The Philadelphia Eagles are in need of a guard and rumor has it that New England Patriots All-Pro guard Joe Thuney could be on their radar.
The New England Patriots are known for doing the unpredictable when it comes to player transactions. One of those surprises came back in March when the team applied the franchise tag to All-Pro guard Joe Thuney worth $14.78 million.
The immediate assumption was the team would trade Thuney prior to the 2020 NFL Draft. That did not happen, but that doesn’t mean a trade is not still a possibility. With a team like the Philadelphia Eagles possibly exploring a deal for a guard following the loss of Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks, rumors are swirling again surrounding the 27-year-old guard.
Here is what Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer had to say about the possibility:
“Would they take a big swing on someone like New England’s franchise-tagged All Pro guard, Joe Thuney? Based on what I know…I think they’d at least explore it. But, again, that’s probably more of a down-the-road contingency thing for now.”
With the two sides reportedly not close on an extended deal, if the Patriots can’t reach a deal with Thuney by the July 15 deadline, Bill Belichick will be the one picking up the phone to explore trades, but what if the Eagles call first?
Could they possibly entice the Patriots with an offer they can’t resist?
What would that deal look like?
Who on the current Philadelphia Eagles roster should the Patriots ask for in a deal?
Let’s assume Belichick won’t settle for just draft compensation, let’s explore three players who would be attractive to the New England Patriots in a Joe Thuney deal.
New England Patriots would add quarterback competition with Kyle Lauletta.
Remember prior to the 2018 NFL Draft how much the New England Patriots were linked to Richmond product Kyle Lauletta?
Well, with the team still possibly looking to add another quarterback for camp competition to both Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, the Philadelphia Eagles could offer Lauletta along with a third-round draft pick for Joe Thuney.
After shocking the NFL by drafting Jalen Hurts and with Nate Sudfeld as the backup to Carson Wentz, the third-year quarterback is certainly available and is a player the Patriots are familiar with.
In this scenario, not only would the New England Patriots set themselves up with a valuable draft pick and a young quarterback who could push Stidham, they also free up a ton of cap space, which could put them in position to sign a couple more veteran players prior to the start of the 2020 NFL season.
Again, this is not the deal that would send shockwaves through the NFL but having another young quarterback in camp like Kyle Lauletta would at least give Stidham a run for his money, which of course benefits the New England Patriots offense.
Dallas Goedert would solidify the New England Patriots tight end position.
When the New England Patriots has a similar situation with All-Pro guard Logan Mankins back in 2014, they acquired tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-round draft pick from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in return for the disgruntled offensive lineman.
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Now, Joe Thuney is not in the same league as Mankins at this stage of his career, but could the Philadelphia Eagles be desperate enough to part ways with one of their top two tight ends?
We all know the Patriots tight end situation and if the Eagles were looking to lure the team into a deal, offering up either Zach Ertz or Dallas Goedert would have to get the attention of Bill Belichick.
If you are an Eagles fan, you are saying no way but with both players up for contracts in 2021, it could be impossible for the team to keep both. The question is which one would they part ways with?
A better question for New England Patriots fans is which one makes more sense for the direction the offense is going in after the departure of Tom Brady.
If Brady was still on the team, the obvious answer would be Ertz, but given his youth and size, Dallas Goedert would give the Patriots offense that big tight end target they have been lusting after to replace the presence of Rob Gronkowski on the field.
With 58 receptions for 607 yards in 2019, Goedert would easily be the top tight end option in New England. But, of course, his availability depends on what the Eagles plan to do with Zach Ertz.
New England Patriots could end up with Jalen Hurts after all.
With Carson Wentz as their franchise quarterback, why in the world did the Philadelphia Eagles draft Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft?
Well, apparently, they plan to use him in a similar way as the New Orleans Saints used Taysom Hill.
"“It’s just something we’re going to explore,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said, via ESPN. “I want to make a point here first and foremost that Jalen Hurts is a good quarterback, and he was drafted as a quarterback and he’s a quarterback first, but he has a unique skill set that he’s a great runner. Obviously, he throws well on the run. He has a unique set of skills that we’re going to take a look at as we keep developing this offseason and this advancement, so to speak, as we get ready for training camp.”"
In the meantime, what the Eagles really did was take Hurts off the board before the New England Patriots had a chance to select the one quarterback they were linked to the most.
So, could they or would they offer Jalen Hurts to the Patriots for Joe Thuney?
It depends on how high Pederson really is on Hurts potential to give the Eagles offense the same type of dynamic Lamar Jackson and Hill gives their offenses. In a copycat league, the Eagles obviously have plans for the Oklahoma product to take him in the second round.
But, if he is what it takes to lure Joe Thuney in a deal that helps the Eagles replace Brandon Brooks, the New England Patriots may just end up with Jalen Hurts after all.
Now, wouldn’t that be interesting and what we call a twist of fate.