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Inside: The NFL version of the most shocking trade in NBA history, the Eagles’ historic offseason, insights from the Senior Bowl and Kellen Moore in New Orleans. But first …
Breaking news we’ll surely come back to in tomorrow’s newsletter: six-time All-Pro Myles Garrett has requested a trade out of Cleveland. Read more here. Back to the program.
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NFL version of NBA’s blockbuster deal
I’m guessing you heard about the Mavericks dealing Luka Dončić — a top-five player in the NBA and still just 25 years old — to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and a future first-round pick (plus some other details).
Before we search for a comparable NFL trade, remember that the 31-year-old Davis is still great (25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game), particularly on defense, and yes, Dončić comes with some questions, including health and whether he’d sign a contract extension with Dallas. But this was a landslide win for the Lakers, and trades like this just don’t happen.
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Now, let’s settle the internet’s biggest football debate of the weekend: What NFL trade would best resemble this deal? The blockbuster 2004 trade that saw Clinton Portis moved for Champ Bailey and a second-round pick comes to mind, but not quite. After seeing some awful takes, I had to go hypothetical here.
Here are four scenarios in which a franchise skill-position player entering their prime is traded for a defensive star and insufficient draft capital:
- Josh Allen to the Steelers for DE T.J. Watt and a third-round pick
- Joe Burrow to the Seahawks for DT Leonard Williams and a first-round pick
- Lamar Jackson to the Raiders for DE Maxx Crosby and a fourth-round pick
- Allen/Burrow/Jackson to the Rams for Matthew Stafford and a third-round pick
- Allen/Burrow/Jackson to the Cowboys for Dak Prescott and a second-round pick
- Justin Jefferson to the Dolphins for CB Jalen Ramsey and a third-round pick
Also, this trade would happen in the middle of a season, not long after the younger star’s team played for a championship, as Dončić’s Mavs did just eight months ago. Absurd, right?
Which of those most resembles the NBA’s stunner? Have a better idea? Share your thoughts here or in the comments below.
If any team NFL could pull off a similar heist, it’s probably the Eagles, actually. Let’s talk about them next.
Eagles: Best offseason … ever?
With all eyes turning to the Super Bowl, Mike Sando dug into the moves that got the Eagles there for the second time in three years. It was the kind of offseason every fan dreams about. Philly did all this:
Free agency: Signed two 27-year-olds — RB Saquon Barkley and LB Zach Baun — who arguably spent this season as the league’s best players on their respective sides of the ball.
Draft: Filled critical holes with two of the best defensive rookies: CB Quinyon Mitchell and DB Cooper DeJean.
Good will: Rewarded homegrown talent by extending WR DeVonta Smith, OT Jordan Mailata and many others, plus promoting C Cam Jurgens after Jason Kelce’s retirement.
Coaching: Hired the perfect coordinators in DC Vic Fangio, who might win assistant coach of the year, and OC Kellen Moore, who’s in line for an even bigger job (more below).
Back in late 2015, after the Eagles fired then-HC Chip Kelly (the new Raiders OC, by the way), they handed Howie Roseman the reins for personnel decisions. Philly’s made three Super Bowls in the eight years since, all without a generational quarterback.
Roseman’s 2024 offseason might not be the best of all time — read where it ranked here — but fans in Philly should promise me to never chant, “Fire Howie,” ever again. You’ve got it good.
A ‘Fire Howie!” chant broke out at tonight’s Phillies game.#Eagleshttps://t.co/DxuGQ4nrQL pic.twitter.com/SXRy5DeAK6
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) April 20, 2021
What Dianna’s Hearing: Saints and Moore?
All signs point to 35-year-old Eagles OC Kellen Moore landing the Saints’ head coaching vacancy.
Some of the other candidates who have interviewed for the job in recent weeks, as well as their agents, were called Friday morning with confirmation that the Saints are moving on. The franchise is planning to meet with Moore after its hometown Super Bowl on Sunday. He can’t officially be hired until then.
🎧 The latest from the “Scoop City” podcast: What the quarterback market will look like this offseason, an important factor for whoever becomes the Saints’ next coach.
Back to you, Jacob.
Senior Bowl Recap
There’s some truth to the Senior Bowl’s boastful tagline that “the draft starts in Mobile.” The league’s talent evaluators attend in droves, mostly to watch the week of practices (and eat ungodly amounts of seafood). The event is most impactful in three ways:
The practices can legitimize prospects. Players who flash talent but had underwhelming college careers can benefit the most. A good example: 2019’s Terry McLaurin, who went from a solid starter on offense and special teams at Ohio State to a definitive top-100 prospect.
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But the game itself can be misleading. Just ask the Giants, whose former GM Dave Gettleman fell in “full-bloom love” with Daniel Jones’ Senior Bowl MVP performance. A few months later, Gettleman made the mediocre Duke quarterback the sixth overall pick.
It also helps smaller-school prospects, offering them a chance to showcase their talent against stronger competition. A long list of NFL starters once fell into this category, most recently the Eagles’ aforementioned Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo.
Draft expert Dane Brugler was in Mobile, watching practice a few feet from coaches like Mike Tomlin. Here are three players who stood out to Dane:
- Week-long riser: WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
- Game-day riser: QB Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
- Small-school riser: OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
To understand why, and to see the full list of prospects who impressed, read Dane’s takeaways.
Super Bowl props, pt. 3/7
In today’s edition, let’s quickly talk under-the-radar players. Here are cases for two who might surprise — because no, a Jalen Hurts anytime touchdown is not galaxy-braining it enough (odds per BetMGM):
Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins (anytime TD). In 2022, Kansas City acquired a WR midseason: Kadarius Toney, who scored in that year’s Super Bowl. In 2023, Mecole Hardman joined midseason and then likewise scored in the Super Bowl. (Both TDs even came on “corndog” short motion plays.) In 2024, they added Hopkins midseason, and … well, expect trickery.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert over 52.5 yards. When I recently rewatched the first Super Bowl meeting between these teams, Goedert stood out as a big part of the game. He had six catches for 60 yards — and a few weeks ago, Houston TE Dalton Schultz had four for 64 against the Chiefs’ man-coverage scheme.
Tomorrow: Tom Brady’s debut season, reviewing rule changes and how one play defines each Super Bowl team.
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(Photo: David Eulitt, Scott Taetsch, Patrick Smith, Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
