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A big, albeit predictable trade went down Thursday when the Philadephia Eagles agreed to send quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts.
The move could be a big help for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Any move that puts a quarterback-needy team in a position to draft one of this year’s top passers could end up helping the Bengals. Those Colts now have a starting passer.
Those Eagles…not so much.
Yes, the Eagles used a second-round pick on Jalen Hurts in last year’s draft. But that doesn’t mean a new coaching staff is all-in on Hurts and will just ignore the top four first-round passers this year.
And those Eagles happen to have the sixth pick, just behind the Bengals.
It’s almost a given at least two quarterbacks come off the board over the first four picks — and maybe three. Philadephia is now another team threatening to take a passer at six, if not threatening enough to potentially move up.
That will likely concern teams like Carolina (No. 8), Detroit (No. 7), Denver (No. 9) and maybe even San Francisco (No. 12). Should one of those teams panic and want to get in front of the Eagles, the Bengals have a viable trade-down scenario.
It’s a little thing in the grand scheme for the Bengals. But they seem to keep piling up — if the team can trade down and gain valuable assets while still getting a premium prospect in the top 10, it’s a smooth move for a team undergoing a full-blown rebuild around Joe Burrow.
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