If Investment Equals Championships, Then Eagles Are Planning To Cash In.
For quite some time now, the NFL has been a passing league.
The Eagles are banking on it staying that way (don’t tell Saquon Barkley).
This week, the Minnesota Vikings signed All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a 4-year, $140 Million contract extension. This comes after the Eagles locked up A.J. Brown in April until 2028 with a three-year, $96 million deal and his teammate Devonta Smith to a three-year, $75 million deal. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle received an extension of three-years $84.75 million, including $76 million guaranteed, while Texans receiver Nico Collins received a 3-year, $72.75M extension.
In the NFL, irony is all around. Make a mistake; trades and draft selections can get you out of it. For the Eagles, that is precisely what happened. In Covid-changed 2020, the Eagles needed a wide receiver. Just two seasons removed from the Super Bowl, the Eagles were still committed to assembling weapons around quarterback Carson Wentz, who had signed a four-year extension for $128 million in 2019.
That same year, in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Eagles missed an opportunity to draft future All-Pro wide receiver DK Metcalf and instead selected J.J. Arcega-Whiteside from Stanford.
One year later, in 2020— the Eagles selected Jalen Reagor out of TCU over Tee Higgins, Justin Jefferson, and Brandon Aiyuk and chose not to attempt to move up to select Oklahoma star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
The irony of the Eagles finally trading Reagor to the Vikings in 2022 isn’t just that he was then paired with Justin Jefferson, who was drafted in the same year and round.
With their second selection in the 2020 NFL Draft — the Eagles selected a quarterback named Jalen Hurts. With the conditional seventh-round pick that the Eagles got back from Minnesota for Reagor— that pick went to the Lions for D’Andre Swift.
During the 2024 NFL Draft — the Eagles strengthened their wide receiver room with Florida State wide receiver Johnny Wilson and Texas A&M wide receiver Ainias Smith. They signed free agent receiver John Ross III.
Four years after missing on some top talent at wide receiver, Howie Roseman has the top wide receiver duo in the NFL.
In a year of high spending on receivers, the Eagles are looking for a return on investment — in the form of a February parade right down Broad Street.
PHOTO: —
The post The Year of the Wideout appeared first on Philadelphia Sports Nation.