Inside The Birds: Trade Shakes Up NFL Draft — But Are Birds Done Dealing?

The Eagles traded down in the 2021 NFL Draft, moving from No. 6 overall to No. 12 in a deal with the Miami Dolphins that saw the Eagles pick up a future first-round pick.

On the latest Inside The Birds podcast, Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher examined the positives and negatives of the deal and talked more Birds free agency.

Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie are stockpiling draft assets for their next major move.

Another Trade?

Geoff Mosher: “Knowing Howie Roseman, I don’t know that you can just sit here today and say he’s definitely picking at 12. I mean, Howie’s known to move. He’s already moved down, he’s got a lot of assets that he’s added, so we have to see going forward what’s going to happen. I would just keep an eye out and say, you know, don’t think a month away from the draft everything is going to be right now, because you just never know.”

Adam Caplan: “Yeah, they’ve got 11 picks. They moved up from the fifth to the fourth round with the trade with Miami, or they have two thirds this year so you’re right. It gives Roseman and the front office a chance if they so choose, if they feel the need to trade up from 12 to whatever. So we’ll see what happens, I’ve just learned never to say never, especially with this general manager because you just never know what he’s going to do.”

Trade Value

Mosher: “The interesting thing about the Eagles picking at six was that where it looked like the board might fall did not align with what the Eagles value when they pick in the top 10. I mean, they’ve only picked in the top 10 I think four times since 1998. You got Tra Thomas, Donovan McNabb, Carson Wentz, Lane Johnson – so two quarterbacks and two offensive lineman.”

Caplan: “Yeah I would be shocked if they made 11 picks. I just think they need so much help that I could see them patching up picks to move up to a player that drops during the draft. But I would say this, do not finish the draft with six picks. I don’t care what teams do … but I’m sick and tired of these teams doing stuff like that, especially when you’re bad, you’re coming off a 4-11-1 season.”

Team Needs

Caplan: “We know they’re going to add another quarterback, we said that last show, they have to have three. We know they have to add a power [running] back, they need a back with size, we all know that behind Miles Sanders. They need to add two receivers, they need to add an X [receiver], and at some point, could you get a veteran? Can you get somebody in there who’s done it before? We know they need two tight ends after they trade [Zach] Ertz, they’re going to need two tight ends. They need two lineman. One way or another you need a veteran or they need two young, developmental guys.”

Mosher: “They have no depth [on the D-line]. And look, when you have 11 picks and when you know that the Eagles value offense and defensive line as much as they do, I know they’re coming out of here with at least one, I would say at least two defensive linemen. I don’t know if they’ll both be tackles – one might be an edge rusher, one might be a tackle. But they’re coming out with at least two. I’m as confident that they’re coming out with at least two defensive lineman as I am that they’re not going to take a safety in the first, second or third round – and you know how confident I am about that!”

QB Move?

Mosher: “I keep combating this idea that you have to give Jalen Hurts a year because you picked him in the second round. I keep saying no you don’t, you don’t have to, and I explained if you have an opportunity to get a guy who you think is going to be much better then you jump on that.

“That’s not my opinion only. It’s my opinion from being a reporter and talking over years and years to GMs and coaches. Now, if you disagree with that point that I’m making, then you disagree with these coaches and executives who believe that – and that’s fine. You can have that. I’m like, it’s not my point, go look at second-round picks in the last 10 years, go look at the second-round quarterbacks in the NFL. Two guys [Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Garropolo] have gone to a Super Bowl. None of them have won it. And I’ve got about six guys here who are just terrible.

“That’s why executives and coaches say, “If I have a chance to get myself a guy who me and my staff project will be a five-, six-, seven- time Pro Bowler, who has that championship pedigree, whether it’s Justin Fields or whether it’s Zach Wilson, or anybody else, they do it. So my only point is nothing is really ever owed to a guy who was picked in the second round.”

Joe Flacco

Caplan: “The Eagles want [Flacco] with the $3.5 million they’re owing him to push the kid [Hurts] in training camp and to look good. Last year he signed late, and then he could not practice during training camp because the neck had to heal. And he only started the four games and he had not worked with these guys, really tough if you’ve never worked with anyone. All of a sudden to be thrown in there for four games and he only had one good game out of four but the one good game was really good. The tape was pretty good, I’m told. So you just hope he can do that.”

Jadeveon Clowney?

Mosher: “You don’t have a lot of depth at D-end. Now you’ve got Brandon Graham, you’ve got Derek Barnett, and then your best backup is Josh Sweat. We talk all the time, Josh Sweat has his reps counted kind of because they don’t want to play him too much and Barnett has a history of getting hurt. Brandon’s north of 32. I thought it would be an alright idea to bring Vinny [Curry] back on a one year; he’s not. So, you kind of look at the D-end landscape to see if the Eagles want to bring in a different veteran, and I couldn’t help but notice that Jadeveon Clowney is out there, Adam, and he was a guy that you reported last year the Eagles were interested in. It’s just that the price was going to be too high, you know he’s constantly hurt. And, as Greg Cosell has said to us on our platform, he doesn’t think he’s the most refined pass rusher.”

Caplan: “He made $15 million for Tennessee last year which is way too high, it’s way too much money. I would expect the Eagles to check it out and see where he’s at, and that’s it. I’m not expecting him to sign here, but again, they had interest last year, they never made an offer they just checked into it. I expect them to check into it just because that’s what you do.”

– Justin Morganstein (@jmotweets_) is a staff contributor to InsideTheBirds.com

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