Report: Eagles discussed Dallas Goedert trade with Vikings

Despite being a constant subject of trade rumors in the offseason, it appears Zach Ertz will remain with the Philadelphia Eagles this year. The veteran tight end finally broke his silence on Wednesday and indicated the relationship between him and the organization has been mended.

It still seems possible that Ertz could be moved before the NFL trade deadline on November 2, especially if the Eagles struggle and find themselves as ‘sellers.’ For now, though, Ertz is here.

But are the Birds planning to trade another one of their tight ends? Former Eagles reporter Matt Lombardo had an interesting note in a recent FanSided column:

Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has been the subject of persistent trade rumors throughout the offseason, but as roster cuts have been made and another offseason milepost is in the rearview, it seems increasingly likely Ertz will return to the City of Brotherly Love for his ninth NFL season.

But, don’t be surprised if Eagles general manager Howie Roseman winds up moving one of Philadelphia’s other tight ends … Dallas Goedert.

Trading Goedert, the No. 49 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and a favorite of former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson would signify a complete exorcism of the franchise’s only Super Bowl winning coach’s influence.

According to multiple league sources, Roseman discussed moving Goedert in a trade with the Vikings before Minnesota over on to acquire Chris Herndon in a deal with the Jets.

There’s a belief inside the league that if the Eagles ultimately wind up trading for Deshaun Watson, that Goedert could be a piece of the package Roseman offers the Texans for the embattled quarterback.

The phrasing here is intriguing. This reads as Roseman contacted the Vikings about Goedert as opposed to Minny coming to Philly with an offer. No one would think the Eagles want to dump Goedert, who is obviously a good and (currently) inexpensive player. But maybe Roseman wants to get value while he can instead of keeping both of the Eagles’ primary tight ends for the 2021 season?

Maybe it’s a sign that the Eagles don’t plan to easily re-sign Goedert, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason? It’s certainly notable that the Eagles and Goedert haven’t already reached an extension considering Philly’s front office prefers to lock up players earlier than later.

In any case, Goedert presumably won’t be headed to the Vikings with Minny acquiring Herndon in the wake of Irv Smith’s injury. So, this means Goedert is definitely remaining in Philly, right?

Perhaps not. That last graph about Watson has to be taken under consideration. I can tell you it’s not the first time I’ve heard about that potential scenario privately or publicly if you consider Jeff McLane’s previous “speculation” from early in training camp:

But there has just been too much toothpaste squeezed from this dispute to expect Ertz to remain with the Eagles once the real football starts in 5 ½ weeks. He’s not happy. Sirianni has a No. 1-caliber replacement in Dallas Goedert. And does Roseman want an $8.5 million backup playing 40% of the snaps? Unless … the GM needs Ertz in case Goedert is dealt. If Roseman is to be a suitor for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson — and the Eagles have interest, sources familiar with their thinking have told The Inquirer — he’s going to want to expend more than just draft picks. And Goedert is a commodity playing on a rookie contract and would fill a need in Houston.

Of course, a recent report indicated that Watson will NOT waive his no-trade clause to come to Philly. But, for what it’s worth, that much hasn’t stopped Eagles sideline reporter Howard Eskin from believing Watson will ultimately land in Philly. And perhaps Watson would change his tune if the Eagles end up being the only team left waiting for him with other suitors (namely the Miami Dolphins) potentially dropping out.

A whole lot of ‘if’s” here. It’s quite possible that neither Goedert nor Ertz will be dealt. And that the Eagles never end up acquiring Watson. But the possibilities are at least worth noting and monitoring moving forward.

BGN’s Shamus Clancy weighed the merits of trading Goedert earlier this year.

I’m worried about how his body is going to hold up. I’m worried about paying big money to a non-premium position when the Eagles’ cap woes extend beyond 2021 and are lacking talent almost everywhere else on the roster. If he had the same profile and played defensive end or corner or wideout or safety? I’d say he’s a keeper, but on a team that is in need of a rebuild rather than a retool, it might be best for long-term planning.

I’m not trying to kick him out the door. He’s still good! It’d take a nice offer for sure.

Hayden Hurst, who stinks and is about 1.5 years older than Goedert, got traded from Baltimore with a fourth-round pick to Atlanta for a second and fifth. I need a second-plus. A second and a third? Maybe! If not, I have no qualms keeping him and seeing how 2021 plays out. If he’s closer to Darren Waller than Mike Gesicki, then, yeah, let Howie Roseman call up his agent and work something out. If not, let him walk and likely get a fourth back for him as a comp pick in 2023. The Eagles are by no means backed into a corner here and have optionality as to how they want to handle Goedert’s future in Philly.