Three Semi-Bold Predictions for the Eagles 2021 Offseason
This offseason is going to be huge for the franchise.
Many faces we fans are so used to watching every Sunday may be on their way out.
There will be trades, signings, and surprise cuts throughout the offseason.
The Eagles seem to make a move or two every offseason that nobody saw coming.
In this piece, I am going to give three semi-bold predictions for this coming offseason.
1) Eagles Cut DE Derek Barnett
To say the Eagles are in cap hell would be an understatement. There will be a lot of moves to try and shrink the cap hit. We already know Alshon and Malik Jackson are going to get cut since they restructured their deals. Ertz has likely played his final game for the Eagles. DeSean is likely to be let go.
One move that Eagles fans probably don’t see coming is a Barnett cut.
The first-round pick out of Tennessee hasn’t necessarily lived up to the hype. Breaking Reggie White’s sack record at Tennessee, fans had their hopes set high for Barnett. In his rookie year, Barnett showed flashes of how good he could be. Fans will always remember the fumble recovery in the Super Bowl or the strip-sack in the NFC Championship.
Since his rookie year, Barnett has never really been able to put it together. He has shown glimpses of how good he can be, but then he goes invisible. DB has also battled many injuries throughout his tenure in Philly, which amounts to the struggles. With the breakout of Josh Sweat last year, the chances of cutting Barnett have shot up. The Eagles can save $10 million by cutting DB, and it would be the smart thing to do. The Eagles will need to pay either Sweat or DB eventually, and Sweat would be the right choice.
If Barnett is cut, at least we will all have this memory of him below.
2) The Eagles Ship Both Zach Ertz and Carson Wentz to the Colts for No. 21
Now is this bold? Maybe not, considering the Colts’ interest in Ertz and how they missed out on Stafford. The speculation has been swirling for a while that Wentz and Ertz could both be gone, but what about going to the same team? Now would that be a sight to see for Eagles fans? Wentz throwing balls to Ertz with Frank Reich on the sideline. It is not as far fetched as it may seem. Reports are now swirling of Wentz’s potential trade, with the Bears and Colts appearing to be the favorites. It all makes too much sense a reunion with Reich, a fresh start, and a good supporting cast.
Now with the Colts missing out on Matt Stafford, all the eyes essentially turn to Wentz. Deshaun Watson is still out there, but could the Colts offered more than teams like Denver and San Francisco, who have higher picks? It seems more likely than not that Carson is going to end up in Indy next year. Now with Ertz, it was rumored that the Colts had an interest in acquiring Ertz. So why not package the two good friends down to Indy? There could be more in the trade than the Colts number 21 pick, but that would probably be the foundation for the Eagles return.
3) The Eagles Pass on Ja’Marr Chase at No. 6 and Take Justin Fields
Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The boldest of the bold. In this hypothetical, Smith is taken #2 to the Jets. The Falcons take Zach Wilson, and the Eagles get on the clock at six with Ja’Marr Chase sitting right there for the taking, and they pass on him. The Eagles then decide to take Ohio State standout quarterback Justin Fields and bring him to the factory. Could you imagine the outrage on draft night? If the Eagles decide to trade Wentz, that only leaves Jalen Hurts on the roster. Hurts showed flashes last year, but his accuracy was an issue at times.
If the Eagles do not think Hurts is the future, then Fields may stand out to them. Now I’m not encouraging this pick at all, but it doesn’t get much bolder than this if we are talking bold. The Eagles would select Fields at six and let him and Hurts battle it out in training camp. If this pick does end up happening, Howie might want to go into hiding for a couple of months.
As bold as this sounds, I wouldn’t completely rule it off the table. I mean, we are a QB factory, after all.
Featured Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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