October 24, 2019
The NFL's trade deadline is five days away, which means the rumor mill is about to start heating up and a select few pipe dreams will start turning into realities.
One long-rumored possibility that suddenly seems more concrete: the Jets are reportedly willing to trade wideout Robby Anderson for the "right price," according to the New York Daily News. As you may remember, the Eagles reportedly tried to acquire Anderson, the now-26-year-old Temple product and New Jersey native, last season before trade talks broke down and they opted for Golden Tate instead.
Here's the report straight from the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta:
"The Jets are looking to add 2020 draft capital with an eye on quickly improving their roster. To that end, Gang Green has made it clear to teams that wide receiver Robby Anderson can be had before the Oct. 29 trade deadline for the right price, according to sources.
"The Jets entertained trading Anderson before last year’s deadline. The Eagles had interest in the speedy wideout a year ago, but the Jets sat tight."
Anything that comes from reporters not named Adam Schefter should be taken with a grain of salt, if only because the trade deadline is a fluid time for front offices. Sure, the Jets are willing to trade Anderson, but their "right price" might be entirely too high for any deal to get done by next week.
The Eagles, beyond their season-old interest in the big-play wideout and the lingering absence of DeSean Jackson, suddenly have an obvious connection to the Jets' front office in general manager Joe Douglas, who spent three years building a Super Bowl contender with, and also just generally hanging out with, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
Roseman is widely known to be an avid window shopper when players hit the trade block, so you can bet he'll make at least a phone call to Douglas, especially considering the sorry state of the Eagles' wide receiving corps — and especially if the Birds ship Nelson Agholor out before the deadline.
What's the "right price" for a player like Anderson, who has 17 catches for 266 yards and a touchdown this year on a quarterback-less team, and will be an unrestricted free agent next season? Good question. The Eagles traded a third-round pick for Tate last year, a player with a similar contract situation and a better track record than Anderson.
If I'm Roseman, a 2020 fifth-round pick would be an ideal price considering the team has three at its disposal. If Douglas is pushy, a 2020 fourth-rounder could potentially be worth it if Roseman and the front office believes the team has a shot at returning to form before the year's up.
You obviously don't want to give up too much capital for a player who could easily walk this offseason, as Tate did. But if Roseman believes his team can right the ship enough to compete with the Packers, 49ers, and Saints for a spot in the Super Bowl, you'd better believe he'll think hard about trying to grab Anderson.
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