Weapon X Mailbag: Should the Eagles trade 12 to the Ravens for 27 and 31?

DRAFT WEEK, BABY!

I’m buzzing as I write this. I’m already a complete freak to begin with, but I’m just injecting myself with caffeine as I blow through work and writing in the coming days. Will next week’s mailbag find me cratering after a disappointing haul from the Eagles? It remains to be seen.

Let’s get to the final pre-draft questions...

@maxeysznn: Would you trade 12 to the Ravens for 27 and 31?

I’ve seen this thrown out there ever since Kansas City sent their first-round pick to Baltimore as part of a larger trade for offensive tackle Orlando Brown. That gives the Ravens an extra first-rounder in addition to their own at 27. So... would I do it?

As Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort said, “Absolutely fucking not.”

I could see this being spun as “the Eagles traded one first for three firsts.” I get that on the surface level, but your board is your board and your assets are your assets after you make any given deal. It’s no longer about seeing which trade “wins” the draft because of the surplus value you’ve picked up previously.

It’s not viewing things from a pure value perspective, but picking 27th and 31st this year after enduring a 4-11-1 campaign that ended up as the most agonizing Eagles season of the 21st century is so, so defeating.

I’m not even positive that the talent there could be remarkably different than what’s available in the mid-second round. Lord, carry me now.

Let’s look at it this way: The Eagles are picking 12th. You have five quarterbacks, four pass-catchers, two corners, and two offensive linemen who are going to go early. One of them is going to be there. I’d imagine at least one of the two Alabama receivers will be, maybe Jaycee Horn as well.

Passing up on that would just be absolutely INFURIATING.

If DeVonta Smith is on the board and the Eagles make a deal like this, I’ll lose my mind. I’m the resident insane person here at BGN, but I would go full Joker mode. How can they look at themselves in the mirror and actively do such a deal? At what point do the fans need to take a page out of the book of soccer fans who went wild when their teams were attempting to join the European Super League?

When we’re watching Smith catch touchdowns from Lamar Jackson while Caleb Farley continuously finds himself on the injury list and the team’s other pick is an offensive guard who won't start as a rookie, we must fill the Linc with “FIRE HOWIE” chants.

@EaglesNCapitals: Is there a pick at 12 that salvages our perception of Howie?

Smith. Just do it, man. JUST DO IT.

Brandon Lee Gowton and I talked about it on our Locker Room podcast last week. He wrote about it too. I talked about it in my Philly sports newsletter recently (you should subscribe!). Here’s an excerpt:

Don’t overthink it, Howie Roseman. Don’t go full galaxy brain. Don’t take a defensive end in a weak pass-rusher class for the sake of familiarity when it comes to their traditional team-building strategies.

I hope the organization has learned its lesson from the disastrous, franchise-crippling decision to draft Jalen Reagor (who continues to bewilder fans with his social media presence) over Justin Jefferson.

Concerns about Smith’s frame, while more so apples to oranges, reminds me of people saying the Birds couldn’t take Jefferson because he only plays in the slot. Well, Jefferson played both on the outside and in the slot for Minnesota in 2020 on the way to one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.

Sometimes, you have to get your head out of your fucking ass and just take the guy who balls.

Eagles fans need a win. They deserve DeVonta Smith. He’s the rare prospect who is both a high-ceiling and high-floor talent.

I need it so badly. I feel like I’m a dog chasing a trash truck. The trash truck is an elite wide receiver. I desperately want the Eagles to have one and we all deserve to see one in midnight green.

The funny thing is that if Roseman actually takes Smith and he’s a bonafide stud, he probably won’t even get much credit for the move. We’ll say it was an obvious decision because, well, it was. It’s like not giving Bryan Colangelo any credit for drafting Ben Simmons. “Good job on not butchering that one again, pal.”

It’s a pick most of us would’ve been overjoyed with at the sixth pick and Roseman stole an extra first-round pick along the way. I was quite critical in the immediate aftermath of the trade and while I am still not entirely on board with the process given the unnecessary variables it brought to the equation, I’d have no choice but to tip my hat to Howie.

I said the following in last week’s mailbag:

My dream Day 1 and Day 2 scenario:

1-12: Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

2-37: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State

3-70: Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech

3-84: Jamar Johnson, S, Indiana

I’ll apologize to Howie in the following week’s mailbag if it plays out exactly like that.

