Even as it appears that the Arizona Cardinals are struggling to keep their relationship with Kyler Murray on the tracks, one NFL insider doesn't believe the Philadelphia Eagles are especially likely to swoop in and trade for the former No. 1 overall pick if he becomes available.
In a discussion with Mike Florio on Friday's edition of PFT Live, Peter King poured cold water on the idea of the Eagles trading for Murray, should the Cardinals listen offers for him in advance of the NFL Draft:
Florio: "... Whoever it is that you have that is your plan, Kyler Murray is not so great that you're going to scrap your plan."
King: "And I think that is exactly where the Philadelphia Eagles would land. Look, if we were doing this last October 20, you'd laugh if I said that 'Well, the Eagles don't think that Kyler Murray is a big upgrade Jalen Hurts.' But we've got more evidence than just seven or eight weeks at the start of last year where Kyler Murray was arguably the NFL MVP. And so, I think you have to look at where the Eagles are ... where Nick Sirraini would be ... and you just have to ask them 'Do you want a guy who has been hurt some ... who is small ... who you don't know how durable he's going to be long-term? Is that what you want to do?'
"... Mike, I doubt sincerely that the Philadelphia Eagles would mortgage all the gains that they've made in draft choices and get rid of Jalen Hurts and add Kyler Murray. It's just, that's my gut feeling."
From here, the debate isn't about whether Murray would be an upgrade over Hurts -- of course he would be. That's not a dis of Hurts, but as King notes, Murray was playing at an MVP-caliber for at least the first half of the 2021 season.
Instead, the debate is about whether Murray is so much better than Hurts that the Eagles should trade Hurts and a slew of high draft picks to acquire Murray, who would probably be well within his rights to try to match the five-year/$230 million fully guaranteed deal that Deshaun Watson signed upon being traded to the Cleveland Browns.
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If the Eagles determined that the answer to this question was yes, they have two first-round picks and two third-round picks in 2022. They also have two first-round picks in 2023. Whether it's Murray or another veteran that becomes available, Howie Roseman is in a very good position to make a major trade for a quarterback.
The most likely scenario does appear to be that the Eagles continue to develop Hurts and see if they believe he can lead them to a Super Bowl. If not, they have two first-round picks in their back pocket next offseason to potentially make a trade for an improvement.
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