The NFL trade deadline’s biggest winners are teams like the Eagles that don’t need to make a trade
A lot has changed for the Eagles over the last month. Enough to feel good about a quiet trade deadline.
Howie Roseman did exactly what he needed to do on Tuesday.
Nothing.
No edge rusher. No linebacker. No offensive line depth.
As his fellow general managers scrambled to fill the holes on their roster ahead of the NFL’s 4 p.m. trade deadline, Roseman looked at his creation and saw that it was good. Good enough, at least. And he was 100% correct.
» READ MORE: Eagles make no deadline trades; Vic Fangio is ‘pleased’ with the defense
Both of these things are true:
1. The Eagles were in a position where it made sense to err on the side of the here and now.
The rest of the NFC is as vulnerable as it ever will be. There’s a decent chance the Eagles are more talented than they ever will be. Now is the time to throw caution to the wind, prioritize the present, and worry later about future years’ drafts.
2. The overall talent of the Eagles’ roster was high enough that there wasn’t an easy path to upgrade it.
Should the Eagles have looked to add an elite edge rusher? Sure. Every team should. At all times. Which is why elite edge rushers aren’t often traded in the middle of a season. The teams that have them are keenly aware of their value. Maxx Crosby, Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett — they were always little more than fever dreams born of a fan base’s motivated reasoning. Players like that are as untouchable as it gets, at least in the eyes of a functional front office.
» READ MORE: Micah Parsons praises Saquon Barkley, says Eagles opponents are ‘facing the consequences of the Giants’ stupidity’
Look back at recent trade deadlines, and you won’t find many moves like the one the Eagles would have needed to significantly impact their Super Bowl odds.
A couple of years ago, the Los Angeles Rams acquired 32-year-old Von Miller and got four postseason sacks from him en route to a title. But the price tag was steep — second- and third-round picks from a team that is now in the midst of a retooling phase.
Two years ago, the Miami Dolphins traded a first-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and running back Chase Edmonds for 26-year-old Bradley Chubb and a fifth-rounder. That one would have warranted some consideration were it available this time around. Clearly, it wasn’t.
The best way to analyze the trade deadline is to look at the value of picks that traded hands and then consider that 31 other NFL teams decided a player wasn’t worth a higher price. After a month’s worth of hype, no first- or second-round picks ended up changing hands before Tuesday’s deadline. There was plenty of movement in the edge rusher market, but little that would have left the Eagles with a clear upgrade over Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and Bryce Huff. The most significant deal came in a Browns-Lions swap that saw Cleveland’s Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick head to Detroit in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick. But, again, consider the price, and the fact that no other NFL team chose to exceed it.
The deadline is a desperate time, and the Eagles are not a desperate team. The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens made substantive additions to their wide receiver rooms. DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson — these were impact moves, given the context of their situations. But all three of those players would have been a distant third receiving option on a depth chart fronted by A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Washington Commanders made themselves better with the acquisition of New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore. But, again, the Eagles don’t have the need.
A lot has changed over the last month. We’ve seen that the Eagles can survive with a banged-up offensive line, a position where in-season upgrades exist only in the most dire of circumstances. We’ve seen linebacker Zack Baun emerge as a legitimate force within defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme. We’ve seen Graham prove that he somehow still has plenty left in the tank, even at 36 years old. We’ve seen Nolan Smith begin to answer the challenge, with 2½ sacks and an additional tackle for loss in the Eagles’ last four games. We’ve seen Sweat wiping his brow with increasing frequency. He has five sacks in his last five games, including two in the Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
» READ MORE: Howie Roseman’s offseason Eagles moves, good and bad, took center stage ahead of the NFL trade deadline
That’s not to say the edge isn’t still a concern. The Eagles have taken advantage of some patchwork offensive lines over the last several weeks. Their front seven is still the biggest reason to wonder whether they can match up with a team like the Lions in a playoff game. But things are looking up.
The addition of cornerback Cooper DeJean has been a game-changer for both the run and pass defense. His physical nature in the slot can help make up for any deficiencies on the edge. Credit Fangio for recognizing his talent and adapting to the skill sets at his disposal. Credit Roseman for providing him with the right tools.
“I like what we got,” Fangio told reporters on Tuesday, a few hours before the trade deadline arrived.
It’s a good place to be.