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A quarterback is still in play for Eagles at the draft

A year ago, Chip Kelly drove into the franchise-quarterback neighborhood, queued up the prices on his Realtor.com app, and after realizing what it would cost to move up into the tony section of the draft, shrunk into his car and headed back to the 20th-pick zip code.

A year ago, Chip Kelly drove into the franchise-quarterback neighborhood, queued up the prices on his Realtor.com app, and after realizing what it would cost to move up into the tony section of the draft, shrunk into his car and headed back to the 20th-pick zip code.

Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson took that trip again this year, but while they passed on the richest house on the block, they have not left the neighborhood altogether. In fact, the Eagles may still have an opportunity to snatch their coveted quarterback even though the Rams vaulted into the top spot Thursday.

The Rams, of course, will take either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. They tried to hide their intentions by saying they haven't yet made a final decision, but you don't forfeit six draft picks and move up 14 spots in the first round without having a target. That would be negligent.

There have been varying accounts of whom the Rams want - some reports claim it's Goff, others point to Wentz. The feeling here is that it's the former. Predraft reports should be taken with a grain of salt, but there has been overwhelming evidence that the Browns, who pick second overall, prefer California's Goff to North Dakota State's Wentz.

If so, why would the Rams feel the need to leapfrog Cleveland unless they wanted Goff? Perhaps they didn't know the Browns' preference and just wanted to take any doubt out of the equation. But they gave up an awful lot of picks - a first, two seconds, and a third in 2016 and a first and third in 2017 for the Titans' first, fourth, and sixth in 2016 - simply for peace of mind.

The Eagles had every bit as much of a chance to move up as the Rams. They don't have the 2016 second-rounder Kelly shipped to St. Louis for Sam Bradford - and the Rams say, "Thank you very much" - but they do pick seven spots earlier in the first round.

They explored the idea. The Eagles had discussions with the Titans, two NFL sources said, but they bowed out when the stakes got too high. There are two ways to read Roseman and Pederson's reluctance to pull the trigger: (1) They didn't believe their top-rated quarterback was worth that much, or (2) they believe they can still get either quarterback by trading up - and surrendering less - or standing pat.

If Goff was the Eagles' No. 1 guy, and the Rams draft him, well, all bets are off - unless Wentz rates comparably. It could be said that they should have paid whatever the cost for Goff or Wentz, but the Eagles' need for a quarterback isn't as great. They have Bradford under contract for another two years, after all.

But they want a quarterback to develop; the Eagles have made no secret about that. Of the top two prospects, Wentz may need more time to mature. But the North Dakota State product, who faced FCS competition, may have the higher ceiling.

As with the Rams, there have been conflicting accounts of which first-round-caliber quarterback the Eagles favor. They reportedly hosted Wentz, Goff, and Memphis' Paxton Lynch last week and have worked out all three at various points this offseason.

If Goff presumably goes first, then the onus is on the Browns, who select next. Would they just nab Wentz, even if he wasn't their top-ranked quarterback, or would they put the pick up for sale? The Browns' abundance of needs could outweigh their need for a quarterback.

If the Eagles want Wentz and believe they must jump in front of the Cowboys (No. 4), they have the Browns and Chargers (No. 3) to haggle with. There will still be a significant cost. The Rams set a precedent that every team looking to trade up for a quarterback will have to follow.

The Cowboys, despite Tony Romo's battered, 35-year-old body, may not yet be ready to draft his replacement. There are also potential impact players - tackle Laremy Tunsil, safety Jalen Ramsey, defensive end Joey Bosa, linebacker Myles Jack, defensive end DeForest Buckner, and running back Ezekiel Elliott - who will be available after the Rams take a signal-caller.

The next top-seven team in need of a quarterback is the 49ers. If the Cowboys pass on the second quarterback, the Eagles could potentially make a deal with either the Jaguars (No. 5) or the Ravens (No. 6) to jump past Kelly.

The 49ers, of course, have as much chance of moving up for one of the two quarterbacks as the Eagles, and they have more draft-pick ammo (12 selections). But like the Titans and Rams, San Francisco has a depleted roster.

Could another team slotted behind the Eagles move up ahead of them? The Bears (No. 11) and Saints (No. 12) have the shortest trips, but aren't quite in need-franchise-quarterback mode. The Jets (No. 20) have an obvious desire and were reportedly in the mix for the Titans' pick.

But the Eagles would have to mortgage the future. Kelly wasn't willing to go that far last year. It probably would have taken as much or more than the Rams surrendered this year to pry Marcus Mariota loose from the Titans. Goff and Wentz aren't in that class.

Which is why the Eagles may be content to just wait until No. 8. If Wentz and Goff don't last, having two quarterbacks go early will increase their odds to get one of the six non-quarterback stud prospects. Or they could trade back and recoup the lost second-rounder.

In both cases they would still have the opportunity to shop for a quarterback in the developmental neighborhood. Stanford's Kevin Hogan, Arkansas' Brandon Allen, Penn State's Christian Hackenberg, and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott are possibilities in the second through fourth rounds.

There have been enough fixer-uppers that have turned into gems to consider the likelihood.

jmclane@phillynews.com

@Jeff_McLane