Should Eagles pursue Texans trade rumor ahead of deadline?

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The NFL trade deadline is two weeks away, and the rumor mill is starting to turn at high speeds.

After firing head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien, the Texans seem resigned to a lost 2020 season, and Sunday morning brought a report that Houston might be willing to sell off some intriguing veterans ahead of the deadline.

With Howie Roseman reportedly considering being aggressive at the deadline because of a wide-open NFC East, could the Texans' moveable pieces intrigue the Birds' front office? Let's see who they might be willing to send out.

Per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora:

"League sources indicated a number of teams are preparing to engage in trade talks with Houston in hopes of fortifying their rosters for a playoff push. In particular, general managers and personnel execs have pointed to pass rusher Whitney Mercilus, linebacker Zach Cunningham, corner Bradley Roby, tight end Darren Fells and receivers Brandin Cooks and/or Will Fuller as potential trade targets.

"[...]

"The Texans' situation could be aided by other teams not embracing a rebuild."

Very intriguing, particularly La Canfora's last sentence there. The Eagles are far from a good team, but with the new 14-team playoff field and a regularly winnable division, Roseman & Co. don't seem eager to rebuild so much as retool and push for the postseason.

Now, are any of those names interesting to the Eagles? The word is that Roseman understandably wants to improve the linebacker position, but Cunningham is probably impossible - he carries a prohibitive cap hit this year ($23 million) and next year ($18 million). The defensive line is stacked, so the 30-year-old Mercilus probably doesn't make sense. Roby is pricey this year and next, as is Cooks. 

But the other two? Maybe...

The Birds could use another tight end, particularly with Zach Ertz's future uncertain and the team in love with those Patriots-style two-tight end sets. Fells is on a team-friendly contract through 2021, and would be a great Goedert backup next season if the Birds move on from Ertz.

And then there's the idea of Fuller, which I really like. He's on the last year of his rookie deal, he's a Philly native, and he's a stud. Getting a guy like Fuller in the building for 10 games, to see if there's a natural fit with Carson Wentz, would give you a leg up before he becomes a free agent this summer, when he'll be paid handsomely - but you'll also try to get Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson off the books. 

At the very least, it's something to think about - and maybe act on.

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