Yet another report linking the Eagles to a Deshaun Watson trade

There’s yet another entry to add to the timeline of the Philadelphia Eagles being linked to a potential Deshaun Watson trade. A recap so far:

March 17 (CBS Sports) — “Do not discount the Philadelphia Eagles as a strong suitor for Deshaun Watson. Too many sources with ties to ownership have whispered that sentiment my way for me to ignore.”

March 19 (Inquirer) — “Howie will give up everything he has for Watson,” an NFL source familiar with the Eagles’ thinking said.

March 22 (Houston Chronicle) — The Eagles are among teams that remain interested in Watson despite uncertainty moving forward.

April 6 (Houston Chronicle) — “Several NFL teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, are monitoring the latest Watson legal developments, which have complicated any efforts to trade for him.”

April 9 (Pro Football Talk) — “Much has to happen before Deshaun Watson could be traded, especially if he’s going to be traded at or around the 2021 draft. If, somehow, Watson manages to properly and appropriately settle the 22 civil lawsuits pending against him before the draft, there’s one team to watch closely as a potential destination. The Eagles. Yes, the Eagles. They have Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco, but Deshaun Watson has proven that he’s a franchise quarterback, and one of the best players in the NFL. As one league source explains it, the Eagles are sufficiently determined to upgrade the team that they would pursue Watson, if the window opens for doing so.”

And now here’s the latest from Texas-based reporter Mike Fisher for Texans Daily:

The Philadelphia Eagles are trying to find a direction. So are the Houston Texans. And according to an NFL source, despite their various issues, the two teams could still get together on a Deshaun Watson trade. [...] Meanwhile, the Eagles are trying to straighten themselves out as well, having traded away Carson Wentz with a tentative plan to hand their QB job to young Jalen Hurts - except that our source insists that Philadelphia’s desire to secure Watson remains in place. [...] It has been speculated that a Watson trade may be months away. It’s even been speculated that a swap is “impossible.’’ We’re not sure that is so. Some level of clarity could come before that. Some level of risk-taking by a bidder could as well. But this we know: The Philadelphia Eagles’ interest in trading for Deshaun Watson remains in play.

It feels strange to be speculating about Watson’s NFL future while he’s currently facing 20 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and/or inappropriate conduct. It’s hard to discuss the merits of trading for him when the legal process needs to play out, in fairness to both Watson and the alleged victims.

But his uncertain future doesn’t seem to be a deterrent for the Eagles. We’ve now heard from multiple national reporters, multiple Texas-based reporters, and one Philadelphia-based reporter regarding their interest in Watson.

And so the outcome of Watson’s situation will obviously be worth monitoring moving forward. Seems like there’s too much smoke here for there not to be a fire.

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