Tanner McKee's trade value could be too good an offer to refuse for Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles fans saw the potential they had in Tanner McKee during the last two preseasons, but his exposure to the rest of the NFL last year has left him as a trade asset that most teams would covet.

This offseason, the Eagles offloaded Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick because of what Pickett showed during the regular season in relief of Jalen Hurts being injured. Pickett now has a real shot at winning the starting quarterback job in Cleveland.

The Eagles understand the value of a backup quarterback better than any NFL franchise over the last two plus decades. Trading away McKee could be challenging, but the right offer might be enough to entice them to entertain the deal.

What would it take for the Eagles to trade McKee?

NBC Sports Philadelphia Eagles beat writer Reuben Frank recently wrote an article covering a wide variety of his observations from May. Frank discussed how good McKee looked at OTAs and that the Eagles could get good value from him in a trade. The question is what kind of deal would it take for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to pull the trigger, and is it even worth it?

"Now, if McKee plays well in the preseason, Howie Roseman is going to get trade offers for McKee. He probably already has. And if someone offers a 1st-round pick you take it. You just do. But I wouldn’t expect that to happen. A 3rd-round pick, no way. Not enough. The question is would you take a 2nd-rounder for McKee, and I would really be reluctant. That’s a valuable pick, and the Eagles have drafted guys like Brian Dawkins, Eric Allen, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Randall Cunningham and Hurts in the second round.

You can get a Joe Flacco / Marcus Mariota type veteran, but is that kind of guy going to keep the thing rolling if Hurts gets hurt? Maybe in a couple years Kyle McCord can be that guy but who knows? Dorian Thompson-Robinson? Don’t think so. There’s no doubt in my mind McKee can be a plus NFL starter, and he’ll probably get that opportunity if he hits free agency after the 2026 season. But right now, the Eagles need him more than they need more picks."

Pickett got injured in the Eagles' second matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, as Philadelphia had to throw McKee out on the field. McKee lit it up for two touchdowns to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to seal a blowout win. The following week against the New York Giants, McKee once again threw for two touchdowns with the backups, and the Eagles still beat the Giants.

McKee finished the season with a 66.7% completion percentage for 323 yards and four touchdowns to zero interceptions. It wasn't enough for McKee to be the backup during the postseason, but it was certainly enough for Philadelphia to trade Pickett away and give McKee the backup job.

At last week's OTAs, McKee shined as he went 14 of 18 and threw a touchdown pass. He took most of the second-string snaps with Thompson-Robinson and Eagles' sixth-round pick Kyle McCord combined for just three passes.

McCord could develop into a solid second string for the Eagles eventually, but the backup quarterback position is the most important one in Philadelphia. History has shown guys like Jeff Garcia, Michael Vick, and Nick Foles have gone from backups to heroes for the Eagles.

On the other hand, history has also shown the value of having a good backup quarterback for the Eagles. Remember Kevin Kolb? He got the Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick from the Arizona Cardinals. Sure, Rodgers-Cromartie wasn't the best, but Philadelphia got a high draft pick and got rid of Kolb who ended up disappointing in Arizona.

Let's introduce A.J. Feeley into the conversation after the Eagles traded him to the Miami Dolphins for a second-round pick. Philadelphia used that pick on wide receiver Reggie Brown, who had a productive five years with the team. Feeley also struggled in Miami and would eventually return to Philadelphia.

The question is more about whether the Eagles trust Thompson-Robinson or McCord enough to be the backup. At this point, it's too early to ask that question, so the only reason Roseman would make the move is if the Eagles are getting at least a second or third-round pick for McKee. Otherwise, keep him as Hurts' backup and let's have the security blanket Philadelphia needs.