Holding myself to it! I will submit a full apology to Roseman if that’s how it plays out!

@evrythingsphine: What is the absolute worst-case scenario for the Eagles at 12 (trading or drafting)?

Well, I made it known I would not care for the “12 for 27 and 31” swap. Additionally, if the Eagles, for some reason that blows my mind, were to make a trade for Deshaun Watson, that could not be more demoralizing.

As for the pick itself at 12, taking a non-Penei Sewell offensive lineman over Smith would be a grave mistake. Same goes for any of the uninspiring edge rushers in this class. Even if Smith is gone, grabbing a guard who won’t start in Year 1 like USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker would be a smack upside the head as well.

We’re really running through the gauntlet of emotions with these previous two questions!

@Da_Real_Louis: Seems to me that DeVonta Smith or Jaycee Horn are the picks at 12. In either scenario who is your WR pick in Round 2 if we take Horn or CB/safety pick in Round 2 if we go DeVonta?

If the Birds grab Smith at 12, I’d love Florida State’s Asante Samuel Jr., as I briefly touched on above. I really doubt he’s there, but if TCU safety Trevon Moehrig fell to 37, I’d be overjoyed. I’d shotgun a Kenwood in my living room if the Eagles came away with Smith and Moehrig.

In the event that the Eagles select Horn at 12, there should be a decent crop of receivers available at 37. Perhaps LSU’s Terrace Marshall Jr. is there, who projects as a more physical, traditional X receiver on the outside. I’m also quite fond of Elijah Moore out of Ole Miss, who’d make a great vertical slot fit with Jalen Hurts.

Purdue’s Rondale Moore is perpetually injured, but, man, the dude is an athletic marvel and electric whenever he actually makes his way on the field. Never count out Roseman targeting a Florida guy either, so Kadarius Toney could be in the mix too.

I’d love it if things turned out either way. We’re mixing it up again and chalking this one up as a positive Q&A!

@KeanBean225: Is Zach Ertz getting traded to the Bills?

I really, truly think so. I’m sure I’ll look like a big dumb-dumb 60 hours from now, but trading 37 and Zach Ertz to Buffalo for 30 makes way too much sense, right? If the Eagles went with Horn at 12 in the scenario I outlined in the previous question, moving up to 30 might give the Eagles their pick of that tier of WRs that include Marshall Jr., Moore, the other Moore, Toney, etc.

@TheJakeEvansX: What to you is acceptable to trade back up into the top 10?

When looking at things in a vacuum, the only trade into the top 10 that makes sense for me is doing so for a quarterback. That’s not as true in reality, as we saw the Eagles move to just outside the top 10 to grab Fletcher Cox in 2012 and it was a decision that helped bring the franchise a Super Bowl.

If not for a QB, it’d make sense for a player in the trenches, right? It’s not a strong defensive line class, but what if Penei Sewell is there for Detroit with the 7th pick? I’d be left wondering why the Eagles didn’t just stay at the 6th pick and grab him if the Oregon tackle fell naturally, but that’s an entirely different discussion. If you’re parting with 12 and 70 to move up for him and make him an immediate starter at LT, I’m into it!

Detroit at seven and Carolina at eight feel like the trade up sweet spots. I wouldn’t want to part with the 37th pick, but I would be okay with moving off 70. Doing the same deal for Ja’Marr Chase (I can’t envision the team trading up for a receiver, but alas) would work for me as well.

I’m not as high on Kyle Pitts as most, but it’d be understandable if the Eagles made the same trade for him too given the talk surrounding him. I’m sure I’ll talk myself into him being the greatest tight end of all time by August if so. I will say that I’m concerned about this take from Pitts though:

Additionally, a deal up to nine with Denver potentially to cuck Dallas and the Giants would be satisfying as all hell.

@FDingus2: Which member of Remember the Titans would be the best fit for the Eagles if they were eligible for this year's draft?

I leave you with this simple tweet:

@remember_sports: Which alcoholic beverage are we consuming to get us through Howie’s drafting?

The answer is OBVIOUSLY Kenwood, the best light beer in Philadelphia that’s both delicious and refreshing.

If you want to take a couple shots before, during, and after the Eagles’ picks, I’d highly recommend Manatawny Still Works, which has locations in both South Philly and Pottstown. Their Four Grain American Whiskey is simple in the best possible way and gets the job done damn well.