NFL Draft Rumors: Eagles are “tossing out feelers to QB-needy teams that might want to move up to No. 12”

NFL Draft week is here and, accordingly, the rumor mill is heating up. The latest buzz comes from ESPN’s Todd McShay, who shares what he’s hearing leading up to this week’s big event. Sounds like the Philadelphia Eagles might prefer to trade down once again!

A lot of people around the league believe the Eagles could be a wild card in the first round. The Eagles are apparently tossing out feelers to QB-needy teams that might want to move up to No. 12 if one of the top five quarterbacks is still on the board when it’s the Eagles’ turn to draft. But I’ve also heard that there’s some interest in Justin Fields within the organization. But logistically, that’s usually part of the trade-back smoke screen. If you want a team to move up, you’ll of course toss it out there that you might be interested in a quarterback, as well. Pay close attention to what Philadelphia does here; it could get interesting.

Not unlike McShay, I have a hard time buying the Eagles are actually interested in drafting Fields. They would’ve stayed at No. 6 if that was the case. There’s an argument they should be interested in Fields but we’re discussing predictive over preference here.

I do buy the Eagles having interest in moving down. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind picking up even more ammo in the 2022 NFL Draft, if possible. And/or acquiring another Day 2 selection this year.

The potential “QB-needy teams” referenced by McShay could be the New England Patriots at No. 15, the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 17, the Washington Football Team at No. 19, the Chicago Bears at No. 20, and the New Orleans Saints at No. 28. The Eagles might be able to get a good haul if another team gets really desperate. (Looking at you, Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy.)

Seeing the Eagles trade down a second time might be hard to stomach depending on who’s still on the board at No. 12. But there’s clearly sense to it assuming the return package is strong. Philly’s in a spot where they’re not going all-in to win this year so they can afford to play things more patiently than usual.

Of course, moving down again decreases the chance of the Eagles actually hitting on the first-round pick that they’ll eventually make. The jury is very much out on Jalen Reagor and Andre Dillard, who were both selected in the 20s. While future picks are nice to think about, the Eagles eventually must turn them into high-quality players. They already passed on a chance to get a stud at No. 6, which might turn out to be a big mistake. There will be even more risk in moving down from No. 12. Nevertheless, it sounds like it’s something the Eagles are strongly considering.