Will the Eagles deal off an offensive lineman?

PHILADELPHIA – What are the Eagles up to these days with their roster-construction plan?

That is the prevailing theme of this edition of Eagles mailbag, in which some readers would like to know if general manager Howie Roseman has some kind of blockbuster up his sleeve or maybe even just a lower-level move or two planned that could upgrade their perimeter pass rush or add draft picks next season.

So let’s get right to the questions:

1. Do the Eagles have a trade package planned that would involve one of their offensive linemen going to the Houston Texans for pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney?

This has been asked by more that one person.

The decision by the Eagles last week to sign undrafted free-agent offensive lineman Brett Toth has ramped up speculation that Roseman is going to try to get Clowney, possibly with some package involving Halapoulivaati Vaitai, an accomplished tackle who’s been taking all the first-team reps at right guard in place of Brandon Brooks in camp. Vaitai likely wouldn’t play this season, though, if all of their starters are healthy.

I start out by saying that with Roseman, anything is possible. Despite a move that would leave the Eagles virtually no salarycap flexibility to do anything else, if necessary, this year or to be able to carry over whatever they don’t spend to next year, when they’re really going to need it, you never say “never” with him.

Here’s my understanding of how the salary-cap affects the Eagles’ pursuit of players: If they want somebody, they get him.

Something like that.

That said, it’s going to take a whole lot more than just Big V to pry Clowney away from the Texans, and the Eagles probably aren’t willing to pay the price both to acquire him and then to satisfy his franchise tender after signing Brandon Graham to a contract extension in the offseason.

True, they have no defensive ends on their roster who have ever had a double-digit sack season. But you know what? Neither has Clowney, whose career high is 9.5 (in 2017). Still, he would automatically become their finest perimeter rusher, like Michael Bennett was last season. This is why we believe Roseman should consider it, even though we don’t think he will pull it off.

While a trade involving Big V could happen, the player they get back likely won’t be Clowney, if it’s even a player at all.

I think Clowney would be the final piece to their Super Bowl puzzle. But they probably don’t want to give up the resources needed to make that work.

There’s more than one path to the Super Bowl, though.

2. Should the Eagles have signed an emergency freeagent quarterback like Matt McGloin, who already knows the playbook, or someone who might be better but needs to learn it?

Obviously we already have our answer. The Eagles didn’t just want an emergency, stopgap guy. They were looking for an upgrade over Cody Kessler and someone who could give Nate Sudfeld more of a battle for that important backup spot behind Carson Wentz.

It’s clear that the Eagles believe the play in which Kessler suffered his concussion was his fault for not diagnosing the pressure package and his subsequent failure to get rid of the ball before the defensive end arrived on his backside.

In getting someone like 40year-old Josh McCown, they feel they accomplished that, and they put their money where their mouth is by guaranteeing him $2 million.

And, oh yeah, Colin Kaepernick was never an option.

But for the record, here is coach Doug Pederson’s reply to my question on Sunday about Kaepernick.

“We consider everybody, honestly,” he said. “We consider everybody and do what’s best for the Eagles.”

3. Who would have been their emergency QB if Clayton Thorson had to come out of last Thursday’s game: Braxton Miller or Greg Ward? (Both wide receivers were quarterbacks in college).

Just like the last question, the Eagles seemed to have answered it by waiving Miller on Saturday to make room for Toth.

But does that mean Ward would be their first choice now? Probably. But I remember the good ol’ days when DeSean Jackson was the emergency QB. So you never know.