Philadelphia Eagles: Trade Will Transform Franchise

If you thought the offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles was crazy, it just got a little crazier when they traded up the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

BOOM! The Philadelphia Eagles dropped a bomb on the NFL when they announced that they have agreed to a trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

#Eagles have agreed to a trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire the second-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/SdJSegMy4m
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 20, 2016

The move has sent shockwaves throughout the entire NFL, especially after the Los Angeles Rams agreed to a trade with the Tennessee Titans to acquire the number one overall pick just a few day ago.

The Rams really had a need at quarterback, as they had Case Keenum penciled in as their starter and no disrespect to Keenum, but he was never the answer.

For the people who believe the Eagles did not need a quarterback because they have Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel, well, we can only hope that one day they see the light because neither of those guys are Super Bowl caliber quarterbacks and neither of those guys are franchise quarterbacks.

Now, I am not saying that any of the top quarterbacks will be Super Bowl caliber quarterbacks day one, but the Eagles are at least trying to improve for the future and secure their first franchise quarterback since Donovan McNabb, with the hope that the player will turn out to be a Super Bowl caliber quarterback.

With many reporting that the Rams will go with former CAL quarterback Jared Goff, it looks like former North Dakota State signal caller Carson Wentz will be the pick for the Eagles.

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For starters, I am probably the driver of the ‘Carson Wentz Hype Train,’ so yes, I may be a little biased in this assessment of the trade, but my bias comes from studying his film. Ironically, my first Eagles mock draft had the Eagles taking Wentz and ended by saying, “Carson Wentz No Matter What.” So, yeah, you could say I am tooting my own horn because of what I said a little over four months ago, but I just felt Wentz was the guy that Philly needed all along. I also wrote that the Eagles should trade up with the Browns for Wentz a couple of weeks ago.

Looking at what they gave up for Wentz, it’s not the ‘king’s ransom’ many are making it out to be. The swamping of the first round picks is a wash, same with the fourth rounders, so technically the Eagles gave up a 2017 first round pick, a 2018 second round pick and a 2016 third round pick.

So, the Eagles gave up three picks to get their franchise quarterback, which is not bad at all considering only one of them is a first rounder.

Also, for the people who think the Eagles are screwed for the future now by giving up those draft picks, let’s look at the picks they have in 2017.

They will obviously not have their first rounder, that was in the deal, but they still have a second rounder, a third rounder, two fourth round picks (one from the Browns in the trade), a fifth round pick, a sixth round pick and two seventh round picks. So, in 2017, they still have eight picks overall, and four of them in the first four rounds.

Then in 2018, since the trade had the Eagles giving up their 2018 second rounder, the Eagles still have their first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh round picks. Yes, not having a second rounder may hurt a little, but the Eagles didn’t have a second round pick this year and still maneuvered around to get the second overall pick.

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The Eagles also pose a great situation for a rookie quarterback.

Bradford will be the starter, unless Wentz comes in and dominates all camp, but if not, Wentz will sit behind the former number one overall pick to master his craft further. They also have Daniel on the roster, who knows Doug Pederson’s offense better than anyone. That means Wentz will be able to learn the offense easier with him in the room, but also have him as a backup when he does take the keys to the franchise. Having Daniel is going to be tremendous for Wentz as he continues to grow in the NFL, so many made a joke about that signing, but it looks like the Eagles did the right thing.

There was a similar situation in Philadelphia when Pederson, the current Eagles head coach, was actually the starter while the number two overall pick, McNabb, sat on the bench and learned. This move is exactly like it and I believe it will play out even better than when they had McNabb.

Also, everyone is forgetting that if Wentz ends up being the franchise guy that the Eagles have needed for so long, will the price tag even matter?

NO! It won’t.

Has anyone ever talked about what the Giants gave up for Eli Manning? If you don’t remember, and I’m sure you don’t because no one talks about it since Manning has won multiple Super Bowls so it does not matter, but they gave up their first round pick that year, a third rounder that year and then next years first and fifth round picks.

You can’t hate on the Eagles for trying because by sticking with Bradford, you are just accepting mediocrity. By making this move, it shows the Eagles are serious about rebuilding their franchise and trying to finally get their first Super Bowl victory.

Bleeding Green Nation’s Brandon Lee Gowton said it best:

Just think it’s a little funny how the Eagles haven’t won a championship in 56 years but trading for Wentz could “set the franchise back.”
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) April 20, 2016

Say what you want about the Eagles, this trade was exactly what they needed. They will finally have their franchise quarterback and if Wentz is as good as I see him being, Philly will be a team to watch in a couple of years. This was a monumental move for the history of the Eagles franchise and it was a great one in my eyes. This is the kind of move that puts you in position to build a Super Bowl caliber team and that is exactly what the Eagles are looking to do.

More nfl spin zone: 2016 NFL Draft Positional Rankings: Top 5 QB

ICYMI: Here is my scouting report on Wentz:

"Overall Impression: Wentz checks off a lot of the big questions you have when looking at a quarterback coming out of college, however, he also checks off some of the ones that are not good. He has the size, athletic ability, and arm talent to succeed in the NFL. If you can look past his level of competition and his wrist injury you will see that Wentz has no ceiling when it comes to potential. He can be a star in the league and will make a team very happy if they draft him. Wentz can, and will, be a franchise quarterback and the face of a franchise. He is a can’t-miss prospect at the quarterback position."

This trade truly transformed their franchise.

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