Could Philadelphia Eagles land Calvin Johnson in trade before deadline?

Rumors are swirling about the Philadelphia Eagles showing interest in trading for Calvin Johnson from the Detroit Lions.

Thanks to Carson Wentz leading the NFL with 19 touchdown passes at the moment, the offense of the Philadelphia Eagles has been one of the biggest surprises from the first half of the NFL 2017 season, as the team heads into Week 9 with a 7-1 record. However, that doesn’t mean the Eagles wouldn’t welcome someone new to help take the offense to a whole new level during their second-half stretch, especially if that individual happens to be Calvin Johnson.

Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com discussed on Monday how the Eagles, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, have spoken to the Detroit Lions over the possibility of landing the star wideout. As Kempski discussed, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen was interviewed on Mike and Mike Monday morning about the possibility, which should have Philadelphia fans feeling excitement.

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Here’s what Mortensen had to say courtesy of Kempski:

"“The speculation has been the Philadelphia Eagles,” Mortensen said. “Once again, they need a tackle. They’re 7-1. They have only a first round pick next year, and three 4’s. They don’t have a second- or third-round pick. That’s not good. What’s it going to take to get Calvin Johnson, who by the way has a base salary still on the books for $16 million? Calvin has been working out, I guess, but does he really want to play? Jacksonville’s ears are perked up. Chances are, I don’t think it happens.”"

Keep in mind that Johnson’s decision to retire prior to the start of the 2016 season came as quite the surprise since the wideout still seemed to have plenty of solid years left ahead of him, which is why the Eagles would need permission from the Lions if there’s any chance of this happening. With that being said, when looking at how effective Wentz has been with this current group of receivers, one can only imagine what the addition of Johnson would do for this unit, especially if he returns to his dominant form from his glory days before retirement.

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For instance, the fact that Johnson caught 27 touchdown passes during his final three years with the Lions shows why he was always Matthew Stafford‘s favorite target over the years. These may only be rumors at the moment, but just the thought of Johnson suiting up for the Eagles makes this story worth keeping an eye on heading into Tuesday’s trade deadline.