Prior to the start of the regular season, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman took a last-second swing at fixing his team’s glaring issue at No. 3 wide receiver.
Now with a two month sample size, that was a swing that missed.
Jahan Dotson, acquired via a trade with the Washington Commanders on Aug. 22, continues to fill space on the field for the Eagles as their WR3, but that’s basically all he’s doing. In six games, he’s got six receptions for a measly 35 scoreless yards. That’s with tons of added opportunity with both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith missing time with early-season injuries.
According to PFF’s player grades, Dotson is No. 112 among NFL wide receivers entering Week 8. Given his complete lack of involvement in Philly’s passing game, other than creating traffic to get Brown and Smith open, it’s a bit surprising he’s ranked that high.
Roseman tried to address this issue at the end of training camp. It’s time to take another swing prior to the NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline.
ESPN sports analytics writer Seth Walder recently reported a brutal stat for Dotson: an “almost impressively poor 0.2 yards per route run” in 2024. Walder believes the Eagles will test the trade market, and he named former Pro Bowler Kendrick Bourne, currently stuck on a bad New England Patriots team, as a potential target:
Bourne, who recently returned from an ACL tear sustained last season, could be an upgrade. Though he has never rekindled the level of play he showed during a strong 2021 season (when he recorded 800 receiving yards with 2.1 yards per route run), ESPN’s receiver scores have always liked him. His overall score has been at least 50 in every season, including and since that 2021 season (and at least 60 in all but one). — Walder
Bourne has had an up-and-down four-year run with the Patriots, struggling through injuries and poor quarterback play. His best season came in 2021, during Mac Jones’ rookie year, when he caught 70 passes for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
He’s a fiery eight-year veteran and one the Patriots’ vocal leaders. That could be a good change of pace at the position for Philly, as the unproven Dotson feels much better suited for a WR4 role.
Another detail that makes Bourne attractive as a trade deadline target: He’s cheap. He’s signed through 2026, but his cap hit will only be $7.9 million in each of the next two seasons. It’s the perfect kind of contract to deal with in the middle of a season.
The Eagles have been kicking around veterans like Parris Campbell and John Ross on the practice squad, and rookie Johnny Wilson has been a non-factor as the WR5. Upgrades are sorely needed, and Bourne is the kind of low-risk move that would make some sense.
