The Eagles have acquired WR Dorial Green-Beckham from the Tennessee Titans. In exchange, the Eagles sent veteran offensive lineman Dennis Kelly to Tennessee.
Dorial Green-Beckham was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft
Green-Beckham appeared in his first NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015
In September 2015, Green-Beckham became the third player in Titan's history to score touchdowns on his first two NFL receptions
As a rookie, Green-Beckham finished the season with 32 receptions for 549 yards
Green-Beckham finished first among NFL rookies and sixth overall in yards per reception (17.2)
In 2015, Green-Beckham also had a 93.8 percent rate of first downs on receptions (ranked first in the NFL)
On the surface, it seems lopsided: The Eagles acquire Dorial Green-Beckham, an extraordinarily talented wide receiver in his second NFL season who potentially dramatically helps a position of need, and trade away to Tennessee reserve offensive lineman Dennis Kelly.
It sure seems like it can help the Eagles a whole lot.
We shall see. The Eagles announced the trade on Tuesday morning and immediately added some juice to a wide receiver corps that has been under intense scrutiny. The question is this: Can the Eagles squeeze from Green-Beckham some of the talent that has made him so tantalizing at every step of his football career and help him direct his energies into being the best he can be in the profession of football?
The task starts now.
Green-Beckham is a 6-5, 237-pound beast of a receiver who caught 32 passes for 549 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie for the Titans after they made him a second-round draft pick following a troubling collegiate career. Green-Beckham played for two seasons at Missouri before being kicked off the team. He transferred to Oklahoma but never played for the Sooners.
Green-Beckham then declared for the NFL draft and was the 40th player chosen. He is a ultra-talented player, a former USA Today *High School All-American and a *USA Today Offensive Player of the Year, the first wide receiver to be honored since Andre Hastings in 1989. He was awarded the Hall Trophy, given to the nation's best player. Respected recruiting analyst Tom Lemming called Green-Beckham "the best wide receiver prospect since Randy Moss."
, Josh Huff and Rueben Randle. Maybe the Eagles think Green-Beckham is going to thrive in a new environment with the kind of structure that aids his development.
Agholor was shut out in last week's preseason opener against Tampa Bay. Huff had two receptions and a fumble. Randle had one catch for 3 yards along with a dropped pass on a third down. All of the receivers – remember, Jordan Matthews didn't play – had trouble separating from coverage.
Green-Beckham has the skills to do it all, but he's got to want it and the Eagles have to make sure that he gives maximum effort and follows the structure of the team.
Remember last year when fans and the media thought Green-Beckham, with all of that size and speed and special talent, would be a good fit here? The Eagles bypassed on Green-Beckham and selected Agholor No. 20 overall, and now the two are here together battling for a job and playing time.
Something had to give here. The Eagles are taking a bit of a risk by acquiring the talented, but oddly underachieving, Green-Beckham. Replacing Kelly isn't the issue. The Eagles have some young guys up front – Isaac Seumalo, Darrell Greene, Dillon Gordon, Big V, for example – who they are developing up front.
It seems from this perspective that the Eagles are taking a low-risk, high-reward stance here. Maybe Green-Beckham finds the motivation to be the best and plays that way every day. If that's the case, the Eagles just made themselves a knockout of a trade. At the very least, they sent a message to a receiving corps that needs a jolt.
