Happy NFL Trade Deadline, everybody!
Im sure as most of you are well aware, the Eagles have shipped a third round pick off to Detroit in exchange for wide receiver Golden Tate. Among all wide receivers, Tate is 16th in receptions (44), 21st in receiving yards (517), and 27th in touchdowns (3). To put his numbers in perspective, Tate leads all Eagles receivers in both receptions and yards, and is just one touchdown away from tying the team lead.
Despite his solid numbers, Tate had fallen out of favor in Detroit due to Matthew Stafford’s ever-growing chemistry with Marvin Jones as well as a break out campaign from second year wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Tate is also 30 years old and his contract expires after this season.
Going into the bye week, it was clear the Eagles needed a spark. They managed to sneak out of jolly ole London town with a win over the Jaguars, but it was clear that this team needed a fire lit under their butts.
Cue Howie Roseman.
While wide receiver may not have been the Eagle’s biggest need, adding a dynamic play maker like Tate is never a bad idea. The Eagles have sorely needed a wide receiver who can create plays after the catch. Nelson Agholor filled that role beautifully a year ago, but has struggled to find the same success for the better part of this season.
To me, this trade is Howie acknowledging his team is in a hole and the only way for them to get out of that hole is on the back of Carson Wentz. He’s doubling down on his quarterback because he knows the type of player Wentz is. As long as you have him, the playoffs will always be a possibility, so you might as well make his life as easy as possible.
The cost to get Tate, personally, is frustrating. Seeing the Eagles give up a third round pick for an aging player on an expiring deal is not ideal. Draft picks have to be one of the most valuable commodities to the Eagles while Carson Wentz is still on his rookie deal. They need these picks to acquire young, talented, cost effective players while they can before they have to designate a large chunk of their salary cap to Carson’s eventual mega contract.
To see the Eagles give up an early round pick for someone who could potentially be a rental is concerning, especially when players like Mike Wallace and Mack Hollins could be eligible to return off IR after the bye week. Dynasties are maintain by constantly adding young, quality talent. The best way to do that is by adding and maintaining draft picks and using them wisely. Just look at the Seattle Seahawks, they consistently traded draft picks and are now in a position where they have a franchise quarterback, but almost nothing else. This is a situation the Eagles need to avoid at all costs and a trade like today’s does not accomplish that.
But then again, I suppose I should be more frustrated with the Cowboys than the Eagles. Had they not traded a first round pick for Amari Cooper, Im sure the Eagles could’ve had Tate for much cheaper. Way to ruin the trade market and your own franchise, Dallas.
It is a shame the Eagles go from having four draft picks in the first three rounds to just three in the first two rounds, but there’s no point in crying over spent draft picks. Howie went out and added a probowl wide receiver, who could be resigned on a team friendly deal, and that’s hard to argue against.
Are the Eagles better than the were before the trade? Yes.
Do they have a better chance of making the playoffs because of this trade? Yes. *Although the Redskins adding Ha Ha Clinton-Dix makes me jealous and nervous*
Does this trade make them a Super Bowl threat? Potentially, if Tate’s addition can get this offense looking like it did a year ago.
I still have my questions and concerns about this team, but Howie Roseman seems to still believe they have what it takes. If they’re going to make any type of last season run, this trade proves that it is going to be squarely on the shoulders of Carson Wentz.
Snowballs & Batteries 