Eagles Mailbag: A wide receiver splash, trade returns, Jeff Lurie

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We answered the first half of your Eagles questions yesterday, so we'll finish up today. 

The first mailbag of the week took on your questions about Alshon Jeffery, running backs in the draft and the real reason for the Eagles' offensive struggles in 2016. 

Plenty more good ones today: 

These two questions kind of go together, so I'll address them at once, as I remember back to last offseason. I didn't expect Howie Roseman to make a ton of big splashes, which seems comical now looking back. But if you remember, it really wasn't expected. Then Roseman cannonballed his way through the offseason. 

I'm tempted to say the Eagles won't splash this year either, but I know better. I'm not sure Roseman knows how not to splash. 

So here's what I'll say: Anything is on the table and I believe the Eagles really understand the importance of getting Carson Wentz some weapons. 

Now, will that mean Brandin Cooks? That would be tricky. He's just entering his prime and was a first-rounder in 2014. But don't rule out any trade from Roseman, who has consistently made more trades than most GMs in the league. He's at least going to explore every option. 

And if he doesn't trade for one, I'd be absolutely shocked if the Eagles don't sign a receiver the average fan has at least heard of. Even if they do, I still wouldn't rule out drafting a receiver with a high pick.

Along with corner, wide receiver was clearly the biggest weak spot in 2016. The difference between the two is the lack of receivers prevented the franchise quarterback from reaching his potential. I'd be shocked if the Eagles don't try to rectify that situation. 

The problem with trying to trade guys who would become salary cap casualties is that it doesn't leave much room for leverage. Why trade for a guy who will end up on the market in a week, especially if that guy makes a lot of money?

I don't think there will be much of a market for Ryan Mathews, especially coming off his injury. I fully expect the Eagles to cut him to save $4 million. 

While Connor Barwin probably has some good football left in him, that contract makes it tougher to trade him. Is it possible? Sure, but don't expect a great return. 

Kendricks is a pretty good trade candidate, but don't expect too much back for him, either. Jason Kelce is another guy who could probably be a trade candidate. 

Here's something I learned a while back: Draft picks and cars are the two things that instantly lose value when they're a day old. Draft picks are viewed as so incredibly valuable that a player's worth in relation, especially a player who makes money, just doesn't stack up. That's why oftentimes the return for a player in a trade isn't normally what fans would hope. But something is always worth more than nothing, so it's worth a go. 

I get a lot of Jeff Lurie hate on my timeline and I understand it. Ultimately, it's all on him. Every bad decision is on him because he's the guy who hires the decision-makers. 

There's one thing I don't get, though: the idea that he doesn't care about winning. I think he really cares about winning; he just doesn't know how to do it. 

In fact, recent reports about his becoming more involved in football decisions only reaffirm my belief that he desperately wants to win a championship but doesn't know how to get it done. 

The questionable moves have piled up. The most questionable in recent history was giving Chip Kelly complete control and basically saying it was done so that if it all went bad, he could fire him. Now, that's paraphrasing, but it’s kind of what he said last year at the owners' meetings after he had already put Roseman back in charge. 

I don't think Roseman is completely made of Teflon either. It looks like it now, but remember, Lurie once parted ways with his childhood friend Joe Banner (they haven’t been winners since). This is a results-driven business and if Roseman eventually doesn't produce, he'll be gone too.

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