So much for the Philadelphia Eagles drafting middle linebacker Luke Kuechly with the 15th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Multiple people (led by John McClain of the Houston Chronicle) are reporting the Eagles have traded for Houston Texans middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans.
Philadelphia Eagles send 4th round pick to Houston Texans for DeMeco Ryans
In exchange for Ryans, the Eagles sent their fourth-round pick in this year's draft and the two teams swapped third-round picks. The Eagles now have the 89th pick and the Texans get the 77th pick. Philadelphia had an extra fourth-round pick from Tampa Bay from last year's pick swap that landed the Buccaneers tight end Luke Stocker and the Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews.
Ryan played well early in his career, making the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2009. He's been slowed by an Achilles tear in 2010. He's also not a good fit in Houston's 3-4 scheme where Brian Cushing has become a star in the middle.
By acquiring Ryans, the Eagles should no longer be locked into drafting Kuechly in the first round. There has been speculation of late that Kuechly could have been a target for the Seattle Seahawks with the 12th overall pick. Teams like the Bengals and Jets may also be suitors for Kuechly, the nation's leading tackle the past two seasons.
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