ESPN floats possible Eagles-Patriots trade

Let's start off with a disclaimer, these are not rumors. It's just ESPN kicking around some ideas. So don't take this as anything more than that.

For Insider, Chris Sprow did a piece on the 15 trades that could happen prior to today's NFL trade deadline. Andy Reid & Bill Belichick do love to trade with one another, so here are his ideas and my responses to them...

Philadelphia Eagles trade CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the New England Patriots

Rodgers-Cromartie will be an unrestricted free agent in 2013, and the emergence of CB Brandon Boykin might mean he'll be elsewhere without a fight. The Eagles could add a draft pick, and the Patriots could add a guy who can cover, though that's about all he can do. New England has swung deals in the past, and should at least have its eyes open to secondary help. Put it this way: If the inability to cover ruins another title shot, the Patriots will wonder. DRC could at least help.

So let's start with the patently absurd notion that the "emergence" of Brandon Boykin would make DRC expendable in any way. First off, has Boykin emerged? When did this happen? If anyone "emerged" this year, its been DRC.

Second, even if you were super impressed with Boykin at this point, it would be as a slot corner specifically. Pretty much no one, other than Chris Sprow in this article, is talking about Boykin as a replacement for DRC on the outside.

Now, if the Eagles decided they had no interesting in re-signing DRC next year, then sure, deal him away. But it's pretty obvious this isn't going to happen.

They also had an idea of what the Pats could send to the Eagles.

Patriots trade RT Sebastian Vollmer to the Eagles

The Patriots have proven in the past they'll move legitimate talent based both on what they can get in return and to avoid future contract situations (see: Richard Seymour), and the Eagles are in desperate need of help at either tackle spot (Demetress Bell has been particularly bad in 2012). No NFL team is giving up a higher pressure percentage than the Eagles, and Michael Vick's play has suffered largely because of it. It's hard to see New England making this move, but Vollmer is due a massive raise in 2013, and the Patriots may look to save some money at that position. Likely? Of course not. This is the "Let's get nuts!" section, people.

Honestly, at this point I think his editors had told him to come up 15 and he was just trying to fill out the list. Sure, the Eagles would probably be happy if a good young offensive lineman were magically available on the trade market right now, but there's pretty much no earthly reason the Patriots would do it.

So, with those silly trade ideas out of the way, does anyone have anything better?