With the 2015 NFL Draft quickly approaching in April, the question is should the Philadelphia Eagles trade for reigning Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota?
Philadelphia is set to draft 20th overall in the first round, and a lot of chatter has surrounded Head Coach Chip Kelly and Mariota, a former standout quarterback during Kelly’s tenure at Oregon University.
The biggest problem is Mariota is projected to go early in the first round within the first ten picks.
To get the former Oregon Duck star, the Eagles would have to move up substantially in the draft order.
Today in the NFL, it costs a lot to trade up. It may be too costly for the Eagles to move up and not be worth it in the end if Mariota doesn’t perform as well as expected.
One report showed that the Buccaneers, who hold the first pick in the draft, were in talks with the Eagles about trading their first round pick.
Philadelphia was offering quarterback Nick Foles, running back LeSean McCoy, and three first round picks.
That is a whole lot of stock as both Foles and McCoy are above average players at their respective positions.
Although the Eagles just recently traded star-studded running back McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso, this gives them a ton more salary cap space to sign some big free agents this offseason.
With more than $50 million available in their salary cap, Philadelphia has a chance to upgrade their secondary or re-sign wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.
Kevin Fox, 19, from Southampton, thinks otherwise about Mariota. “I think if the price is right, it’d be worth trading for him. He can fit right into the system and already has previous chemistry with Kelly as a coach.”
As for the McCoy trade, Kevin thought it was a smart move.
“With how disposable backs have become, we got a nice, young linebacker out of it … it shouldn’t be too hard to find a guy that can come in and split carries with Sproles at running back whether it’s the draft or free agency.”
The running back class this year is a deep one at the draft, and there are some fitting names in the market available.
Eagles fans should be happy with this trade in the long run.
Moreover, the Eagles have other questions about their team, involving the defensive side of the ball.
Philadelphia’s secondary was one of the most exposed units last year and need to upgrade with a good prospect.
In several mock drafts, analysts have the Eagles selecting a range of defensive backs between Washington’s Marcus Peters, Alabama’s Landon Collins and even Trae Waynes from Michigan State who is rated as the best cornerback in the draft.