Eagles Offseason Redemption: Trade for a No. 1 Wide Receiver

We are in need of a sign of life from the Eagles front office.  The Stacy Andrews signing has a lot of risk to it, and our heart was just torn from our collective chest when Dawkins held up that hideous blue and orange jersey.

We need to add a playmaker to the mix, and not because Donovan wants one.  We need one because we need a championship.  The Eagles are currently a ridiculous $43.8 million below the NFL Salary Cap per EaglesCap.com; the front office’s inaction is further evidence of their lack of commitment to success.

We are all still digesting the changes we’ve seen thus far, but the fastest way to win back the fanbase is to give us the WR we have been chanting for.  Despite the obvious holes at safety, offensive line, running back, fullback, tight end, etc., adding a wide receiver will make the biggest splash.

And trading is the only way to make that happen.  The mediocre 2009 free agency class of WRs had its valedictorian graduate to Seattle today, and veterans Joey Galloway, Laveranues Coles, Devery Henderson, and Marvin Harrison are among the best who remain unsigned.  All can be playmakers, but none can compare to the options who have been rumored to be available via the trade market:

Anquan Boldin

Anquan put on a clinic in ‘08, scoring 11 TDs in a season shortened to 12 games due to a broken face he sustained in Week Four.  Boldin at one point was requesting a trade from Arizona, but it appears as though the departure of Todd Haley have quieted the All-Pro WR.  Anquan would fit in perfectly with the Eagles; he is an explosive, sure-handed, tough receiver to go along with DeSean and White Lightning in the slot and outside.  If the Cardinals give Kurt Warner all of Anquan’s money, talks may flare up again.

Braylon Edwards

Had a terrible year by his standards in 2008 (870 yards, 3 TDs), and he hasn’t been getting along with the Cleveland fans due to recurring dropped passes.  New head coach Eric Mangini is looking to overhaul the franchise, and from what Braylon’s been saying, he isn’t a big fan of Cleveland. 

“It is what it is…I’ve learned since being here that I’m very unappreciated.  Not by the organization, just in the eyes of the fans and the city.  Since day one, I’ve been a marked man coming from Michigan. It’s just gone that way.” 

Depending on what Mangini’s impulsive decision tells him to do, the Eagles may be able to get a potentially great No. 1 receiver at a relative bargain.

Brandon Marshall

New Denver head coach Josh McDaniels is clearly in the process of overhauling the roster he inherited, and controversial WR Brandon Marshall may be available at the right price.  Although Marshall may be suspended for a portion of ‘08 due to an ongoing domestic violence case, he has the talent to be one of the best WRs in the NFL, and I would sure love to steal something back from Denver.

The prospect of the Cardinals trading one of their All-Pro WRs to the Eagles seems unlikely, but if the Eagles were to put an aggressive offer out like a first and third round draft pick, could Arizona refuse?  In the case of Edwards or Marshall, a second and fifth round pick could potentially convince their team's new management to make a move.  At the end of the day, both players are completely at the mercy of the teams that own their contracts, but I’m sure they all would like to get a new contract and play on a Super Bowl contending team.

We want to be a Super Bowl contending team, right?