Getty ImagesAs the Eagles and Cardinals prepare to renew acquaintances in Arizona on Sunday, one of the best receivers in the NFL was destined to be there, playing for one team or the other.
Larry Fitzgerald tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com that the Eagles nearly traded for the wideout in 2008. According to Fitzgerald, the Eagles offered a first-round pick and a third-round pick for Fitzgerald in 2008, when the back end of Fitzgerald’s rookie deal had the team over a barrel with a gigantic cap number. Eventually, Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract.
It’s no surprise that the Eagles made a run at Fitzgerald. That same offseason, they tried to sign receiver Randy Moss, reportedly offering him more than the three-year, $27 million package he signed to stay with the Patriots.
If Fitzgerald had gone to Philly, it would have reshaped the team, dramatically. Jeremy Maclin and/or DeSean Jackson likely wouldn’t have been drafted, and other players would have been not drafted or signed in free agency.
One similarity is that Fitzgerald would have been on the same team with quarterback Kevin Kolb, who was taken by the Eagles in the second round of the 2007 draft.
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And Donovan McNabb might still be an Eagle.
He reminds me of Eric Moulds being trapped in a horrible Bills’ QB situation.
My fantasy team wouldn’t be hurting with his lack of getting balls thrown to him, and he would have a somewhat competent QB throwing him the ball.
Fitzgerald is going to be stuck on the Cardinals his entire career and have no more success than the one Super Bowl appearance they had.
He has a better chance to win a Superbowl in Arizona.
I honestly do not see the eagles winning a superbowl within the next few decades. You ungrateful eagles fans will look back on mcnabb’s career with a nostalgic euphoria and a twinkle in you’re eyes and say “ooh those were the days..”.
The Cardinals wouldn’t have gone to the Super Bowl and Ken Whisenhunt wouldn’t be head coach anymore.
Fitz represents all that is right with the NFL. Great player to have on any team.
I knew the Eagles were too cheap to make this happen. If they wanted him, they would have figured it out.
When this went down I was so incredibly disappointed the deal fell through, I wanted Larry Fitzgerald in midnight green so bad. It all worked out in the end, but I’d still trade DJax and Maclin for Larry Fitzgerald, even though I think Maclin is the most underrated WR in the NFL. Maybe, hopefully, on Sunday, we can show Larry he made a mistake resigning with ARI.
I got it at 24-13, PHI
I thank sweet little baby Jesus that he is still a Cardinal. I just hope he gets the ring he deserves in Arizona!
dodged a bullet there
Well, at least they probably called!
Imagine if McNabb had Fitz to catch the ball. Might he still be under center in Philly?
Only a first and a third for him?
Why weren’t more teams in on this…
So he would have had the chance to see Kolb sucks earlier in his career.
“…when the back end of Fitzgerald’s rookie deal had the team over a barrel with a gigantic cap number.”
I’d like to bend her over a barrel and show her the 50 states.
I wish there was an article that said, “The Patriots ALMOST drafted Laurence Maroney.”
Coulda, woulda, shoulda…..didnt.
Who cares.
I’ll wager that many of us are glad that the eagles didn’t get him…
Fitz was almost an eagle 4 years ago? And what does that have to do with the price of tea in china?
AP for Fitz!!!! Get it done !!!!!
Fitz isn’t stuck anywhere. He is the one who chose to sign not 1, but 2 extensions with the cards.
great comment fearthehoody
cool story, and he almost became a Viking before he signed that ginormous contract to not catch a ball in arizona for the rest of his career.
I speak for the rest of the non Eagle NFC East when we say, “Thank the heavens!”
hmmmm… desean, fitz, vick mccoy, celek….. oh what could have been…. could still??? fingers crossed.
“Fitzgerald nearly became an Eagle in 2008”
Then he realized he didn’t like trying to catch dirt balls every game.
If anyone wants to document my Madden franchise season in 2008 I’m sure I could dig it up.
I remember back in 08, someone said they saw Fitzgerald at the Philly airport being picked up by the team limo. Everyone said he was full of crap. I guess he wasn’t full of crap.
God the Eagles offense would almost be prefect with Larry Fitzgerald on the oppisite side if DeSean Jackson
And yea cause mcnabb had no one to throw too that was his problem. It’s weird but the receivers he had in Washington are still in the league as are most of the Vikings WR’s and he isn’t. Once his legs and his ability to avoid rushers left him it was over.
I can just imagine how badly the Cards would have wasted those additional picks. Probably on at least one more RB with a bad case of fumble-itis. They can never have enough of those. Or used them to trade up for the next year to get Tebow.
Fitz has too much class to play in philly
Fitzgerald just KILLS the Eagles. If the Cardinals win the game tomorrow, Fitzgerald will be a big part of that….guaranteed!
Maybe if he was an Eagle and had an actual QB throwing to him he wouldn’t be KILLING my fantasy football team right now.
I seriously doubt that this was the only offer the Cards have ever received for Fitz. What’s really important, is that no offer was ever accepted.
So becuase the eagles made a offer that means Fitz was ‘almost’ an eagle? Cards probobly laughed out loud when they saw that, a 1st and 3rd for the best WR in the game. riiiiiight.
Cards should offer a 3rd and a 7th for nnamdi, then pft could write and article the nnamdi was alomst a cardinal.