According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan, the Eagles will continue their extensive scouting of the 2016 NFL Draft's two top quarterback prospects Carson Wentz of North Dakota State and California's Jared Goff by hosting the pair for private workouts at the NovaCare Complex.
#Eagles still on QB evaluation trail: Christian Hackenberg private workout Friday. Wentz, Prescott, Goff also have pre-draft visits.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) April 6, 2016
Caplan would clarify that the workouts would be held in Philadelphia in a conversation with Phillyvoice's Jimmy Kempski.
@caplannfl To be clear Adam, Goff and Wentz to visit NovaCare?
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) April 6, 2016
@JimmyKempski: Yep. Just as it says.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) April 6, 2016
The Eagles brass has already held private workouts and meetings with both Wentz and Goff at their respective campuses in the weeks leading up to the draft. Given the amount of legwork the primary decision-makers have made in scouting the draft's top quarterback prospects, it would be hard to imagine they're not at least considering prioritizing one of them as their target for their first round selection. Caplan shares a similar point of view.
I typically downplay visits and workouts, but I think you have to take them seriously in terms of what #Eagles are doing with QBs.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) April 6, 2016
Given the type of discussion that has surrounded Wentz and Goff, it appears unlikely that either player will be available when the Eagles pick at #8. They have been a team mentioned several times as one interested in moving towards the top of the draft to get the player they most desire. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein mentioned a while back that some executives feel the Eagles had targeted Wentz and would move up to acquire him. Peter King's Monday MMQB article noted that the Titans are potentially interested in trading out of the number one slot and mentioned the Eagles as a potential buyer.
So … do not assume Tennessee is locked into Tunsil. Robinson certainly could take him. But the top of the draft is in flux, and I will not be surprised if in the next three weeks the Titans move the pick for an additional high pick or picks—even though there’s not the Andrew Luck or Marcus Mariota out there for a team to move up and grab. But there are teams like San Francisco or Los Angeles or Philadelphia that might want a quarterback, and might be desperate enough to overpay for the top pick.
The cost of moving up to the top of the draft is different every year, but it is always expensive. The Eagles would have to part with considerable assets to make the move and also find themselves in a position where that player may end up spending his first year on the bench. That being said, the Eagles are once again seemingly without a long-term answer at the quarterback position and one has to figure that Jeffrey Lurie's search to find one will only intensify as he continues to hunt down an elusive Super Bowl title.
Somers Price is a contributor for Eagledelphia.com and can be followed on Twitter @somersprice
