What position do the Philadelphia Eagles need most down the stretch? Either wide receiver or edge rusher.
Now granted, they already traded for a wide receiver and signed a big-time edge rusher in free agency, and neither player has been particularly effective, but that shouldn't stop Howie Roseman from partaking in his favorite fall activity, trading a future asset for immediate talent to help put his team over the top.
I mean, hey, it worked for Jay Ajayi before Super Bowl LII; why can't lightning strike twice?
Unfortunately for the Eagles, this isn't a very good wide receiver market, as the best players have either already been moved – DeAndre Hopkins and Diontae Johnson – or are off the market – Cooper Kupp – but at edge rusher? Or pass rusher, period? There is still some real talent to be had for teams in need of additional firepower, including players with experience in the sort of 3-4 scheme the Eagles now play under Vic Fangio. If the Eagles make one of these three deals, it's safe to say the 2024 NFL trade deadline was a success.
1. Trade a fifth-round pick to the Titans for Arden Key
If the Eagles feel that their biggest need in 2024 is to add a rotational edge rusher with actual experience chasing after quarterbacks from the 3-4 outside linebacker alignment, they could do a whole heck of a lot worse than acquiring Arden Key from the Tennessee Titans for a Day 3 pick.
Originally drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of LSU, Key is a versatile rotational rusher who began his career playing defensive end, first in Oakland/Las Vegas, then in San Francisco, and finally in Jacksonville before transitioning to outside linebacker in Tennessee back in 2023 opposite Harold Landry.
While Key is far from a household name outside of the cities he's played in, he is a very popular player in those communities, largely because he's been an effective rotational player over the last half-decade. He has four straight seasons with at least a 69.5 overall rating according to PFF – with his number usually much better against the pass than the run – Key knows how to get to opposing quarterbacks from a two-point stance and is even capable of impacting the game in other ways, as his four forced fumbles and eight passes defensed help to highlight.
With the Titans clearly looking to move on from their current doldrums and reload in 2025, likely with a new QB under center, keeping Key for the remainder of the year and potentially into next year feels like a rather poor use of their asset pool and the LSU product's talents, as they are clearly heading in two different directions moving forward. Fortunately, the Eagles look primed to swoop in to make the most of that opportunity and give Key his first true chance at Super Bowl contention since his time in Jacksonville.
2. Trade a sixth-round pick to the Dolphins for Calais Campbell
If the Eagles decide they want to trade for a pass rusher but want to impact the inside of opposing lines instead of the edge, there's a massive target – literally – who could fit the bill before the deadline: Calais Campbell.
That's right. While Campbell has been in the NFL for forever 17 seasons and is actually three years older than offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, the pride of Miami is still playing some of his best football at nearly 40 years old. While his numbers in Miami are nothing to write home about, recording just two sacks and 28 tackles while appearing in and starting all eight of the Dolphins' games, Campbell's 2022 and 2023 seasons were far more prolific, as he put up 12 combined sacks and 92 combined tackles over the two campaigns. With experience playing in 4-3, 3-4, and even multiple defensive fronts, Campbell could instantly become a rotational defensive end on base downs and provide optionality on the inside when the Eagles kick to a more traditional 4-3 pass rush.
If rotational pressure from a big, long body was all Campbell brought to the table in 2024, then he would unquestionably be worth a mid-Day 3 draft pick, but recall, if you will, the nine-time Pro Bowler is a member of the Walter Payton Man of the Year fraternity and knows how to play NFL football the “right” way. Considering the number of youthful talents on the Eagles' defensive line, including their marquee prospects, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, Campbell could be looked at as a sort of big brother on the field, capable of being a resource and an accountability buddy for players nearly half his age.
If Davis and Carter, plus to a lesser extent Milton Williams and Moro Ojoro, are the Eagles' future on the defensive line, then trading away a late-round pick to ensure they have a proper mentor who also just happens to be a very good player, period, could be like securing the services of a second Brandon Graham, who remains incredibly important to the team in this his final season. Considering Campbell has never been traded mid-season, why not check that box off the list, too?
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3. If some team wants to trade for Bryce Huff, do it
While the trade deadline is always full of surprises for one reason or another, from a shocking player being moved – Cam Robinson in 2024 – to the compensation for a deal being disproportionate versus outside expectations – Baron Browning in 2024 – Tom Pelissero unleashed a piece of reporting that seemingly got the entire City of Brotherly Love – minus the random Cowboys fans – buzzing: Bryce Huff might be on the trade block.
That's right, while discussing potential options heading into the Tuesday deadline on the Rich Eisen Show, Pelissero mentioned that plenty of teams around the NFL are looking for edge rusher help and explicitly tabbed Huff as a player who could be discussed down the stretch.
“There's certainly going to be interest in guys like Bryce Huff, who was one of the Eagles' big free agent signings, played all of six snaps yesterday after getting his hand apparently banged up during warmups or something,” Pelissero told Eisen. “That's a name I would think could get some potential action.”
On paper, it would be very unusual for a team to trade away one of their big free agent signings six months into their run with the team, especially after giving him $51 million, but Huff isn't your usual big-ticket edge rusher. Unlike Haason Reddick, the player he was signed to replace, Huff isn't lighting it up coming off the edge, with just 1.5 sacks to his credit despite appearing in nearly 50 percent of the team's defensive snaps so far this season.
Could some team that plays a normal or even attacking 4-3 scheme decide to ignore the Eagles' tape, where Huff isn't allowed to rush from his preferred four-point stance, and give up a later-round pick for his services? Potentially so, even if his contract either has to be amended or the Eagles have to pay some of the money scheduled to come his way, but if that call comes and there's a team willing to do the deed, Roseman shouldn't get too cute with the negotiations. Why? Because there has never been an example more stark of a player needing a change of scenery than Huff in Philadelphia, as unless Fangio is fired at the end of the season, his fit in the team's scheme will likely never improve.
