Eagles tried to trade up for Dalvin Cook, report says

The Philadelphia Eagles tried to trade up for Dalvin Cook in the 2017 NFL Draft, according to Jeff McLane of the Inquirer.

The Eagles attempted to trade up for Cook in the second round, an NFL source said. But, for whatever reason, they didn't pull off the exchange. [...] It was unclear where exactly the Eagles had tried to jump for Cook - who some draft analysts expected to go in the first round - and if they had decided the price was too steep. But they would have needed to hurdle at least three spots if they wanted to block the Vikings, who traded up seven slots for the productive tailback.

It looked like Cook might have unexpectedly been there for the Eagles at No. 43 on Day 2. But then the Vikings traded up from No. 48 to No. 41 in order to get the Florida State running back. (I don’t doubt Rick Spielman wanted to stick it to Howie Roseman after trading a 2017 first and a 2018 fourth to the Eagles for Sam Bradford.) So instead of getting Cook at No. 43 or trading up to get him, the Eagles ended up taking injured cornerback Sidney Jones.

The Eagles missing out on Cook was a bummer. He’s not without his flaws, but he’s still a really good talent. It was clear the Eagles were very interested in him, too. His grandmother said as much!

What makes missing out on Cook even more disappointing is the fact the Eagles still don’t have a legitimate lead running back after leaving the draft. Philadelphia did trade up to draft Donnel Pumphrey in the fourth round, but he projects to be more of a rotational player than a lead horse.

In addition to wanting Cook, there were rumors out there that Philadelphia really wanted to draft Christian McCaffrey. The Stanford rusher went to the Panthers at No. 8 overall, however, so the Eagles never had a chance to get him at No. 14.

Wanting McCaffrey and Cook shows the Eagles are aware they need a new lead rusher. Ryan Mathews, the team’s 2016 starter, is still on the team but is expected to be cut when healthy enough to pass a physical.

There’s always a chance the Eagles will try to add a veteran rusher in free agency, but they likely wouldn’t be anything more than a stop-gap at best. Philadelphia could always look to explore the trade market given Roseman’s penchant for making deals.

It’s really a shame the Eagles left the draft without a legitimate three-down rusher. Carson Wentz attempted the second most passes of any rookie quarterback last season. He had to throw a lot more than he should have because the Eagles lacked a real lead runner due to Mathews’ constant injuries. Without help from the running game, there will be more pressure on Wentz’s arm yet again.