Eagles wide receiver panic meter following trade for John Metchie III

General manager Howie Roseman raised some eyebrows when he added not one, but two tight ends in free agency this offseason.

As usual, there was a method to Roseman’s madness.

The Philadelphia Eagles made their second trade in two weeks on Sunday, sending tight end Harrison Bryant to the Houston Texans for wide receiver John Metchie III and a swap of Day 3 draft picks.

The move makes some sense for Philly’s tight end room, which is more solidified now than it was back in March. With Dallas Goedert’s contract situation now settled, and Kylen Granson seizing the TE3 spot in training camp, Bryant became an expendable trade asset.

More intriguing is Philly’s developing situation at wide receiver, which has been unsettled beyond the starters since the start of OTAs. Metchie has untapped potential as a former teammate of DeVonta Smith at Alabama. The Texans made him the No. 44 overall pick in the 2022 draft, but he lost his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. He returned to the field in 2023 and has seen his role grow with the Texans over the past two seasons.

Metchie has 40 career receptions in 29 games, and just one career touchdown. He now has a spot on Philly’s wide receiver depth chart for 2025, though, leaving several players in limbo entering Week 3 of the preseason.

Which Eagles WRs are safe, panicking with John Metchie III entering the mix?

Jahan Dotson panic meter: Low

Metchie’s arrival shouldn’t impact Philly’s first-team offense. That includes Dotson, whose role as the WR3 behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith is solidified. Dotson will remain the fifth option in the passing game behind Brown, Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert and running back Saquon Barkley.

Johnny Wilson panic meter: Medium 

Wilson finished 2024 as the Eagles’ No. 4 wide receiver, and there’s no reason to think he won’t resume that role this season. The Eagles like his size as a de facto tight end on the boundary, and he’s an unsung weapon for Barkley in the run game as a blocker. It’s unclear what the Eagles have planned for Metchie out of the chute, but Wilson has a niche role in the offense and shouldn’t be impacted much, if at all.

Ainias Smith panic meter: Extremely High

Philly’s former fifth-round pick is officially on notice. The Eagles were able to buy themselves some time with Smith last summer by placing him on injured reserve with a designation to return, but his time is running out with Metchie entering as the new WR5. An Eagles team that committed the fewest pass attempts in football last season will need to justify keeping six receivers, and while he’s shown some improvement and scored a TD against Cleveland in Saturday’s preseason game, Smith hasn’t done enough to earn that justification in camp.

Darius Cooper panic meter: Moderately High 

We know the Eagles love Cooper, but the undrafted rookie had a rough game on Saturday vs. the Browns, along with the entire offense. Cooper was targeted on just one of his 13 passing snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and failed to make a catch. It’s not over for the training camp star out of Tarleton State, but the Eagles making a trade for Metchie barely 24 hours after the game is an ominous sign.

Terrace Marshall Jr.: Very High

Marshall brings some different elements to Philly’s offense with his size and speed, but he was slowed by an injury during training camp and has slipped down the depth chart after a buzzy start. Marshall will have to beat out Cooper between now and cut-down day on Aug. 26 to give himself a shot. Even so, there’s no guarantee the team will have a roster spot for him.