Report: Teams have checked in on Jalen Reagor’s availability

Is Philadelphia going to trade their 2020 first-round pick?

Much attention has been dedicated to the Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver outlook. Especially as the team has tried to improve that position but hasn’t ultimately been able to do so … outside of signing Zach Pascal to one-year, $1.5 million contract.

With the primary focus on who the Eagles could add, lost in the conversation is who might be headed on their way out of Philly. Or, at the very least, who will be moving down on the depth chart.

The likely answer, of course, is Jalen Reagor.

DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins currently project as the team’s top two receivers. Pascal is WR4 at worst right now and quite possibly WR3 if a game was played today.

So, where does that leave the Eagles’ 2020 first-round pick?

Many would probably agree that a change of scenery is what’s best for both the team and Reagor. Might such a move be coming?

According to Geoff Mosher, there is some level of interest in Reagor around the NFL.

Other teams will be interested in acquiring Reagor. Sources have told Inside The Birds that teams have already called to check on the third-year receiver’s availability.

After mightily struggling over two seasons — and somehow being worse in 2021 than he was in 2020 — one can’t imagine Reagor would return much value in a trade. The Eagles could find themselves dealing him for a late Day 3 pick or another team’s bust. Or putting him in a larger deal as a throw in.

Is that worth it to the Eagles? Would they rather keep him on the off-chance that the light finally does go on?

As it currently stands, Reagor isn’t too far removed from seeing playing time. With an injury to one of the team’s top three receivers, he could be back in the starting lineup.

But if the Eagles add an established veteran or an early pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, which seems quite possible, Reagor’s stock takes a hit.

And what’s the value of keeping Reagor around as something like a WR5? Despite his college success, he’s struggled to contribute as a returner in the NFL. Is he really going to rebrand himself as an effective run blocker and special teams guy the way that J.J. Arcega-Whiteside did? It’s not super easy to envision.

The Eagles have some financial incentive to move on from Reagor. He’s currently set to have the 17th highest cap number on the 2022 roster at $3.62 million. While hardly an insane amount of money (relatively speaking), it’s not ideal to be carrying your WR4 or WR5 at that figure.

If the Eagles trade Reagor prior to June 1, they’d only clear $13,576 in cap space while taking on $3.61 million in dead money. Why move him if it results in such little savings?

Well, it beats one alternative. If Reagor really struggles this summer and the Eagles want to cut him, it would cause them to lose $2.4 million in cap space.

If the Eagles try to trade him after June 1, they will clear $1.8 million in cap space this year with $1.8 million in dead money being spread out to 2023. Certainly a more palatable option than releasing him.

Howie Roseman hardly has a penchant for making trades that return pennies on the dollar. Especially when it comes to his high draft picks. It’s understandably not an appetizing concept.

But sometimes it’s better to get pennies than literally nothing at all or risk negative value. It’s difficult to envision a scenario where Reagor proves everyone wrong and thrives in Philly. Especially since his opportunity for playing time figures to be limited moving forward.

Again, it’s likely in the best interest of both sides to move on. If Reagor is truly generating some interest, the Eagles should strongly consider taking whatever they can get for him.