harris, as well as wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. La Canfora says the Broncos are trying to deal Demaryius Thomas.
Certainly some decent names out there. The Eagles’ interest in corners shouldn’t be shocking based on their reported interest in Patrick Peterson, who would really be the white whale of this whole trade deadline. He’s still an elite corner. But Harris is up there too. He’s a good player and a three-time Pro Bowler. Adding a corner would help the Eagles as Sidney Jones is recovering from a hamstring injury.
But the most interesting name on the list is Sanders, who is 31 now but has that field-stretching ability the Eagles have been desperately missing without Mike Wallace and Mack Hollins. Maybe Wallace will return this season, but can the Eagles rely on a Week 11 return for a 32-year-old coming off a fractured fibula? Hard to say.
Through seven games, Sanders has 46 catches for 603 yards but is also averaging 13.1 per catch. His 11 catches of 20-plus yards rank fifth in the NFL this season. The Eagles have just 22 as a team.
I know a lot of folks still consider running back to be the biggest need for the Eagles, but I think it’s a speed receiver. That’s the biggest missing element to this offense right now. Alshon Jeffery can do some things down the field, but he’s not that prototypical burner. Sanders would be.
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Sanders would fit under the cap this year. He has a $12 million cap hit next year in the final year of his deal but he’d be cuttable without leaving much dead money.
Unfortunately, ESPN reported just a couple days ago that the Broncos aren’t interested in trading Sanders. Maybe the Eagles can entice them enough. Howie has worked some magic before.
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