The Eagles did their due diligence on Antonio Brown before their in-state rival elected to ship him to Oakland, but Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com believes Philadelphia should “absolutely” pursue Brown’s soon-to-be former teammate, Le’Veon Bell. There have been rumors linking Bell to the Eagles this offseason, and Shorr-Parks sums it up thusly: “[T]he Eagles’ biggest need is running back. Bell is the best one available. They have the money to sign him, and they have a quarterback that needs him.”
The Brown saga appears to be wrapped up, and the Bell story will have a new chapter this week, when the talented back finds a new home. As we look ahead to free agency, let’s round up a few other NFC East items:
- The slot receiver market may be among the interesting to watch when free agency opens on Wednesday, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Teams like the Cowboys, Redskins, and Eagles, who are expected to respectively lose Cole Beasley, Jamison Crowder, and Golden Tate, shouldb be in line to target new slot options. Additionally, clubs such as the Colts, Raiders, Lions, Titans, and Bills are also searching for inside weapons, per Garfolo.
- Given all of the needs they have, and their relatively modest amount of cap room, the Giants are likely to make a few ripples in the pool of free agent talent rather than a major splash, as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post opines. The team needs to fortify a few positions (like strong safety and cornerback) so that they do not have to reach for a particular position in the draft.
- Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv lauds the Giants‘ return in the recent Olivier Vernon trade, but he wonders how it will impact the rest of the team’s offseason. For instance, although free agency is loaded with quality pass rushers, Big Blue will not able to afford even a second-tier option if it wants to adequately address all of its needs, and it now becomes more possible that the Giants will take a pass rusher with the No. 6 overall pick (which would certainly upset plenty of Giants fans if Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins is still on the board).
What GIANT Fan wants Haskins or Murray? Trade OBJ for next years 1rd
Agreed.
He should’ve been traded a while ago.
What is OBJ’s value on the trade block though? His talent is obviously there, and he at least isn’t butting heads with management / his qb like Antonio was… but the compensation Pitt received to dump Antonio doesn’t exactly raise the giants asking price. And yes, we all know Beckham Jr. is younger than Antonio. But at some point his injury history sort of evens that out.
Let me pose a different question. For you Giants fans.. what would you consider a fair trade offer for Beckham?
Be nice if they could restructure Eli’s deal to create more space.
Who said AB’s “former” teammate? Grabbing AB & Bell sounds exactly like that crazy guy you all tell us Gruden is
I’d imagine Cole Beasley’s asking price will need to drop drastically for any team to sign him, so it might as well be with Dallas. Otherwise, there’s a lot of options in this draft.
I don’t see Bell as being a high priority for the Eagles. If Philly can keep their OL performing at a top level then there are several cheaper rushers that could do quite well following that solid blocking.
Are they gonna catch 80 passes, plus be one of the best blockers also?
They don’t need that many catches out of the backfield with their TEs, plus they don’t need a me first guy that bails on the team.
I agree. The Eagles OL has allowed them to lead the league in time of possession 2 of the past 3 seasons. Several less expensive RBs than Bell could thrive under those conditions. If Bell goes to a team with an inferior OL he is not going to be as productive as he was in Pittsburgh.
Lol! Definitely don’t wanna take balls from Wentz’s BF Ertz. We’ll see how it turns out next year if he keeps playing favorites, Plus no Foles to bail him out.
Bell is going to get paid
Still think Ingram is the best fit for Philly currently. If they go back to the RPO then the patience of Bell would be a huge addition. Given Wentz’s injury history, the RPO could be just that in Philly.
A better option than a guy that can also catch 70-80 passes? Ingram wouldn’t come close to that number
And Bell wouldn’t come close to that number in Philly with their TEs.
Exactly. Jeffrey and Ertz will demand attention. And if we bring back DJax, which I hope we don’t, even less RB looks.
I agree, Brad – most commentators who want Bell don’t really understand the cap. Ingram or Tevin Coleman are better options. The Eagles have other needs besides RB to address. They need linebackers, safety depth, OL depth…