March 11, 2016
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers are discussing a trade for Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Here's a sentiment not many have shared recently: Colin Kaepernick wants to play in Cleveland. Respects Hue Jackson. Browns-Niners talking.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2016
That possibility has been rumored in NFL media circles since at least the Senior Bowl back in January, but Schefter's report is the first to state the teams are actively talking.
So how does it affect the Eagles? Well, the Cleveland Browns pick second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, while the 49ers pick seventh. Major changes at quarterback for both teams could alter how they approach the draft. From the Eagles' perspective, who select eighth overall, any major changes with the seven teams drafting ahead of them could cause a domino effect that could affect who is available when the Eagles pick.
The seven teams drafting ahead of the Eagles are as follows:
The Browns, Cowboys and 49ers are the only teams that could logically draft a quarterback. Should the Browns trade for Kaepernick, that could potentially eliminate them from the conversation. The Browns could reason that Cal's Jared Goff or North Dakota State's Carson Wentz aren't worth drafting over some of the elite prospects in this draft, such as Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil, Florida State CB Jalen Ramsey, or UCLA's Myles Jack, to name three.
While the Eagles gave Sam Bradford a hefty $36 million deal over two years and Chase Daniel a robust deal to be his backup, the Eagles could still reason that neither is a long-term solution at quarterback.
When asked if the Eagles would consider a quarterback with the eighth overall pick yesterday, Howie Roseman said, "We're open to any position that makes us better, and we're going to look at every avenue where we need to improve our depth chart at every position."
I'm not even going to suggest that the Niners could also in turn then set their sights on trading for Sam Bradford, who can still be dealt with no cap penalty until March 18.
Oops.
