Philadelphia Eagles should pursue Deshaun Watson in 2022
The Philadelphia Eagles just lost an ugly playoff game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Could they move on to Deshaun Watson in 2022?
The Philadelphia Eagles‘ season is over after a blowout loss to the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Where do they go from here?
The bad news for Eagles fans is that the season is over, but there’s actually quite a bit of good news. First and foremost, the 2021 season lasted at least one week longer than most analysts and pundits thought it would for the Jalen Hurts-led Eagles.
Beyond the pleasant surprise of making the playoffs, some shrewd moves by Howie Roseman have the Eagles set up with more 2022 NFL Draft flexibility than just about every other team in the league. Will the Philadelphia Eagles keep all three of their picks, currently dominating the teens?
Deshaun Watson might be on the radar for the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles, along with every other team that had the chance, passed on trading for Deshaun Watson this past season. They could have pulled the trigger on a move but ultimately decided to pass or just wait, just like other teams did.
The reasons for passing on any Watson trade back in October 2021 are obvious. He’s been in a lot of hot water off the field since requesting a trade away from the Houston Texans, being accused by nearly two dozen women of sexual misconduct.
At this point, nobody knows quite how things are going to play out with Watson and his off-field issues, but it seems like things are trending towards him playing in the NFL again in 2022.
If that’s the case, could the Philadelphia Eagles have interest?
Howie Roseman is nothing if not ready to wheel and deal. You can always be certain that if there is a trade to be talked about, Roseman won’t be denied the chance to talk with another general manager.
If Watson becomes available, Roseman will almost certainly at least ask about the asking price. Fortunately for him, he could legitimately trade multiple first-round picks this year and still have another one to spend on a player.
Considering how talented the Eagles are at the skill positions and what kind of draft capital they have to work with, would they be willing to move on from Jalen Hurts after a solid 2021 season?
It’s very possible.
Hurts was a dart throw by the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft class who has turned out to be a nice find for them. They were able to establish an identity in 2021 as a running team and Hurts progressed as a passer as well.
Despite Hurts’ progression in 2021, the Eagles might not be willing to pass on a player like Watson, who could be a perennial All-Pro or MVP candidate.
After the way the Eagles just lost to the Buccaneers in the playoffs, it would be shocking if Howie Roseman was just okay with the status quo. The progression over the course of 2021 was nice to see but Watson is an established star on the field.
If the Eagles could get him in a trade, they would probably be a top three team in the NFC on paper going into the 2022 season.