March 15, 2022
UPDATE [12:06 p.m.] - The Falcons are now a sleeper team to acquire Deshaun Watson, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, joining the Panthers, Saints, and Browns as the reported lead teams in the running for the Texans QB.
The Falcons have emerged as a sleeper team to acquire Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, league sources tell @mortreport and me. The Falcons join the Panthers, Saints and Browns as teams that have met with, or are interested in, trading for Watson. More to come on ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2022
This could push the Eagles even further away from Watson. The Birds have popped up in rumors in the past, and Howie Roseman and co. were reported to be doing their due diligence, but they seemed to have increasingly fallen out of contention in the past week (to delight of many fans, for sure) and that's if they even were in contention to begin with.
Jalen Hurts at QB is looking more like the route the Eagles are going to stick to. The Falcons, meanwhile, seem to be moving on from Matt Ryan.
Watson faces 22 civil cases of sexual assault/misconduct, but will not face any criminal charges, a Texas jury ruled last Friday. He will be a highly controversial acquisition regardless.
The Eagles did an Eagles thing on Monday, the first day (technically) of NFL free agency in targeting and signing a pass-rusher, inking Haason Reddick to a deal to bolster the front seven.
It is expected by many that the team will add a few more guys over the next few days, including potentially a veteran pass-catcher — something their roster is currently very short on. After spending $30 million guaranteed on Reddick, they have a little but not a lot of wiggle room left under the cap.
A few of their rumored targets, like Christian Kirk (to the Jaguars) and D.J. Chark (to the Lions) are off the board.
Here's a look at many (but not all) of the top wide receivers still available in free agency as of 9 a.m. Tuesday morning:
| Wideout | 2021 stats |
| Allen Robinson (28) | 38-410-1 |
| Jarvis Landry (29) | 52-570-2 |
| Will Fuller (27) | 4-26-0 |
| Jamison Crowder (28) | 51-447-2 |
| TY Hilton (32) | 23-331-3 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster (25) | 15-129-0 |
| Keelan Cole (28) | 28-449-1 |
| Sammy Watkins (28) | 27-394-1 |
| Zach Pascal (27) | 38-384-3 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. (29) | 44-537-5 |
| A.J. Green (33) | 54-848-3 |
What jumps up immediately about the crop of receivers at the top of the pack right now is that many are household names. Many have had monster fantasy football seasons over the past few years. But they all appear to be coming off a down campaign or off an injury. Which means theoretically the Eagles could probably afford any of the above (save for Robinson, who is reportedly seeking something in the $15 million AAV range). Many could also be get-able on one-year prove it type contracts.
There are a ton of options left and the Eagles are expected — at least by our own Jimmy Kempski — to be going after someone in the middle of the pack, like former Colt Zach Pascal with whom Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is familiar.
Will they add someone on that list, or a player at another position of note today? Only one way to find out.
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