It’s been quiet. Maybe a little too quiet.
At least that’s part of the thinking behind a report from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora about the possibility of the Eagles’ landing Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Here’s part of what La Canfora wrote:
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Do not discount the Philadelphia Eagles as a strong suitor for Deshaun Watson. Too many sources with ties to ownership have whispered that sentiment my way for me to ignore.
And the more you think about it, the more sense it makes. The more you wonder why you hadn't explored the avenue sooner. The more you ponder why more isn't being reported on this front. Because crazier things have happened in the league, by a long shot.
Sure, the Eagles are never shy about being aggressive and, in particular, Howie Roseman is one of the more aggressive GMs in the league when it comes to making trades.
But there are more layers to this. One of them is whether or not the Eagles would be able to put together a strong enough package to land Watson. Another is whether or not Watson would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to Philly, an organization in a retooling phase. And lastly, the Texans have so far been very resistant to the idea of trading Watson despite the QB making it clear he’s done in Houston. Does that change? When does that change?
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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.
Here’s some more from La Canfora:
Some in the Eagles brass would try to poo-poo the idea of their interest by noting there must be about 30 teams paying close attention to this situation, but my sense is this is much more than an idea on the periphery; I get the sense this is something ownership and management would very much like to make happen.
"I hear that it is very much at the ownership level," as one league source put it.
"No action for the Eagles," one GM said. "It has to be killing them."
Another GM said: "Would Howie trading for Watson surprise me? No. Now that you mention it."
OK, so this still seems unlikely, but the part about owner Jeffrey Lurie being involved in the QB discussion definitely jibes with what we’ve heard from the NovaCare Complex. Just recently, we heard a report from ESPN that Lurie instructed Roseman and the front office to build the team around second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts.
But if there’s one quarterback who would make you change those plans, it’s Watson. If there’s even a chance of acquiring Watson, the Eagles have to explore that option. Watson is just 25, is a three-time Pro Bowler and was still able to thrive in Houston last year as the franchise crumbled around him.
We know how much the Eagles value the quarterback position and Watson is already elite and is still ascending. Do the Eagles actually land him? It doesn’t seem likely, but if they have strong interest, it’s definitely warranted.
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