Both teams know it, but no one will say it yet at this point. A.J.
Feeley is already a New England Patriot. The Eagles know they’re trading
Feeley
to New England, and New England knows that they’re going to be giving
something up to get him.
The only problem now will be coming to an
agreement on compensation.
Word on the street is that the Eagles may be packaging
Feeley with Reggie Brown or Hank
Baskett (most likely
Baskett)
in an attempt to get one of the Patriots’ tight ends. That tight end,
realistically, is Benjamin Watson, and he seems to know it.
“You obviously think about it. You prepare for
everything. You prepare your family for everything,” Watson said after
the Patriots final preseason game. “But it boils down to one thing:
Everybody on this team, either they want you, or they don’t want you.
We just work here. They make a decision.”
Most people are still saying it could be for Chris Baker, but that
doesn’t make sense for the Patriots to trade away as he just acquired
this
offseason via free agency. Alex Smith is a
possibility
because even though the Pats just traded for him, it most likely was
not for much more than a late-round pick. He, like Watson, understands
he could be on the way out.
“You glance over it now and then, but none of that is in your control,”
said Smith. “The only thing you can control is going out and playing.
Whether I’m here or I’m somewhere else, I know I have a job to do Рbe
on the field, get to know the offense as quickly as possible so I can
be a factor.”
Watson, however, is the most likely option because of his prior
starting experience and his uncertainty on the Patriots’ roster. If the
Eagles are trading away a backup quarterback who they really like in
Feeley, and a receiver with some big-play ability in
Baskett, they will most likely want Watson, who can come in and provide some terrific depth behind Brent
Celek.
This isn’t going to be a blockbuster by any means, as both teams
are aware that they’re only trading players who are on the bubble to
make their own rosters. It will, however, most likely include three
players (Feeley,
Baskett, Watson) and a late-round draft pick. That pick will probably be a conditional sixth or seventh-round pick next year.
Keep your eyes open, and don’t be surprised to find out later tonight
that the deal is done, at least in principle. When it does go down,
expect the Eagles to cut Eugene Bright, Tony Curtis, and Matt
Schobel.
