Why?

Before the Philadelphia Eagles trade away significant portions of the next two drafts, this is the question they'll have to resolve in their minds. Why is moving to the No. 2 overall pick worth it? And perhaps most important, why is a third offseason commitment to a quarterback necessary?

Make no mistake, the Eagles are thinking about it. The Cleveland Browns and Eagles have engaged in conversations about the No. 2 pick, two league sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports. The sources declined to offer parameters, but Fox Sports' Alex Marvez reported the Eagles and Browns have reached a framework. In it, the Eagles would net the No. 2 overall pick in exchange for Philadelphia's first-rounder (No. 8 overall), two third-rounders (Nos. 77 and 79 overall), as well as a first- and third-round pick in the 2017 draft.

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With Philadelphia already lacking a second-round pick this year, it would effectively strip out large portions of two drafts for the franchise. It would also ostensibly add a third quarterback – either Cal's Jared Goff or North Dakota State's Carson Wentz. As it stands, the belief in a handful of NFL personnel circles is that the Los Angeles Rams prefer Goff's experience to Wentz's potential at the No. 1 overall pick. It would appear moving to No. 2 would be to draft Wentz, who would be added to a depth chart that includes Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel, a pair of quarterbacks who signed new deals this offseason.

On its face, accruing so many quarterbacks looks like personnel madness. But a deeper consideration reveals some method. In the ongoing scramble to find a 10-year franchise starter at quarterback, sometimes this is what it takes from a franchise. It's the most important position in the game, capable of turning a franchise into the right direction for a decade. So loading up with as many starting-quality candidates as possible and hoping for one to rise, well, that's certainly an aggressive approach.

According to a source familiar with the Eagles' thinking, this is what is going on inside the heads of the Philadelphia brain trust – comprised of owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson. The Eagles signed Bradford because they see him as capable of being at least a mid-level starter. Then they signed Chase Daniel, a QB Pederson believes is also a starting-level player. Now, after draft evaluations of Goff and Wentz, they believe both are capable of developing into cornerstones.

It might seem like bad timing to fall in love with Goff or Wentz so soon after signing two other quarterbacks to deals. But the Eagles positioned themselves in case this exact opportunity came along. While Daniel is positioned in the long-term as a high-end backup, the franchise structured Bradford's two-year deal so that he could be easily cut after one season. Specifically, offset language in Bradford's contract allows the Eagles to cut him in 2017, swallowing a reasonable salary cap hit of only $5.5 million. Perhaps more preferable, they could put him on the trade block immediately and see if another quarterback-needy franchise comes calling. Either way, it's conceivable that the Eagles could carry three quarterbacks next season, with Bradford eventually being the odd man out.

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