In response to the emergence of a new proposed trade chart, a league source tells us that, in his opinion and based on discussions with most of the other NFL teams, the proposal is the direct result of the Philadelphia Eagles to make it easier to trade up from the No. 19 overall spot in the 2008 draft.

“The whole thing sounds like an elaborate ruse,” the source said.

It’s not clear who the Eagles would be targeting via a move, or how high they’d like to go.  If the Eagles are indeed behind the creation of the new chart, the fact that the first four picks dropped in value and the rest of the first-rounders increased suggests that they’d like to get into the top four — and possibly all the way to No. 1.

Moreover, if the Eagles are trying to pull off a move up, there’s only one other team that needs to agree with the chart, and that’s the team with whom the Eagles would be trading. 

Besides, the reality is that, if a team that wants to trade down can’t find a partner under the existing trade chart, then maybe a new chart really is needed. 

Or why shouldn’t both teams say “the hell with the chart,” if they so choose?  The pick is worth whatever the team who’ll trade it thinks it worth.  Does anyone really think that the Tuna gives a flying fish about whether he’ll be criticized from taking less than what the Jimmy Johnson trade chart dictates he should receive?

Regardless, the suspicion that is being directed at the Eagles confirms our belief that any meaningful change to the trade chart can come only after the draft and before the start of the regular season, since during that period of time no team can be accused of trying to stack the deck in support of its own short-term interests.