There is very little doubt that the Philadelphia Eagles are looking hard at acquiring a wide receiver this offseason. Names mentioned as targets have been former Eagle DeSean Jackson and current New Orleans Saint Brandin Cooks. Both of those names have some big negatives attached when it comes to whether or not the team should go all in. It may take a first round cook to pry Cooks from New Orleans.
The Eagles are familiar with Jackson and may not want to deal with the perceived headaches that come with him.
Brandon Marshall takes the stage
If the Philadelphia Eagles want to go a completely different direction than either Cooks or Jackson, it seems as though the recently released Brandon Marshall could be a good fit. As Madison reports, Marshall is just the latest player to be let go by the Jets and Brandon might be just what Philadelphia is looking for.
While fans might look at Marshall's paltry 2016 performance and wonder why in the world the Philadelphia Eagles would want to go get yet another receiver that put up less than impressive numbers, they need to remember that team's quarterback problems last year.
At one point, Marshall was attempting to catch passes from a quarterback who had been third on the depth chart weeks earlier.
He brings headaches too
Marshall only caught 59 passes for 788 yards in 2016, but Philadelphia Eagles fans need to look just one season further back to see why he might be attractive. In 2015, Marshall caught 109 passes for over 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns. That marked the sixth time the former Bronco, Dolphin, and Bear had caught over 100 passes in a single season. That stat alone could make Eagles fans drool.
The problem is that if Philadelphia fans are not keen on the headaches DeSean Jackson brings, they likely aren't going to love the baggage Brandon Marshall carries.
There is a reason the Philadelphia Eagles, or whoever Marshall signs with, will be his fifth team in 12 seasons. A talent like Marshall's doesn't get constantly passed around if he's someone who keeps his head down and his mouth shut. The question is whether the headaches might be bearable for one season of such a talented receiver who could come at a premium for the Eagles.