After plenty of wheeling-and-dealing this offseason the Eagles own the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but perhaps more importantly, they will have potentially three first-rounds picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In a piece on The Athletic, an NFL executive told reporter Mike Sando that the collection of picks likely points to one huge possibility next offseason — a move for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Here is what the executive had to say, via Sando:
“All they’re doing is stockpiling picks for next year, so they can get weapons for Jalen Hurts or acquire one of the top two overall picks to draft a quarterback. And I would put Philly in the driver’s seat for Russell Wilson next year if Seattle moves him. That would have Howie Roseman written all over it.”
Wilson has been rumored to want out of Seattle this offseason, even seemingly leaking a list of teams he would prefer to play for. The Eagles, of course, weren’t on that list, but that likely wouldn’t stop Roseman from trying if Wilson is indeed still available.
A trade for Wilson next offseason would certainly be an interesting move by the Eagles if they made it.
There is no question Wilson is still an elite-level quarterback, but he would be 33-years old by the time the 2022 season kicked off. It is possible he would still have some elite seasons left in him, but you have to wonder if the rebuilding Eagles would be ready to truly take advantage of having Wilson.
We could get the answer to that this season. If the Eagles exceed expectations, and the roster looks better than expected, than a move for Wilson might make sense. The Eagles would certainly have the cap space and assets to get a deal done.
The issue is that if the team looks better than expected, chances are that a big part of the reason for that would be Jalen Hurts playing better than expected.
It is hard to see the Eagles winning 7-plus games if Hurts isn’t playing at a high level. If that happens, the Eagles would have no need to make a move for Wilson. They would be better off sticking with Hurts and using the draft picks to surround him with talent. If he isn’t good, chances are they are a 2-to-3 win team, and Wilson wouldn’t want to come.
So while they will have the assets, it is difficult to envision a scenario where Wilson ends up in an Eagles’ uniform — even if Roseman would likely love to make it happen.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!