Fortune favors the bold.
Time will tell whether that applies to the Eagles or Browns after Wednesday's massive trade that handed Philadelphia the No. 2 overall pick and a 2017 fifth-rounder (or compensatory fourth-rounder) in exchange for a bundle of future selections.
The Eagles will give Cleveland five total picks -- their first (No. 8), third (No. 77) and fourth (No. 100) in 2016, along with next year's first-rounder and a second-rounder in 2018. The Browns are building for tomorrow, but the Eagles -- like the Rams -- are going for it today, selling the future for a chance to land a potential franchise-altering quarterback.
That pick likely will be North Dakota State's Carson Wentz, with NFL Media columnist Michael Silver telling NFL Network that "the Rams, once they made that trade, were believed by the Browns and virtually every other NFL team with skin in the game to be taking Jared Goff."
The Eagles "expect it to be Carson Wentz, who they also love," said Silver, echoing what NFL Media's Jeff Darlington previously reported, noting that new Eagles coach Doug Pederson believes Wentz can become an "elite quarterback" at the NFL level.
Feeling that way, Philly didn't hold back on Wednesday, doing what was needed to land a player they believe can be a transformational force. Even with Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel on the roster, the Eagles are looking far beyond those arms to upgrade the most important position in sports.
Eagles executive vice president Howie Roseman declared Wednesday that Bradford remains the starter, but you won't find a more hollow endorsement outside of the Broncos touting Mark Sanchez. The trade says everything the Eagles truly think about their current crop of quarterbacks.
Said Roseman: "We as an organization had time to go back and study, (asking) what are the keys to winning? What are the keys to being championship-caliber over a long period of time? I don't think I'm saying anything that anyone in this room doesn't believe in -- it's quarterbacks."
Putting the cherry on top of a fascinating offseason in Philadelphia, a back-from-the-dead Roseman emphasized that Eagles coaches and scouts were equally unified in their desire to invest in a young signal-caller who can lead them to the promised land.
That said, Cleveland's current quarterback roster -- headlined by Robert Griffin III -- is another reminder that trading up for a quarterback doesn't always (or even often) work out. The Redskins couldn't have imagined Griffin's fate when they sold the farm to the Rams for the No. 2 pick back in 2012.
The Eagles know they'll be judged for years on Wednesday's trade, but that's all part of the game. Philly abandoned the safe route for a move that could change the team for years and seasons to come.
"It's hard to be great," said Roseman, "if you don't take some risks."
