Philadelphia Eagles Make Questionable Decision Trading Up In 2016 NFL Draft

Just a week after a trade occurred for the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the No. 2 overall will be on the move as well. The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly agreed to a trade with the Cleveland Browns that will send five picks to the Browns (including two first-rounders) in exchange for the No. 2 overall pick and a conditional fourth-rounder. While moving up to the second pick will guarantee the Eagles a quarterback, the deal was a questionable decision at best since they surrendered so much to move up.

The fact is that the Eagles already had a couple of decent options at the quarterback position coming out of the offseason. The team has Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel, and while neither of them are long-term starters, one of them will likely be solid enough to lift the team to a decent season. At the very least, the team could have gotten through this season with the two of them as the starters and possibly found a new starter next offseason.

Speaking of trading up for quarterbacks, this was probably not the class to do it in. While Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are both solid players in their own right, neither is a top-tier prospect like Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota was last year. They each have their own flaws and they may take a while to develop. That said, mortgaging the farm to acquire one of them is a questionable decision. And since the Eagles did not necessarily need a quarterback this draft, it makes this deal even more questionable.

As for the Browns, they have made out like bandits. The team apparently did not want one of the top two quarterbacks, and they will now find themselves in position to select one of the six blue chip quarterbacks in this class. If they are lucky, Ezekiel Elliott will be available at the eighth pick, as he could rejuvenate their offense immediately during his first season.

At the end of the day, this move was not a great one for the Eagles. They just gave up too much to get an unproven player. Their depth will suffer as a result of the trade and it will not be good news for their future. The Browns are going to be happy with the results of this trade, and perhaps it will help get their franchise on the right track.