Philadelphia Eagles: *sigh* let’s trade for Odell Beckham Jr.

When was the last time the Philadelphia Eagles had a true blue superstar wide receiver?

Sure, some will argue they have one now, as DeVonta Smith looks like a revelation when compared to the DGB’s of the world the team has employed over the past half-decade, but he isn’t a Pro Bowler quite yet, even if he could eventually reach that level.

How about DeSean Jackson? While he may go down as the best pure deep threat in NFL history, D-Jax was never what one would call a “complete” receiver who could run any route and beat any coverage.

Alshon Jeffery? No. 1b at best. Nelson Agholor? Heck no. Even Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles’ most recent 1,000-yard receiver, was largely the beneficiary of a strong supporting cast and only had one genuinely transcendent season in midnight green.

No, to find the last legit superstar wide receiver employed by the Eagles, one has to go all the way back to 2004, when they had a wide receiver so ubiquitous that he is known worldwide by only two letters.

So naturally, when a player in a similar stratosphere becomes available while still in their prime, one would naturally connect the Eagles to his services, as they’re borderline desperate for that level of production, right? I mean, even now, in a not-great season with a burgeoning superstar waiting in the wings, landing a Pro Bowl-caliber partner would surely help the team moving forward.

*sigh* for the umpteenth season in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles need to ask themselves one simple question: Should we make a trade for Odell Beckham Jr?

OBJ? To the Philadelphia Eagles? At this point, why not?

Has any player had a rocket strapped to their back earlier in their career than Odell Beckham Jr?

Seriously, he went from the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft to the cover of Madden in one calendar year and picked up a Pro Bowl appearance, a Kids Choice Award, and a signature catch-all off the strength of an outstanding rookie season.

And to think, OBJ did it all while catching passes from Eli Manning. I kid, of course, but only slightly.

Despite playing for a perennial loser through the first five years of his career, as the Giants only had one winning season and an overall record well below .500 over that tenure, Beckham remained a box-office attraction in the States’ premier media market and was awarded with a five-year, $95 million contract extension in August of 2018 to remain in New York for a very long time.

… and by very long time, I mean a good seven more months, as Beckham was traded by the Giants in a combo deal alongside Olivier Vernon to Cleveland for Jabril Peppers, Kevin Zeitler, a 2019  first-round pick, and a 2019 third-round pick.

Fun fact: The two picks the Giants acquired in the OBJ trade ended up being used on Dexter Lawrence and Oshane Ximines, who are both defensive linemen but have fallen on the opposite ends of productivity thus far in their careers in New York.

From there, Beckham played 26 games over two seasons and counting for the Browns and has remained one of the league’s better receivers. Sure, he’s only surprised the century mark once, and his efficiency numbers are generally down, but he spent much of the 2020 season on IR with torn ACL and never really fit into new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s scheme.

So naturally, when news broke that the 2021 season would likely be OBJ’s last in Cleveland, it left many a fan in the Delaware Valley and elsewhere wondering what would come of the final two years and $30 million left on the two-time second-team All-Pro’s contract.

If the Browns are looking to make a deal, could the Philadelphia Eagles get in on that action?

In 2021, that answer is almost surely a maybe. This season of Beckham contract is worth $15.75 million, and even if a trade partner only has to take on the pro-rated portion of his contract, it would be incredibly hard for the majority of teams around the league to get such an expansive number under the cap without exchanging a similarly expensive contract in a deal.

The Eagles, oddly enough, are one of the few teams in the NFL who actually could make a deal for Beckham’s services, as they have $16.5 million in available cap space, according to Spotrac, and could easily cash some of that in for the polarizing receiver’s services. The team also has a bevy of draft picks at their disposal, including as many as three on Day 2 if Carson Wentz doesn’t meet the snap count needed to bump the Colts pick into the first round. If the Eagles end up with three first-round picks in 2022, would it really be the worst thing to exchange a third or even second-round pick – a similar going rate to that of Julio Jones – for a soon-to-be 30-year-old receiver with two more years left on his contract?

And that not even considering Beckham’s on-field abilities, which are still very good. Pair him up with DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins, and the Eagles might just have the best receiving corps in the NFC East, which is saying a lot, considering the Cowboys’ weapons are pretty, pretty, pretty good. Whether lined up at the X, as a flanker or even in the slot – but probably at the X – Beckham remains a sure-handed receiving target who can cushion a young quarterbacks margin for error and produce the occasional circus catch worthy of a spot on Sportscenter.

Don’t you think the Eagles’ offense could use a little excitement? A little flash? A little pizazz? Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to buy a football player’s signature sneakers or watch him take part in Hulu commercials? It’s been too long; unlike Campbell’s Soup, those old-school commercials with Donovan McNabb and his Mama can’t sustain us forever.

Trading for Odell Beckham Jr. now feels like a classic Howie Roseman move. It would garner incredible headlines, get the people talking, and potentially take some of the heat off of his incredibly hot general manager’s chair. Would it actually help the Philadelphia Eagles get to the playoffs? Eh, probably not too much either way, that has more to do with Nick Sirianni, but it would surely provide the rookie head coach with another legit offensive weapon and Jalen Hurts with a viable target with similar swag. If the price is right, I’d at least consider it. If not, well, there’s always next year.