Did the Eagles make a mistake not taking the pick?
Speaking with Garry Cobb on 610WIP last night, Leonard Weaver revealed that the Cleveland Browns had offered him more money than the Eagles for his services. He didn't say how much, but the way he said it made it sound like it could have been substantially more.
If the Browns contacted Weaver and made him an offer, it would mean that they were willing to part ways with their second-round pick, which is the tender level Weaver was on for about 14 hours.
Weaver is a great weapon and a fan-favorite already in Philly, but would the Birds have been wise to let him walk for a second-round pick from Cleveland? The 39th overall pick is incredibly high for a fullback, and it's certainly something the Birds had to have at least considered.
Now I'm by no means an expert on the workings of restricted free agency. It's a new animal for most and learning the rules of it is going to be a process, so I'm not sure if Weaver has the right to reject an offer sheet and stay in Philly, or if he doesn't have a say in the matter.
If he has a say, he probably would have rejected the offer in the hopes of earning a contract from Philly next offseason -- but there's no way to be sure. If he doesn't have a say, a second-round pick for a fullback would be incredibly difficult to turn down -- even for a fullback of Weaver's caliber.
Don't take this the wrong way; I would not want to see Weaver leave, and would in fact love to see him retire as an Eagle, but if a team is willing to give up that much for him I'm just saying it would have been tough for me to turn down in the same position.
I had the pleasure of meeting Weaver last night when I joined Cobb on WIP and he's a very personable and just all-around good guy. He stood and talked to me and someone else for a good 10 minutes or so when he could have simply blown us off and rushed out the door.
He's exactly the guy this city needs and loves to have around, but business is business and a second-round pick is a tough business deal to turn down.
