Should the Eagles trade for DK Metcalf? Or A.J. Brown?

Could be fun!

When asked about the wide receiver group at the Annual League Meeting last week, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said that they knew they were young at the position, but he was happy and excited about their potential. The team signed Zach Pascal, who, with four years experience, becomes one of the most veteran receivers — but is that going to be the only (non-draft) addition this offseason?

There have been rumors that the Eagles were interested in signing or trading for some big name WRs, but for various reasons nothing has come to fruition. Most recently, Tyreek Hill was traded to the Dolphins which triggered DeVante Parker being traded to the Patriots. Hill was never going to be an option financially, but Parker is someone the Eagles could’ve afforded and the trade only cost New England a 2023 third-round draft pick.

It’s been interesting to see how the wide receiver market has evolved this offseason, with some players signing absolutely monster contracts (Hill, Christian Kirk) and others valuing QB friendships in addition to the contract amount (Davante Adams).

If QB friendship is on the mind of A.J. Brown, the Eagles could end up being a potential landing spot thanks to Jalen Hurts. Hurts has not been coy with trying to recruit Brown to Philly, but he’s not a free agent so it’s not likely going to be up to him.

Brown is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and has a $4.5M cap hit. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound receiver started his career with two 1,000-yard seasons back-to-back and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2020. He’s averaged over 16 yards per catch through three seasons, and totaled 2995 yards and 24 touchdowns on 185 receptions.

According to Mike Moraitis of TitansWire, Tennessee is not likely going to get rid of their productive offensive weapon.

“Earlier this offseason, general manager Jon Robinson made it quite clear the team has no intention of trading Brown, and instead the Titans are intent on keeping him in Nashville for the long haul. We fully expect that to happen.”

So, if Brown ends up signing an extension keeping him Nashville, that’s one less WR target for the Eagles. Someone else they might be interested in trading for would be DK Metcalf — you know, the wide receiver Howie Roseman could’ve drafted back in 2019 instead of JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Aside from hurting his ego, it’s tough to imagine Roseman would spend the kind of resources it would take to bring Metcalf to Philly. (But, it would be cool if he did.)

Metcalf is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, but is certainly expecting big money like Hill and Kirk with his next deal. With Russell Wilson now in Denver, there doesn’t seem to be much keeping him in Seattle, despite a three-year run in which he amassed 3,170 yards and 29 touchdowns on 216 receptions. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Metcalf is exactly the kind of big-bodied receiver the Eagles could use.

It’s hard to imagine Brown or Metcalf going for less than a first or second-round pick, PLUS a huge multi-year contract. The Eagles certainly have draft capital with their three first-round selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. But while they have some cap space to work with, it’s going to require a big commitment. It’s been some time since Howie Roseman made a trade in this vein.