Still Looking?

The Eagles haven’t signed any wide receivers. Howie Roseman recently explained that the free agent market hadn’t played out as expected. He talked about how the Eagles like their current receivers more than most understand. He sounded like a man focused on the draft and not finding veteran help.

Was that legit?

Let’s talk about some things.

Official cap space by team (teams 24-32):
24. BAL: 13,513,779
25. GB: 12,966,433
26. MIN: 12,495,443
27. SEA: 11,317,846
28. NO: 9,237,537
29. PIT: 8,667,814
30. ATL: 7,530,188
31. NE: 891,775
32. KC: 177

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 30, 2020

The Chiefs have $177.00 of cap space. That is crazy. Clearly the Chiefs have to make some moves or some contract adjustments.

One way they could free up some money is to move on from WR Sammy Watkins. He is on the cap for $21M this year. KC could save $14M by letting him go, either by cut or trade. With Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman newly re-signed Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle, KC has a solid group of receivers. Is Watkins a necessity or a luxury they can no longer afford?

Howie knows Chiefs GM Brett Veach very well from their time together with the Eagles. Maybe they can work something out. Maybe Howie is waiting to see if KC will flat out release Watkins. That would be a dangerous game to play, but it just might happen.

Watkins hasn’t put up big numbers since he was with Buffalo in 2015, but he came up big in the playoffs last year and helped KC win the Super Bowl. Watkins is about to turn 27 and he still has plenty of talent.

Maybe the Chiefs have a plan to re-do some deals and to keep Watkins (at a lower rate, of course). This is something to keep an eye on.

Watkins isn’t be the only veteran who could be of interest.

WR Brandin Cooks seems to want out of LA.

https://twitter.com/brandincooks/status/1243668577871265792

Or maybe that just means he wants out of his house. For now, I’m guessing it has to do with his team.

Would the Eagles make sense for him? Some think so.

Peter King pegs the Eagles as the best landing spot for Brandin Cooks https://t.co/NsQUGhpbS6

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) March 30, 2020

Cooks is young, explosive and productive. This would seem to be a no-brainer, but there is an issue.

Concussions. Cooks had five in six years, including a pair last season. You might remember Malcolm Jenkins crushing Cooks in the Super Bowl and knocking him out of that game with a concussion.

Do you take that chance?

If the price is low enough, you do. Peter King predicted the Eagles would use a second-round pick to deal for Cooks. That is just a prediction. This is not a rumor, but more of an educated guess.

I would be willing to deal a mid-round pick for Cooks, but a second would be too much because of the concussions. That is a legit concern.

This is all speculation. Nothing may come of it.

Maybe Howie Roseman really does like the thought of building a WR corps for Carson Wentz to grow with. Ward is young. JJAW is young. Throw in a pair of rookies and you could have a group play together for a while.

Still, I can’t help but think Howie is keeping his eye on the other 31 teams and moves they might make. Some interesting players might be available.

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