On Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles swung a trade for the troubled-yet-talented wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham from the Tennessee Titans.
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Looking to find some upside on the outside, the Philadelphia Eagles are taking a chance on wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. The trade with the Tennessee Titans was announced by the team on Monday morning, with the Eagles sending offensive lineman Dennis Kelly to the Titans in exchange for Green-Beckham.
TRADE: #Eagles acquire WR Dorial Green-Beckham from Tennessee in exchange for G/T Dennis Kelly. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/XHDdcZ7PoO
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 16, 2016
The 6-foot-6 Green-Beckham is an extremely talented player who has a lot of upside at the NFL level. He was a true first-round talent entering the 2015 Draft, but slipped to the Titans in the second round due to past off-the-field issues.
In his rookie season with the Titans, Green-Beckham hauled in 32 receptions and led all receivers on his team with 549 yards and four touchdowns. More impressive still, his 17.2 yards-per -receptions average was the best of any rookie receiver in the NFL.
Green-Beckham has obvious talent and upside to make an impact at the next level, but his troubled past — low-lighted by a pair of arrests for marijuana possession while attending the University of Missouri — has remained a concern for some teams.
The Titans have added some nice depth to the wide-receiver position during the offseason, but this trade does come as a bit of a surprise. Kendall Wright is a steady player out of the slot, so it’s worth wondering if this move has something to do with the Titans’ belief that rookie WR Tajae Sharpe is ready to make an immediate impact.
Adding Sharpe and free agent Rishard Matthews to the mix this off season didn’t leave many snaps available for Green-Beckham, and the Titans seemed perfectly willing to give up on his upside.
In exchange for Green-Beckham, the Titans acquired a reserve offensive lineman who has the ability to play both tackle and guard. The 26-year-old Kelly only started 15 games in his three years with the Eagles, and it’s hard to believe he can provide anything more than depth up front.
The Eagles aren’t exactly loaded with elite options at the wide-receiver position. Jordan Matthews is a good player and Nelson Agholor brings some nice upside to the table, but they can certainly find a way to get Green-Beckham involved.
For such a low price, I love this move for the Eagles, who are taking a chance on a player with a seemingly unlimited ceiling.