Earlier this week, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported that buzz was growing around league executives about the Eagles being a suitor for the Texans. La Canfora didn't specify why exactly the buzz was growing, but it was.
Now we might have a good idea of where the noise was coming from.
According to a report Thursday from the Inquirer's Jeff McLane, "the Eagles recently inquired about trading for Watson."
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It's easy to disregard one report about a team being interested in a top player, but when multiple reports start surfacing, it becomes much more difficult to turn the blind eye.
Also, McLane's language is extremely specific. He isn't reporting that the Eagles would like to make that trade, or that they are "monitoring" the situation. He's reporting that the Eagles inquired with the Texans about a Deshaun Watson trade, which is a direct first step towards a potential deal.
That's significant. A Watson trade isn't just being tossed around the Novacare facility as a pipe dream anymore; it's been brought up with the team that has the player.
McLane also cited a source familiar with the Eagles' thinking who said that "Howie will give up everything he has for Watson", which makes sense considering the Texans' asking price for a Top 7 quarterback entering his prime with multiple years left on his deal will be high. But it does seem to indicate that Roseman's inquiry wasn't just exploratory; this is something where Roseman and the Eagles could go all-out to get it done.
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On Wednesday, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro explored the possible cost for Watson and what they'll be competing with:
"While the Eagles might not be able to compete with a team like the Jets (who have the No. 2 pick in the draft), they do have four picks in the top 85, including No. 6, and 11 picks in total for this upcoming draft. So they could probably put together a decent package to send to Houston. But it’s not like they’d be alone either. Plenty of teams will be trying to acquire Watson."
Watson, who turns 26 in September, had a career year in 2020, making his third straight Pro Bowl while completing 70.2% of his passes, throwing for 33 TDs to seven interceptions, and averaging 8.9 yards per attempt despite being mired on a miserable Texans team. He also ran 90 times for 444 yards and three touchdowns.
If Roseman and the Eagles' leaders are serious about Watson, this is going to get very interesting.
And at the very least, it sounds like something we all should be paying close attention to in the coming days and weeks.
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