A.J. Brown's Destiny with Eagles Hinged on Allen Robinson, and Other Decisions
The what-could-have-been wheels are in motion with a report on Friday by The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue that wide receiver Allen Robinson was close to signing with the Eagles last offseason during free agency.
If Robinson had picked the Eagles rather than the Los Angeles Rams, Eagles GM Howie Roseman probably doesn’t pursue A.J. Brown in a draft night blockbuster trade.
Heck, Brown may have even agreed to be traded to either the Chiefs or Jets.
On a podcast last week called, ‘The Raw Room,’ he said Kansas City and New York were two teams that had inquired about trading for him when he was with the Titans. Before the Eagles swooped in and made it happen.
What if Robinson was signed and sealed?
Well, the Eagles don’t go to Super Bowl LVII, that’s what.
A foot injury ended Robinson’s season in late November.
His final numbers: 33 catches, 339 yards, three touchdowns.
Brown’s final numbers: 88 catches, 1,496 yards, 11 touchdowns.
You could play thee what-could-have-been game even further back than last offseason.
The Eagles have always seemed to have a blind spot at the position.
Two examples:
Taking Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Taking J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in the second round of the 2019 draft.
Imagine if those two receivers would have panned out.
Or what if the Eagles would have taken Jefferson?
Brown isn’t here. Maybe DeVonta Smith isn’t, either.
The Eagles traded up two spots to land Smith at No. 10 overall in 2021.
Maybe had they taken Jefferson a year earlier, the Eagles would have taken a longer look at pass rusher Micah Parsons, who the Cowboys drafted at No. 12 after moving back two spots with the Eagles so Philly could select Smith.
It’s all revisionist history at this point.
Current history, however, is that it’s a good thing the Eagles have their top two receivers locked down.
NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on Friday that this year’s class of incoming college prospects isn’t very strong at the receiver position.
And for the first time in a long time, the Eagles don’t have to worry about finding a No. 1 or a No. 2.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
