Even with training camp getting underway this week, the rumor mill continues to chug along. Eagles wideout Jalen Reagor is no stranger to rumors, especially those of the trade variety.
This newest edition to the Reagor rumor saga is certainly an intriguing one. SB Nation’s Blogging The Boys recently put together a list of three potential trade targets the Cowboys could look at before the season starts. With Dallas’ lack of depth at the receiver position, adding another capable body to that position would make sense for the Cowboys.
We know CeeDee Lamb is a solid WR1, but the team’s WR2, Michael Gallup, is expected to miss time this year as he continues to rehab his torn ACL. Although the team went out and acquired former Steelers wideout James Washington and drafted South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert in the third-round this year, adding another wideout never hurts.
That’s where Reagor comes in.
Blogging the Boy’s Brian Matin writes, “Like all of the other wide receivers on this list, [Reagor] is also currently buried on the depth chart, making him an ideal candidate for a WR-needy team to try to acquire via trade.” While I believe Reagor still has a really solid chance to make the roster this year, Martin’s completely right on his depth chart positioning. With the additions of A.J. Brown and Zach Pascal this offseason, Reagor seems like the odd-man out.
“Dallas’ familiarity with Jalen Reagor, and the need for a player with his skill set, could make him an ideal trade target, even between divisional foes,” Martin continues. “A 2023 late-round pick could be all it takes to acquire this versatile playmaker if the Eagles want to get something back for a bust in their system.”
When it comes to a potential Reagor departure from Philly, there are a few things that need to be discussed.
First and foremost, the cap hit he’ll incur. Straight up cutting Reagor is probably off the table. According to OverTheCap, Reagor would incur a dead cap hit of about $6 million if he was released. That’s simply too much for a guy who’s only entering his third year. Trading Reagor, though, is feasible. Trading Reagor would incur a dead cap hit of just $1.8M this year and next (about $2.6M in total).
The next question worth asking is, would the Eagles actually entertain sending him to Dallas? If they do end up trading Reagor to the Cowboys, that tells us all we need to know about how the organization feels about their 2020 first-round pick. If they had any type of faith in Reagor putting it all together and becoming a productive receiver, there’s no shot they’d send him to a division rival for the small price of a late-round pick.
Even though I still have faith Reagor can be something here in Philly, I agree that a fresh start for the wideout is probably best. Giving him that fresh start with a legitimate franchise quarterback with arguably their biggest rival could end up biting them in the ass, though. It feels too risky.
Just imagine the idea of Reagor becoming what we all thought he could be coming out of college with a star on his helmet. As if seeing Justin Jefferson ball out on a yearly basis wasn’t enough, seeing Reagor produce at a high level in Dallas would be even worse.
Unless Dallas comes to Howie with a solid offer, I’d hang up the phone immediately. And Howie is smarter than I am, so I have to imagine he feels the same way.
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