The Philadelphia Eagles might be the busiest team this offseason if rumors are to be believed, with the most recent ones connecting them to Kenny Britt, who has played for the Rams over the last 3 seasons. The Eagles division rivals, the Washington Redskins, are also rumored to be in the Britt sweepstakes.
Britt, who was a first round pick back in 2009, surpassed 1000 receiving yards in one season in 2016 for the first time in his career. He finished with 68 receptions, 1002 yards and 5 touchdowns, as he had to deal with the Rams league-worst offense, being the sole bright spot in a rather bleak season during their first year back in Los Angeles. Prior to that, his best season was 775 yards when playing for the Titans back in 2010. Surprising to see someone stand out like that after 8 years in the league, as he turns 28.
Late bloomer or not, it puts him in rather high demand, especially if he doesn’t look for too big of a contract. Britt made $9.15 million total over the last two years, and not going overboard with his demands should keep him on the shortlist of quite a few teams. The Redskins like him for his ability, but also because they believe he’ll be much cheaper to sign than DeSean Jackson or Pierre Garcon, who both might be headed to different teams next seasons.
The Eagles have been linked with both Redskins receivers, a Brandin Cooks trade and even a Kenny Stills signing. One of their main concerns for this offseason is giving Carson Wentz more weapons to work with after his disappointing second half of the season. It had a lot to do with an arm injury he played with, but the Eagles did need a more explosive offense, or at least offer the rookie out of North Dakota State more talent to work with. The most productive Eagles receiver last season was Jordan Matthews with 804 yards, but no other wideout had over 400 receiving yards.
Britt isn’t the speedster, classic #1 receiver but more of a big target that thrives when there’s a quicker weapon paired with him. The Eagles are expected to address both concerns, with enough cap space to do it. However, if quarterback-readiness is a concern, going to play for the Redskins and Kirk Cousins might be a more alluring option. Of course, at this point, it’s difficult to say where Britt is closer to. The important part for both teams is that he’s not going to cost more than $7-$8 million a season. Both Jackson and Garcon are looking to make an 8-figure salary.
The Rams? Who knows, there is always a possibility for Britt to remain where he is. But considering the rise in his stock, the attractivity of other options, and the uncertainty surrounding the L.A. team, staying with the Rams might be Britt’s worst option, unless the money there is much better than anywhere else.