Philadelphia Eagles: Trading Up in the NFL Draft Would Be Disastrous

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly interested in drafting a quarterback early in the 2012 NFL draft. If the pre-draft workouts can be any proof, then this rumor might be true, since the Eagles had workouts with Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill and Nick Foles.

Tannehill, more specifically, is regarded as the quarterback the Eagles like more, excluding Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, which are heading to Indianapolis and Washington respectively.

However, Tannehill is on the Cleveland Browns’ radar and the Miami Dolphins might be interested too. Both these teams have higher picks than Philly. Unless the Eagles trade up, they might lose the chance to add Tannehill.

Cleveland.com reports that Philadelphia is among the teams that may be tempted to trade up for the Browns’ no.4 pick, in order to draft the 23-year old signal caller from Texas A&M. If that’s true, then the discussion about the 2012 NFL season should start over.

The way I see it, you don’t draft a quarterback in the first round heading towards an “all-in” season, unless you strongly believe he can instantly improve your team. Tannehill is no Cam Newton and the Eagles already have a great quarterback in Michael Vick. Undoubtedly, if they make a move for Tannehill, that’s part of their plan for the future.

Even if that’s the case, the Eagles are risking too much. It’s not wise to predict a player’s development, since work ethic is more important than talent, however I don’t see Tannehill as a franchise quarterback. The Eagles are a team that wants to compete, not just participate in the league. If they want to do that in the future, they need more than Tannehill.

Additionally, there is a price you have to pay if you want to climb the draft order. Washington gave two future first-rounders, its 2012 first and second-rounder, only to get the no. 2 overall pick of the 2012 draft. Are the Eagles willing to give up that much for Tannehill?

Personally, I don’t see the point in drafting Tannehill. There’s no guarantee he’s an upgrade over Kafka. If it’s a move for the future, then why not wait for the 2013 or the 2014 draft? There’s no hurry to get a future quarterback when Michael Vick is on board.

I don’t believe the Eagles are going to make a bold move for Tannehill. They have other priorities. They need to add players at linebacker, safety and defensive tackle more than a quarterback.

Their squad can compete for the NFC East title. They are not in rebuilding mode. Trading up for Tannehill will take away some valuable picks that can be used to address their current issues.