Eagles news: Howie Roseman talks Birds trades, A.J. Brown; Cowboys deal mocked by Troy Aikman

The Eagles reportedly made a strong push for Micah Parsons before Dallas dealt him to Green Bay.

They were also reportedly linked to Myles Garrett in the lead-up to the trade deadline.

Either deal for the top edge rushers in the NFL would have required the Eagles parting with a heavy package of top draft picks.

Howie Roseman confirmed what Brandon Graham said after he rejoined the Eagles in October: The Eagles wanted Graham to return before the season even started.

Graham wasn't interested then, but Roseman said "apparently his mind started moving a little bit and he started working out a little bit harder."

Roseman circled back after Za'Darius Smith retired.

The expected became reality when the clock struck 4 p.m. Tuesday. A.J. Brown wasn't going anywhere.

Howie Roseman said he wanted to keep the conversation Tuesday about the players the Eagles acquired, but he did offer an answer when asked about his thinking regarding Brown at the deadline.

"When you’re trying to be a great team, it’s hard to trade great players," Roseman said. "A.J. Brown is a great player.

Howie Roseman's post-deadline press conference started with a question about the marquee addition: Jaelan Phillips.

Phillips, Roseman said, was a player the Eagles had plenty of familiarity with.

"All these guys, the process starts with college," Roseman said. "We spent a lot of time with him coming out of college, knowing the person. It’s real easy to scout the player.

The Eagles on Tuesday opened Nolan Smith’s 21-day practice window as the edge rusher, who has been on injured reserve after suffering a triceps injury in Week 3, appears to be nearing his return.

The expected timeline when Smith was placed on IR was after the bye, and the Eagles didn’t waste any time starting their Week 10 work by opening Smith’s window as they get ready for a Monday night game in Green Bay.

Smith’s return and the addition of Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline gives the Eagles’ edge rushing corps a shot in the arm as they prepare for the second half of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys traded for star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets in a major move to try to improve one of the NFL’s worst defenses, two people with knowledge of the agreement said Tuesday.

The deal for Williams came about two hours before the trading deadline, following a lower-profile addition in linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals, who was acquired for a seventh-round pick in the upcoming draft.

The Cowboys are giving New York a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2026 second-rounder and underperforming defensive tackle Mazi Smith, according to one of the people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced.

After seeing the Jaelan Phillips trade, NFL Network's Rich Eisen begged the question: Why does anyone even pick up the phone for Howie Roseman anymore?

“If I get a call from Howie Roseman, I am not answering,” Eisen joked. “I’m just going to be wondering, what’s he trying to pull on me? He’s the Obi-Wan Kenobi of NFL trades. These are not the draft choices you’re looking for, these are the draft picks you’re looking for and you will give me this player.”

Eisen was such a fan of the deal to add Phillips to aid the Birds’ pass rush that he called back to Roseman’s famous parade moment, where an Eagles fan accidentally hit him in the forehead with a can of beer, and urged fans to never do anything like that again.

The New York Jets agreed to trade star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday for two first-round draft picks, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The Jets will receive the Colts’ first-round selection in 2026 and in 2027, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the trade. NFL Network and ESPN also reported that Indianapolis is sending wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to New York.

The stunning deal, which came less than three hours before the NFL’s trade deadline, sends one of the Jets’ most popular and accomplished players to the Colts.

The Eagles were busy during the bye week, with Howie Roseman executing several trades on the defensive side of the ball.

In addition to adding cornerback Michael Carter II from the New York Jets and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins, the Eagles acquired former All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Alexander, a former first-round pick by the Green Bay Packers, struggled to break into Baltimore’s defensive rotation after joining the Ravens in the offseason.

The bye week couldn't have worked out better for the Eagles.

Not only did the Birds exit the bye on top of the NFC, they extended their lead in the NFC East thanks to losses by all of their divisional rivals.

Last night, it was the Dallas Cowboys losing at home to the Arizona Cardinals, 27-17. After trading Micah Parsons, the Cowboys defense has struggled, allowing 30.8 points a game, second worst in the NFL.

Jerry Jones made a deal to bolster the NFL’s second-worst defense.

The Dallas Cowboys acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round draft pick on Tuesday. Hours before the Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night to fall to 3-5-1, Jones said the team had a deal in place to add a player who could improve the defense.

Wilson had requested a trade after his playing time decreased for the Bengals, who have the league’s worst defense. The Cowboys traded two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay before the season.

Howie Roseman has been busy in the week leading up to Tuesday’s 4 p.m. NFL trade deadline, making three deals in a little under a week.

Three deals before the deadline could be enough to wipe your hands clean and move on with the roster, but Roseman’s history of being aggressive — the Eagles have now made nine trades since the start of this season’s training camp — suggests the team might not be done yet.

What’s next for the Eagles prior to Tuesday’s deadline?

Monday night came and went, and ESPN and other Disney channels remained dark on YouTube TV due to a carriage dispute entering its fifth day.

Sources say the two sides remain far apart on how much YouTube TV, which has about 10 million subscribers, should pay Disney each month to include its family of channels, which includes ESPN, ABC, the Disney Channel, and Disney XD.

This dispute has already bucked the trend of most carriage disputes, which are usually settled before channels actually go dark. This isn't YouTube TV's only fight — TelevisaUnivision has been dark on the streamer since late September, a move criticized by President Donald Trump.

The Eagles have made plenty of deals at the trade deadline, though their impact has varied.

Probably the best deal the Eagles made ahead of the deadline came in 2013, when they traded defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga and a late draft pick to the New England Patriots for a fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft. That part is forgettable, but during the offseason the Birds sent that pick to the New Orleans Saints for running back Darren Sproles, who became a three-time Pro Bowler for the Eagles.

Leading up to the 2017 trade deadline, the Eagles added running back Jay Ajayi, who became an important part of the Birds’ offense during their Super Bowl run. Ajayi suffered a torn ACL during Week 5 in 2018, and was ultimately released by the Eagles during the 2019 season.