Philadelphia Eagles: 5 potential cornerback trade targets

Artie  Burns

Another player that Bill Barnwell suggests the Eagles should go after is 24-year-old Artie Burns, and who am I to argue with such sound logic?

Burns is entering in his fourth season in the NFL, and the Steelers have already declined his fifth-year option showing they aren’t interested in keeping him following this season regardless.

That being the case, why shouldn’t Philadelphia inquire about the young defensive back?

With 53 straight appearances since entering the league in 2016 (with 31 starts), Burns has recorded 27 passes defensed, four interceptions, 141 combine tackles, and a safety. Although Burns has fallen out of favor with the Steelers’ brass over the last two seasons, the young corner has shown promise and potential that’s worth exploring on the cheap.

$675,000 to be exact.

Being in a contract year, it’s expected to see Burns play with some extra motivation, as well as the chip on his shoulder from after Pittsburgh declined his fifth-year option.

The Eagles could also benefit trading for Burns due to the compensatory pick formula, as Barnwell explained best, stating, “The Eagles had signed linebacker L.J. Fort, but if they cut Fort, the Steelers would then lose the third-round pick they were projected to gain in the 2020 draft as part of losing Le’Veon Bell. (It’s a complicated formula.)”. Obviously, the Eagles have since cut Fort and can’t help but put the idea in your mind if Howie made the move to cut Fort with his eyes on Burns all along. Where the compensatory pick favors the Eagles is explained in another Barnwell article where he states, “The Eagles would stand to gain a fourth-round pick by cutting Fort, who is canceling out the loss of Jordan Hicks to the Cardinals.”

Of course, Burns can’t be close to alights out lockdown defender right out of the gate or expected to take over CB1 duties, but he would add depth and could prove worthy of playing time in games as a possible fourth corner or in a special teams spot.

At the same time, with the Steelers showing their hand in how they feel on continuing with Burns, the Eagles should be able to get him for a cheap price; anything from a conditional 2020 fifth to seventh-round pick.