This off-season has been a very interesting one for the Philadelphia Eagles. We’ve seen the departure of numerous big-name players – Javon Hargrave, CJ Gardner Johnson, and Isaac Seamalo, just to name a few – but Howie has once again worked his magic, bringing back/extending key pieces in James Bradberry, Brandon Graham, and Darius Slay, all who were seen as pretty much gone after the season ended.
It’s no secret that for the Eagles to get back to the Super Bowl, some moves needed to be made to cut salaries and bring in fresh talent to replace those lost. That’s happened in some areas, with high upside, low cost deals like Rashaad Penny and Terrell Edmunds, but there’s more work to be done. While many are already looking ahead to the draft as the only way left for the Birds to improve, there are a few under-the-radar trades and signings the Eagles can make that will significantly boost their chances of returning to the big game, and here, we’ll outline why Howie just might consider working his magic once again.
Kevin Byard
Perhaps one of the most publicized departures of this off-season has been Eagles safety Chauncey Gardener-Johnson, who recently signed a one-year, 8-million dollar contract with the Detroit Lions. An even harder loss than cryptic deleted tweets and salty agents, CJ’s ball-hawking ability at safety will be sorely missed by this Eagles team. While Terrell Edmunds was a very savvy signing, his aggressive, in-the-box playstyle still leaves a sizable hole on the backend where CJ once was. A more than suitable replacement for the loss of Johnson would be Titans safety Kevin Byard, who has reportedly reached an impasse with his former team over his contract (sound familiar?) and is looking to be traded. Byard is a premier safety in this league and is widely regarded as one of the most versatile defensive players in the NFL. At 29 and with two years left on his deal, Byard might not be the longest-term solution, but there’s no doubt he has plenty of high-level football left in him, and it’s possible the Birds could secure him at a discount.
Jeffery Simmons
Sorry Titans fans, but with the reports of your team having a complete firesale of its high-end talent, it’s hard not to fantasize about the possibility of poaching your superstar interior pass rusher. Remember when the Eagles signed 27-year-old Javon Hargrave in 2020, and he developed into the anchor for one of the most potent pass rushing units in league history? Well,
Imagine that, but with a player who is 25 and already who has proven himself to be one of the most valuable defensive players in the league. This would be an absolutely stellar move to secure the future of this interior rotation, and it’s very hard to imagine how teams would deal with a Reddick-Davis-Simmons-Sweat front four. To be honest, I get shivers just thinking about it. While it may come at a steep price tag, this move screams Howie Roseman to me.
Jordan Whitehead
We already discussed the urgent need at safety for the Birds – but if they can’t secure Kevin Byard, a younger, less proven player like Jordan Whitehead could be a nice consolation prize. The Jets signed 26-year-old Whitehead to a multi-year deal last year, and he played well – but with Rodgers essentially confirmed to be in New York soon, it’s possible the Jets could feel they need more Draft Capital to bolster their offense before his arrival. Whitehead projects well in coverage and would provide depth and stability on the back end.
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Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
