Quinn: The Eagles Should Trade For Drew Brees
By Vince Quinn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- When Chip Kelly traded for Sam Bradford there was a historical precedent: Drew Brees.
Brees, if you remember, was once a solid quarterback who had been pushed out the door in favor of a young Phillip Rivers. Brees then signed with New Orleans in 2006 and the rest is history.
So for Kelly, trading Nick Foles for Bradford was a chance to recreate what went down with Brees. But why settle for a knock off? The Eagles should trade for Brees himself.
After sending Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for center Max Unger and a first-round pick this past offseason, the Saints are in the process of a roster overhaul with their aging roster. As a result Brees (who missed last week's game with a shoulder injury) is stuck with an 0-3 team that has limited weapons and no foreseeable shot at the playoffs. At 36 years old, there's simply no time to rebuild around him.
Brees is most valuable to the Saints elsewhere.
Would there be some road blocks in brokering a deal? Sure. Brees' monstrous contract would be a factor (sending Bradford to New Orleans would help) and multiple picks would likely be involved, but the cost would be well worth it.
With his quick release and ability to be consistently accurate on throws all over the field, Brees is the type of quarterback that would flourish in Kelly's system. Brees would greatly improve the passing game and by extension, provide room for the running game. He'd provide leadership and not look like he's about to have his lunch money taken (see: Bradford, Sam). The kicker---he'd reunite with Darren Sproles.
Chip Kelly doesn't have enough time in the day to gush over Sproles and has admitted openly that they haven't maximized his potential. Who better to do that than the quarterback who threw hundreds of passes to him in New Orleans?
The biggest issue in completing a blockbuster deal for the future Hall Of Fame QB, would be the difficulty in acquiring a starting quarterback mid-season. For most quarterbacks, it's understandably hard to pickup the playbook and build chemistry in a brand new offense.
But we're not talking about a normal quarterback. We're talking about a nine-time Pro Bowler, a two-time NFC MVP, and a Super Bowl XLIV champion adjusting to a high-powered, user-friendly offense in an abysmal NFC East.
Worst case, the team flops this season and the Eagles work out a new deal with DREW FREAKIN' BREES, who is a free agent after 2016. Best case, they're an overnight Super Bowl contender.
I don't see a down side.
Vince Quinn is a producer for SportsRadio 94WIP.
Editor's Note: The Saints reportedly restructured Drew Brees' contract, increasing his 2016 cap-hit on Wednesday morning, potentially making him more tradeable. This article was written without knowledge of that information.