NBC Sports Philadelphia's Derrick Gunn appeared on Thursday night's On The Clock draft special, hours before the start of the 2020 NFL Draft, with some spicy news for Eagles fans.
According to Gunn, a pair of recent Eagles draft picks -including 2019 first round pick Andre Dillard - seem to have been labeled expendable by the team's front office as they look to upgrade before next season:
For the past several weeks, they have been dangling Rasul Douglas, trying to trade him. There has been no takers in that regard, and if that is the case, there it goes again: another Eagles high draft pick that didn't pan out.
[...]
I was also told Andre Dillard had been dangled out there as possible trade bait, to a couple of teams, and on a couple of occassions, the information came back: 'Not interested at this particular time.'
That's an eye-opener!
Rumors about the Eagles possibly offering Douglas and Dillard as trade bait to move up in Thursday's draft surfaced when some New York Jets reporters floated the two names as potential chips in an Eagles-Jets deal.
The goal for the Eagles, of course, is to add a top-tier wide receiver this weekend, and Dillard or Douglas might move the needle, either in a trade-up situation or in a deal for a receiver already in the league.
Dillard wasn't bad in his rookie season appearances, though it sounds like the Eagles' organization has concerns about his future and fit with the team, and Gunn's report certainly indicates those concerns are real. Shopping last year's first-round pick certainly isn't ideal.
NFL
It's unclear what exactly the Eagles' plan at left tackle would be if they traded Dillard. Legendary left tackle Jason Peters, who mutually parted ways with the team this offseason, is still a free agent.
It sounds, at this time, like the two will at least remain Eagles through Thursday night, but you never know what Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has up his sleeve when he has a target in his sights.
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