The Philadelphia Eagles may be on the verge of setting the football world ablaze during the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night.
Then again, they could be throwing out smoke that would make the Papal Conclave seem minor in the grand scheme of things. Okay, that’s going a bit too far.
In any event, a new rumor being thrown around is that the Eagles are interested in moving up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first overall pick and the right to select former Oregon standout Marcus Mariota.
This report (rumor?) comes on the heels of talk that Chip Kelly and company are doing everything possible to secure his former pupil at Oregon.
However, it must be taken with a grain of salt.
First off, Philadelphia would pretty much have to give up the farm and then some to pull off a trade into the top two. A combination of multiple first-round picks and a couple players would have to go to Tampa Bay in any deal. Those players mentioned as possibilities include: Mychal Kendricks, Vinny Curry, Brandon Boykin and Fletcher Cox.
Second, Tampa Bay has reportedly told its players that Jameis Winston will be the pick when the draft kicks off around 8:00 p.m. ET. Any deal involving the first pick would obviously have to be signed off by the Buccaneers brass. That’s highly unlikely.
Finally, it’s not a secret that Philadelphia has been engaging in conversations with the Titans for the second pick. Why not throw this rumor out there to put some pressure on the team possessing the second pick?
One thing is clear here. The Eagles are going to attempt to do something big on Thursday night. It just remains to be seen what that is.
Photo: USA Today Sports