The NFL Trade Deadline on October 31 will be the indicator of the direction teams are heading for the rest of the season. Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles will scrutinize all trade candidates from teams waving the white flag at the unofficial midway point of the 2023 season.
Howie Roseman
The Eagles GM has been active as anyone at recent trade deadlines and throughout the NFL calendar. He spoke with Jason and Travis Kelce on New Heights in March about the reputation he’s developed.
“I do have one quality I can’t deny. That is I am relentless, freaking relentless… I’m so worried that someone’s going to be available that I don’t know about, and I see a trade or a move made, and I didn’t know about it.” -Howie Roseman
The Eagles acquired Jay Ajayi in 2017 in a move that ultimately helped them to a Super Bowl. They also added Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph in the middle of the 2022 season. The veteran defensive linemen appeared in Philadelphia’s second Super Bowl in six tries.
Roseman is already trying to patch potential holes on the roster by adding Bradley Roby and Julio Jones.
While he has also executed less successful moves in recent seasons like acquiring Genard Avery and Robert Quinn, Eagles fans certainly can’t deny that their GM is always active.
NFL Trade Deadline 2023
The Eagles have suffered a brutal string of injuries in the secondary. James Bradberry, Darius Slay, and Reed Blankenship have all missed games. Avonte Maddox will miss the rest of the season. The rotational defensive backs on the roster have additionally struggled to stay healthy.
Nakobe Dean is back on the active roster, but the linebackers still aren’t a strength of the roster.
Safety looks like the thinnest position on the roster. Big names like Justin Simmons, Jeremy Chinn, and Budda Baker are the focus of conversations leading up to the trade deadline on Halloween day.
The Eagles also never ignore the opportunity to add to an already strong defensive line, but do they have the resources to pursue Brian Burns?
Justin Simmons- Safety, Denver Broncos
Simmons tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions in 2022, and he has been a second-team All-Pro selection in three of the past four seasons.
Experience in the Vic Fangio defense, which is the root of Sean Desai’s scheme, adds another attractive element to the perfect on-field solution for the Eagles to solve their weakness at the safety position.
Simmons wants to win, and he won’t do that with the Denver Broncos, at least not this season and probably not in the final year of his contract in 2024.
Sports Illustrated estimated that a third-round pick might be all that’s needed to get the deal done. The deal would be tough to navigate financially, however.
Howie Roseman has shown a shrewd ability to manipulate the salary cap with restructured contracts. If the Eagles can find a way to maneuver around his $18.1 million cap hit hit in 2024, sending a third-rounder or a slightly increased package is the right move to plug a hole in a vulnerable secondary.
Budda Baker- Safety, Arizona Cardinals
He’s been the shiny gem of the market since the offseason, but it’s unlikely the Eagles will land Budda Baker. The Cardinals probably won’t move the two-time All-Pro before the trade deadline.
Any deal would require an exorbitant trade package that Howie Roseman isn’t likely to part with to plug a mid-season hole in the secondary.
Brian Burns- Edge Rusher, Carolina Panthers
Burns will come up in conversation as one of the most coveted players on the market leading up to the deadline. He’s not a fit on the 1-5 Panthers, and the contending Eagles love to stack their defensive front with as many dominant pass rushers as they possibly can.
The Rams reportedly offered two first-round picks and a second-round pick for Burns before the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline.
Even if the price comes down, the Eagles don’t fit the mold of a team looking to unload a ton of draft capital to land a 25-year-old to become a foundational player on defense. They’re more likely to bring in a veteran who can play a rotational role.
Asante Samuel Jr.- Cornerback, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers aren’t yet ready to sell, but a Week 6 loss to the Chiefs might push them farther toward the edge.
Ed Kracz speculated about a potential trade to bring Asante Samuel Jr. to the city where his father reached three Pro Bowls in four seasons. The Chargers have cross-trained Samuel to play the slot, and the Eagles had an interest in him leading into the 2021 NFL Draft.
However, Kracz estimated that it would cost the Eagles a second-round pick. They’re not likely to spend significant draft capital for a player who ideally fits as an outside corner just to move him to the slot immediately.
Josey Jewell- Linebacker, Denver Broncos
Nakobe Dean is back in the lineup, but do the Eagles see him as a reliable starter? Howie Roseman didn’t wait around for Jordan Davis to break out into stardom last season. He signed Suh and Joseph instead. The idea of a stopgap veteran splitting time isn’t off the table.
Sports Illustrated estimated that the Broncos would get a mid-to-late-round draft pick for Josey Jewell. The 28-year-old linebacker is in the final year of his rookie contract with an affordable salary, which aligns with a trend of Roseman’s past in deals for Jordan Howard and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Despite the noticeable benefits of a deal for Jewell, it’s important to consider that the Eagles have gotten some production from Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham despite low investments. They are less likely to pursue a linebacker than a safety.
Jeremy Chinn- Safety, Carolina Panthers
The Eagles have had an eye on Jeremy Chinn since the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s safe to say they made the right choice to take Jalen Hurts over the safety, but Howie Roseman also isn’t the type to forget about past interest in a player.
Chinn is in the final year of his rookie contract, which means a manageable cap hit and a relatively affordable return package. The 6-foot-3, 221-pounder can solidify the defensive backfield in all situations with a sense of stability that isn’t present on the current Eagles roster.
The Panthers are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and they should unload an impending free agent even if the return package isn’t exorbitant.
Howie Roseman could potentially pounce on a well-timed opportunity for a player he’s already shown interest in. Chinn is the ideal trade candidate for the Eagles.
UPDATE: Chinn will miss up to six weeks with a quad injury, according to Adam Schefter.
Jerry Hughes, Defensive End, Houston Texans
At age 35, Hughes is the type of rental player on an expiring contract who makes sense for the Eagles. His prorated cap hit of $4.1 million wouldn’t handcuff the front office for future moves.
The veteran finished with nine sacks in 2022, and he has 68 in his career over 14 NFL seasons.
The ideal circumstance for the Eagles is a player-for-player trade involving Derek Barnett. The rebuilding Texans could use a younger player looking for a change of scenery, and they might take a look at Barnett instead of a player who has no role in their future. Barnett is also an impending free agent.
