As the NFL trade deadline draws closer, talks around the league are beginning to heat up. For the Eagles, there is already plenty of speculation. A bumpy start to the season has told us everything we need to know about the Eagles. This is a young team that is going through the motions and while the ceiling is high, it’s going to take time to build towards contention. With that in mind, buying at the trade deadline wouldn’t necessarily be the worst idea.
Howie Roseman also seems to share that same sentiment:
“I don’t view us as being sellers. I view us as still having an opportunity in the next 11 games to show what kind of team we are. And I think this was more about the opportunity to really put the pieces of the puzzle together for this team at that position and kind of moving forward. It’s not to give up on the season in any way, shape or form. I’m certainly not thinking about anything going south.”
The outlook
As of right now, the Philadelphia Eagles have an estimated $21M in cap space. This puts them in a unique position to actually take on a heavier immediate cap hit knowing that if the contract can be reworked or softens down the line, they’ll actually be in good stead for a change.
There are several positions of key weakness on the roster and it should be noted that deadline deals very rarely pay dividends instantly. Most take a few weeks for the new player to settle in, pick up terminology, and work out the playbook while building chemistry with his new teammates. This would be a problem for a team looking to bring in talent to send them over the top and push them to that next level. The Eagles aren’t that team and can afford 6-8 weeks of letting a player find his feet before really getting to work next offseason.
This, theoretically, gives the Eagles a chance to scour the market for teams offloading players whose value will likely be nearing an all-time low. Whether that’s a proven veteran on the verge of losing his spot to a much younger player, or a cap casualty, the Birds could find a way to bring in a player who would be an immediate upgrade at a position of need and enable them to spend their 2022 draft capital where it’s needed most.
The Draft capital
As things stand, the Eagles currently have a trio of top-10 picks. Things may not end that way, but three picks inside the first round is a huge boost to a team needing to build a firm base for the next few years. If the Eagles were to hypothetically go out and strengthen their roster by adding a veteran at the deadline at a position of need such as MLB or S, it means that by the time the Draft rolls around, the Eagles have a bucket full of picks to spend at the areas where the needs are greatest.
It may not sound like a logical idea, but if we take for instance the fact that the Eagles are yet to sign a viable backup to Jason Kelce, and that they clearly could do with some reinforcements at tackle behind the starting duo, a deadline acquisition would leave Howie Roseman a draft board filled with the very top talents at 2/3 positions of key need.
There shouldn’t be a need to be hyper-aggressive before the November 2nd trade deadline, but if the Eagles spot a deal too good to pass up, they have all of the assets to make it work and the needed time frame to make sure that the trade yields a positive result.
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