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The WR The Eagles Should Be Targeting In The Trade Market

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The first few days of NFL free agency have lived up to expectations to say the least. On top of all of the crazy trades like Davante Adams to the Raiders, Russell Wilson to the Broncos, and Khalil Mack to the Chargers, we’ve seen some of the biggest names in the league moving teams such as Allen Robinson, Chandler Jones, Von Miller, Marcus Williams and more. 

Howie Roseman made his first move on Monday by bringing in pass rusher Haason Reddick on a 3-year $45 million dollar contract. On all accounts, this was a great signing and Reddick’s unique skill set to rush the passer and also drop back into coverage will give the Eagles a different look on defense. Totaling 23.5 sacks over his last two seasons, Reddick is a great infusion of talent into a pass rush that was noticeably lacking last year. 

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Since that signing, the Eagles had been relatively quiet until yesterday when they announced they had cut Fletcher Cox. Since last year Cox has publicly disapproved of his role within the defense and the scheme as a whole. Fans wondered if a trade was more likely, but the Eagles ultimately decided to cut him.

In a strange turn of events, all signs are pointing towards Cox returning on a one year deal. After all this the Eagles most likely won’t end up saving significant money which was the main motive behind cutting him in the first place. Nevertheless, Cox will most likely be back this year and hopefully more productive and satisfied with his role.

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But sitting here on Friday March 18th, the Eagles second best receiver is still Quez Watkins. I’ve discussed at length how the Eagles need to get more dynamic at receiver and bring in someone who can take some pressure off Jalen Hurts and Devonta Smith. With the pool of available receivers starting to slim, the Eagles are starting to run out of options. Christian Kirk signed an absurd 4-year $72 million dollar deal with the Jaguars, and other fringe guys like Russell Gage, Zay Jones, D.J. Chark, and Cederick Wilson have all signed deals with new teams.

 In theory Allen Robinson would’ve been the ideal free agent to sign. But on Thursday it was reported that Robinson is going to the Los Angeles Rams on a 3-year $46.5 million dollar deal. The silver lining here is that now the Rams have too many cooks in the kitchen at WR. And now Robert Woods has become a “prime trade candidate” according to Adam Schefter, and the Rams have already begun to receive calls on him.

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Woods is a fantastic slot receiver that can do it all. He’s a precise route runner and one of the best YAC receivers in the league. He’s eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving twice in his seven year career and has a career average of 12.4 YPR. From 2018-19, Woods recorded back-to-back seasons with over 85 receptions and 1,200 scrimmage yards. He also provides a unique skillset in the run game, both in his blocking and rushing ability. In his last 4 seasons he’s rushed 68 times for 473 yards and 5 TDs on 7 YPC.

He is 29 years old and coming off a season ending ACL injury, but I think he can still be extremely productive when healthy. He’s the type of receiver the Eagles need, and would fit in seamlessly. 

With all of the ammo Howie Roseman and the Eagles have, I think this is a much better option than taking a chance on Drake London or Treylon Burks in the draft. Woods is a pro’s pro and will immediately bring credibility and stability to a wide receiver room that has been lacking both of those attributes for a while. 

There are still some good options available such as Jarvis Landry, Will Fuller, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Cole Beasley, and Zach Pascal but the list kind of ends there. I think Woods is more talented and productive than any of those options outside of potentially Landry. This type of trade certainly wouldn’t require any first or second round picks, and for the right price, it’s a no brainer.

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Admittedly this is wishful thinking, and I think the Eagles will side more with a free agent like Pascal who won’t break the bank or require any draft picks to acquire. But at the end of the day, the Eagles need to add 1-2 new receivers before the end of the offseason. Spending a first round pick on a receiver might not be in the cards either, so I think this is the perfect type of move to make. Woods is expected to be ready by training camp and once back, would immediately become the leader of this receiver room, and be a great veteran for Devonta Smith to learn from. 

More wishful thinking, but here’s a clip from the John Kincade show on 97.5 the Fanatic. I thought this was interesting to include:

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Howie still has more work to do, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. This team is still lacking linebacker and safety depth, and there are still quality names out there to pursue. They simply need more talent at receiver to really see what this team and specifically Jalen Hurts is capable of. Trading for a guy like Robert Woods would be a great start, and would put less pressure on the team to focus on that position in the draft. The focus of this draft should be defense, but ultimately we will see what Howie Roseman has up his sleeve in the coming weeks. 

 

Featured Image: (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

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