How D'Andre Swift trade makes Eagles even better

Running back D'Andre Swift is officially a Philadelphia Eagle.

The Eagles traded for Swift on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. They gave up a seventh-round pick in this year's draft and 2025 fourth-round and seventh-round picks to acquire Swift, per NFL insider Adam Schefter.

This trade comes after the Detroit Lions drafted Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round of the draft. 

The Eagles are pulling this deal off after Texas running back Bijan Robinson went to the Atlanta Falcons at pick No. 8 before they could draft him at No. 10. They also let former Eagle Miles Sanders, a Pro Bowler in 2022, sign with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.

Prior to this trade, it looked as if the Eagles were going to have a running back-by-committee approach to their backfield in 2023. Running backs Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell and Rashaad Penny are already on the roster. 

It will be interesting to see how Swift will fit into the mix and whether he will become the feature back of the offense.

Swift, just 24, has shown flashes of brilliance during his three-year stay with the Lions. He's never rushed for less than 500 yards and five touchdowns in a single season, per Pro Football Reference. He's also a sneaky receiving threat out of the backfield, catching a career-best 62 receptions in the 2021 season. 

He's a great fit for the Eagles' RPO offense and can run in between the tackles and on the outside. A dynamic playmaker of this nature will free the Eagles' pass offense and take pressure off Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. 

Sanders was in a similar situation last season. After putting together a handful of solid seasons for the Eagles, Sanders had a breakout year and rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, earning a Pro Bowl and signing a rich contract with the Panthers.

Swift might be in store for a breakout year himself. He's still playing on his rookie contract and will be making about $1.7 million this season, per Spotrac. After the fact, Swift will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

In his contract year, will Swift be a game-changer for the Eagles? Maybe so. The contract year phenomenon is a real thing in sports. 

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made a home run trade by dealing for a player who has one year left on his contract and is hungry to prove he's worth a large payday. And in return, the Eagles found their ace running back for next season.

It doesn't matter if Swift re-signs with the Eagles or not after 2023. What matters is that they now have a running back who can play on all three downs for a team in win-now mode. And they got him for cheap.

Given his ties to Philadelphia, he could want to re-sign with the Eagles on a hometown discount. 

Swift, a Philadelphia native, was one of the best high school running backs in the country at St. Joe's Prep. He committed to Georgia and carried on the tradition of great Georgia running backs. He led the Bulldogs to victory in the Rose Bowl in 2017 and the Sugar Bowl in 2019. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and played well for them. 

Now, Swift is back in his hometown and ready to help Philly repeat last year's deep playoff run.