Eagles 'Aggressive' in Trade for Jonathan Taylor: Truth or Rumor?

The Eagles are "among the most aggressive trade suitors'' for Jonathan Taylor? Is this a "report'' or a "rumor''?

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly "among the most aggressive trade suitors'' for Jonathan Taylor and are involved in talks to bring the disgruntled running back "home'' in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

Taylor, 24, is unhappy with his contractual situation with the Colts, and they have freed him to seek his own deal elsewhere. But they've put a deadline on that freedom, telling him he has until next Tuesday to attempt to forge not only a trade, but also the new contract he would want from his new employer.

So are the Eagles really "in'' here? The site NFLAnalysis.net is the origin of this report/rumor, reporting that the two teams are currently discussing the major blockbuster trade the star running back Taylor. The site writes:

“According to a source, the Eagles have been among the most aggressive trade suitors for Taylor since he was allowed to search for a trade. They have been connected to quite a few running backs this offseason, but none that would make a bigger impact than Taylor.''

The evaluation of the talents of Taylor, 24, ring true. Eagles fans will also note the assertiveness of GM Howie Roseman when it comes to engineering winning trades. But a word of caution here ...

NFLAnalysis.net has built a reputation for "creating'' its own trade "proposals'' and is not generally known as the originator of its own sourced material. Indeed, after its initial bold statement, the site tiptoes into speculation about the price of such a deal, saying, "Ideally, the Eagles could offer a second-round pick and Kenneth Gainwell as a potential return.''

That might be "ideal'' to Philadelphia ... but there is no indication that an Eagles source said so. Meanwhile, it would certainly not be "ideal'' to the Colts, who would be viewed as a major loser in such a transaction. (Notably, these two teams practiced together this week and play each other to close the preseason on Thursday, so Taylor is actually in town in Philly.)

Meanwhile, the site also states, "Plenty of other teams have shown interest in acquiring Taylor as well. Among those teams are the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buffalo Bills are another team to keep a close eye on as well.”

There are fact-based reports of the Dolphins' interest. But the Bills and the rest? The site stumles in stating their interest as fact when at this point it would be speculative at best.

The Colts have shown no willingness to make a long-term offer to Taylor, who happens to be a "hometown-area'' Philly guy - which adds to the intrigue here. At the same time, it's been reported by reputable outlets that they are seeking a first-round pick and/or a Christian McCaffrey-sized package featuring multiple picks.

Has Roseman looked into the Colts’ asking price? That seems likely; all teams should be doing that. Are the Jalen Hurts-led Eagles being "aggressive'' in their pursuit of Taylor, who in three seasons with the Colts has rushed for 3,841 yards and 33 TDs and would obviously be a game-changer in taking over for D'Andre Swift? The likely price tag - Taylor surely wants to be paid more than twice his present $5 million salary, right? - lessens that likelihood.

JT to Philly? We've been told to frame it this way: This is more of a "rumor'' and less of a "report.'' 

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