As always, there are a handful of quarterback-needy teams in this year's NFL Draft. The Los Angeles Rams made their desire for a signal-caller known with a blockbuster deal to move to the top of the draft board. Now, the Philadelphia Eagles have followed their lead by trading with the Cleveland Browns for the second pick in the draft.
#Eagles have agreed to a trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire the second-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/SdJSegMy4m
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 20, 2016
That's a whole lot of draft capital to sacrifice, especially when you remember that the Eagles were already down a second-round pick thanks to the Sam Bradford trade. Is either Cal's Jared Goff or North Dakota State's Carson Wentz really worth all this? Neither prospect is as highly regarded as Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota was coming out of college. But Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has talked positively about both prospects in the weeks leading up to the draft.
Bradford can be released after one season with a reasonable cap hit of $5.5 million while Chase Daniel is making elite backup money. Whichever QB the Eagles get in the draft may sit for a year behind Bradford, or the Eagles could immediately turn their attention to flipping the oft-injured passer for some much needed extra picks.
Finding a 10-plus year starter under-center is the most sure-fire way to improve your team, but continuing to build a roster with inexpensive young talent through the draft is also crucial to development. With this move, Philly sacrificed short-term gains for the opportunity to draft a (hopeful) long-term quarterback.
It has been rumored that the Rams prefer Goff's more pro-ready game to Wentz's potential upside, meaning that Philly essentially traded for the NDS passer. If they believe that he can be a legitimate cornerstone for the franchise, than the trade makes more sense. But if they're wrong, it could set the franchise back for years.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
