The Philadelphia Eagles knew that the offseason would be a tough one. They had a ton of key contributors hitting free agency, and retaining all of them would be an impossibility. While the team was able to keep some of those players in Philadelphia, such as cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay and defensive linemen Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham, there were plenty of departures.
Running back Miles Sanders signed a multi-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, but he was replaced on a team-friendly deal signed by Rashaad Penny. Guard Isaac Seumalo signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Defensively is where the team was hit hardest, but that wasn’t unexpected.
Javon Hargrave left for the San Francisco 49ers, signing a four-year, $84 million deal. Linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White both departed, signing with the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals. Safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps also left, joining the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders.
A few defenders were signed off of other teams to help fill the void in linebacker Nicholas Morrow and cornerback Greedy Williams. But, a glaring need remains at the safety position where the team lost both starters.
Filling the void left by Gardner-Johnson and Epps will not be easy. The free-agent pool, at this point, is relatively thin. But, the Eagles could look to the trade market to get a deal done. A player to keep an eye on would be Kevin Byard of the Tennessee Titans.
Byard has made it known he wishes to play his entire career with one franchise. But, after being approached about taking a pay cut, his future is certainly up in the air. Tight on cap space, the Titans would much rather trade Byard and get some value for him than release him.
He would be extremely valuable on the trade market as one of the best safeties in the league. He has not missed a game in his seven-year career and has at least 84 tackles in every season that he has been the full-time starter.
Byard is only turning 30 in August and should have plenty more good football to offer a team. Landing him would be a huge addition for an Eagles team that lost a lot of talent this offseason in free agency.
What would it take to acquire him? If the Titans are going to embark on a rebuild, the Eagles have a ton of draft capital to spare to make a deal. They can get uber-aggressive and offer one of the two first-round picks they own in the 2023 NFL Draft, almost forcing the Titans’ hand by offering a premium selection.
Another route could be the quantity-over-quality approach. Philadelphia can offer the extra seventh-round pick they have in the 2023 NFL Draft along with a 2024 second-rounder via the New Orleans Saints and a fourth- or fifth-rounder, depending on the conditions, via the Minnesota Vikings.
Something is better than nothing for the Titans, which are on the verge of starting things over when it comes to their roster. The Eagles, still in a prime position to contend, would have a star for the back end of their defense for at least the next two seasons in Byard.
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