HOUSTON — In the Eagles search for an upgrade at wide receiver, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman could round back to a potential target from last season’s trade deadline, according to a report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
La Canfora suggested Saturday that the Eagles could make another push to acquire San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith this offseason after failing to consummate a deal at the deadline:
“It’s all about receivers for the Eagles as well,” La Confora wrote, while listing the top priorities for every NFL team this offseason. “Yeah, the offensive line needs retooling, too, but getting Wentz someone who can line up outside the hash marks and make a play is a required starting point for the 2017 offseason. They might land Torrey Smithin a trade, but they need to draft a receiver high as well.”
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The Eagles and 49ers were knee-deep in trade talks leading up to November’s trade deadline but fell short of striking an accord when San Francisco would not back off demands for a third-round choice in April’s NFL Draft but the Eagles would not come up from offering a fifth-rounder.
It is no secret that wide receiver will be a point of emphasis for the Eagles this offseason, but it is uncertain if Smith fits the mold for what the team will be targeting.
Smith finished last season with 20 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Smith’s season was cut short when he suffered a concussion in Week 14.
The 28-year-old would provide steady leadership in a wide receiver corps that is in desperate need of the presence of a reliable pass-catcher. However, because Jordan Matthews is likely to be the team’s slot receiver and Smith is due roughly $13.2 million over the remaining three years of his contract and could be cost prohibitive.
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It is also worth bearing in mind that the Eagles hired the duo of Joe Douglas and Andy Weidl to run the personnel department at least in part because of their prowess in the NFL Draft. It would appear unlikely that the Eagles would willingly relinquish draft picks rather than make moves this offseason to bolster the team’s war-chest for April’s NFL Draft to be at the disposal of Douglas and Weidl.
However, if the Eagles view the upcoming largely talent-sparse free agent class headlined by the likes of Alshon Jeffrey, DeSean Jackson and Kenny Stills in an offseason where the majority of the league will have significantly more cap space than the Eagles have at their disposal, perhaps a player-for-player trade for Smith could make sense.
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Matt Lombardo may be reached at MDLombardo@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardo975.
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