NFL Trade Rumors: Eagles Linked To Brian Burns
The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching. Teams have until 4:00 PM Eastern on Tuesday, November 1 to make deals or forever hold their peace. And by forever I mean for the rest of the 2022 NFL season.
Will the Philadelphia Eagles make a move before the deadline passes? History suggests it’s quite possible. Not only is Howie Roseman one of the most active trading general managers in the NFL. He’s specifically been active near the deadline with deals in four out of the last five years.
The latest buzz suggests Roseman is interested in making a big move in an attempt to boost the undefeated Eagles even further.
Speaking during a televised ESPN appearance on Saturday morning, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler indicated that the Eagles are one of the teams calling about Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns.
Here’s the transcript, via SportsNaut (hat tip to Dov Kleiman):
“Brian Burns is a player teams are trying to get. The Panthers are telling teams, ‘no, that we’re probably done [after trading Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey]. We made some moves. We want to keep core foundational pieces like wide receiver DJ Moore and Burns.’ I’m told teams like the LA Rams, who barely have a first-round pick, they’re trying to get Brian Burns. The Chiefs and the Eagles are calling around.
“One GM told me it’s a minimum two first-round pick buy-in to get Burns. That’s how coveted he is. So, the Panthers have some tough decisions because teams are going to make some attractive offers. They could move some role players or some backups, but I think their top five or six players they really want to keep.”
There’s been thought that the Panthers are having a fire sale after firing Matt Rhule. But just because they traded away Anderson and CMC doesn’t prove that. Anderson was a malcontent. Trading CMC was about clearing cap space spent on an injury-prone player who carries high cap numbers at one of the most fungible positions in the NFL.
By contrast, the Panthers shouldn’t be in a rush to trade Burns. He’s a 24-year-old coming off his first Pro Bowl season at a premium position. Burns has only missed one game in his career and he’s signed through 2023 due to a fifth-year option.
It’s possible that Burns has indicated he doesn’t want to sign with the Panthers, motivating them to get something for him before he leaves. It’s also possible there’s a price so great that Carolina would be willing to move on from him.
If they really want him, the Eagles can make a strong offer. They currently own the No. 4 and No. 31 overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Birds also notably have two second-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Is Burns worth that, though?
He’s certainly been productive. Only 13 players have more sacks than Burns’ 29.5 since 2019. The names: T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald, Cameron Jordan, Shaquil Barrett, Trey Hendrickson, Matt Judon, Robert Quinn, Za’Darius Smith, Joey Bosa, Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones, and Nick Bosa. Pretty good company. And given his relatively young age, there’s reason to believe Burns hasn’t exactly reached his peak yet.
Defensive end is both a current and future position of interest for the Eagles. The Birds don’t immediately need a new starter on the edge with Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Haason Reddick all seeing significant snaps. But you can almost never have too many good pass rushers. The Eagles could always employ a heavier rotation. And with Graham turning 35 after this season, the team will be considering the future outlook at this spot.
The guess here is that Burns won’t end up in Philly. Again, the only way the Panthers should trade him is if they get a no-brainer offer. I don’t know that the Eagles are trying to pay out another huge edge rusher contract as much as they might be hoping they can draft a cost-controlled player at that spot in the 2023 NFL Draft. It’s a draft class that’s thought to be loaded with defensive ends, after all.
Then again, it’s hard to entirely rule out Roseman making a big move. He certainly made a bunch of those earlier this year and they’re looking pretty smart right now.
Burns’ status will be worth monitoring closely as the deadline draws nearer.
Brandon Lee Gowton
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