The Philadelphia Eagles should’ve traded for Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs would’ve been the Philadelphia Eagles WR1 for years to come.

Now I get it, hindsight is always 20/20 and all that good stuff, however, the Philadelphia Eagles without question had the worst performing wide receivers in the NFL last season. A blossoming superstar in Stefon Diggs became available via the trade market, and Howie Roseman sat on his hands and did absolutely nothing. On paper, pulling the trigger for Diggs made sense both then and now, and the Eagles are currently suffering for their lack of aggressiveness.

Roseman and the Philadelphia front office foolishly put their faith in a returning Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson, and banked on the idea that they could get production out of some late-round draft picks. Now with just one win through the season’s first five games, Carson Wentz has been relegated to targeting Travis Fulgham as his WR1.

Diggs currently has more yards than Philly’s top two receivers combined, and his two receiving TDs would rank first on the Eagles as well. His presence has elevated Josh Allen to that of a legitimate MVP candidate, and the Bills are undefeated heading into Tuesday Night Football. Whether you want to call it hindsight bias or not, it’s not hard to connect the dots here.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

For reference’s sake, Diggs was acquired by the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 fifth-round pick, a 2020 sixth-round pick, and a future fourth-round pick. When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles and how they utilized said draft picks in this past draft, they selected Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Shaun Bradley/Quez Watkins (we’ll go with Bradley since he was selected first).

Simply put, the question then becomes: Would you currently trade Reagor, Hightower, and Bradley for Stefon Diggs?

I know my answer!

One of the biggest reasons Howie Roseman reportedly balked at a Diggs move (or a DeAndre Hopkins move for that matter) was due to his lofty cap hit, which appears to be a valid reason on the surface. However, when you dig a little deeper into how the Eagles approached this past offseason, it’s a completely ridiculous excuse.

The Eagles very first move of free agency was signing DT Javon Hargrave to a $39 million contract. Not only is his $13 million cap hit one of the largest on the team, but it’s actually larger than Diggs’ current hit is projected to be in 2021 and 2022.

Hargrave has one sack and zero TFLs this season.

By landing Diggs prior to the draft, the Eagles offense would’ve effectively been “fixed”, setting them up in a better position to contend for a postseason spot here in 2020. Maybe this causes Roseman to prioritize more “ready-now” players in the second and third rounds like Kristian Fulton and Akeem Davis-Gaither, instead of Jalen Hurts and Davion Taylor.

No matter how you chalk it up, adding someone of Diggs’ caliber to this struggling Eagles team would’ve made it miles better. Sacrificing a few draft picks and another overpaid DT would’ve been well worth the cost.

The Eagles made a calculated decision to not give their quarterback a legitimate WR1 this past offseason (and the offseason before that as well), and it’s coming back to bite them hard. Wentz is routinely running for his life each and every Sunday, throwing to guys most people have never heard of. Josh Allen on the other is having the time of his life, operating in an offense predicated around Diggs being wide open every single play. It’s hard not to feel like the Eagles wouldn’t be at least 3-2 right now if Wentz had that same luxury.