Line up all the cans and kick them as far down the road as it takes.
Let Derek Barnett walk and open up that $10 million.
Trade a veteran after June 1st to open up more cap space.
Simply put, the Eagles need to do whatever it takes to make sure that next week when free agency starts they are first in line to offer a contract to free agent receiver Kenny Golladay — and then close the deal to give the team the No. 1 receiver they have been lacking for years.
Why Golladay? And why now?
To start, Golladay, 6-foot-4, 214 pounds, has quietly been one of the best receivers in the NFL the last four seasons.
Despite playing in Detroit, where most careers go to die, Golladay has totaled 3,068 yards on 183 catches — an average of almost 17 yards-per-catch — to go along with 21 touchdowns. He showed in 2019 just how dominant he can be, finishing with 1,190 yards on 65 catches (18.3 yards-per-catch) and 11 touchdowns. It was his second season in a row with over 1,000 yards, and if it wasn’t for a hamstring injury, he likely would have made it three season in a row despite playing on a terrible team.
Golladay has all the traits the Eagles could look for in a No. 1 receiver. He is tall with long arms, able to win the 50/50 balls they hoped Alshon Jeffery would be able to win consistently. He has shown he is able to stretch the field despite not having elite-level speed. He isn’t a rookie, but at just 27-years old he is entering the prime of his career.
Needless to say, signing Golladay won’t be cheap. Pro Football Focus projects him to get a four-years, $85 million contract that has an average of $21.25 per year and $57.5 million total guaranteed. Spotrac comes in a a little lower at five-years for $85 million, an average salary of $17 million.
Despite the price tag, the Eagles should clear the space to make it happen instead of passing on the top options like they have repeatedly over the last calendar year.
Last offseason the Eagles were in the market for a receiver yet sat still while DeAndre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper were all available. They passed on all three. They they had a chance to fix that mistake by drafting Justin Jefferson. They missed.
After failing last offseason to fix their need at receiver the time has now come to throw money at the problem. The Eagles can open up the space to sign Golladay, especially if they want to do it on a back-loaded deal, putting the largest cap hits in 2022 and beyond when the NFL cap is expected to skyrocket with new TV money.
Navigate how to get it done in 2021 under the cap, and the Eagles will have the No. 1 receiver they have been looking for — and missing on — for years.
To be clear, adding Golladay wouldn’t prevent them from drafting a receiver at No. 6 as well. They could still take LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase or Florida’s Kyle Pitts. Adding an elite prospect like that would only enhance Golladay’s value and ability to contribute, and give the Eagles a legit one-two punch at receiver for the first time in years (or maybe ever). Pushing Jalen Reagor down to third on the depth chart would also be ideal for the second-year player, lowering the immense pressure he is already under.
Finally, doing the financial gymnastics it would take to sign Golladay is worth it because it will help them turn Jalen Hurts into the starting-caliber player they seem to believe he can be. The Eagles made the mistake of not giving Carson Wentz any elite receivers on the outside and as a result he is now in Indianapolis. They can avoid that same mistake with Hurts. It is easier to do that now, when he is on his rookie deal, than it will be in just two more seasons when he is up for an extension.
It won’t be easy and it might seem impossible. It isn’t.
The Eagles should have one goal next week — clear the space and sign Golladay.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!