Top Eagles Trade Targets Entering 2023 Offseason
The Philadelphia Eagles are days away from playing for an NFL Championship in no small part because of at least two trades this offseason.
Both A.J. Brown and C.J. Gardner-Johnson have been crucial factors in a storybook year. General manager Howie Roseman has not shied away from using trades as an avenue to acquire talent and draft picks, building an NFC contender in the process.
So, while the Eagles are going to have to walk the cap-space tightrope next offseason, it doesn’t exclude them from doing more wheeling and dealing next season. Since last April, Roseman has swung six trades.
As the Eagles look to build on this excellent campaign, they may once again look to make a deal to bolster the roster.
Here’s a look at three trade targets who could make some sense once the offseason officially begins.
It’s no secret that the Eagles’ vicious pass rush has been a key to their success this season. They had four players with at least 11 sacks on their way to 70 as a team, leading the NFL by 15.
It was a historic year for the team’s quarterback hunters, and it’s going to be difficult to repeat that production next season. Fletcher Cox, Robert Quinn, Brandon Graham and Javon Hargrave are all set to hit free agency, and the team is projected to have just $4.7 million in cap space before doing anything to create room.
There are a lot of ways to manipulate the cap, but it’s going to be hard to bring all four of those players back if they all decide not to retire.
Instead, the Eagles might be looking to the trade market to see if they can supplement their pass-rushing depth.
Edge Jerry Hughes, Houston Texans:
Jerry Hughes would be a candidate who makes a lot of sense. The 34-year-old was still a productive pass-rusher with nine sacks and 19 pressures on the season as part of a struggling Houston Texans team.
The 13-year vet has been productive throughout his career spanning stints with the Colts, Bills and Texans, but he’s never won a Super Bowl.
Hughes is due $6.3 million next season but might be willing to work with the team to make that number lower and pursue a championship.
Day 2 and 3 Draft Picks:
While it’s fun to speculate what kind of current players the Eagles could land in a trade, the financial reality of this team is that the top target it should have in mind is additional draft capital.
Philadelphia is in a position where it’s going to have to make some really difficult decisions. It pushed quite a few chips into the 2022 season and it has paid off, but there will be positions that are downgraded next season.
The defensive line is going to have departures. The secondary will look different as C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry and Marcus Epps all have expiring contracts.
Not all of those needs are going to be filled by veterans. The Eagles are going to have to rely on their drafting and development to keep things rolling with the core they have built that includes young talent on both sides of the ball.
That could mean boosting the draft capital. Right now, they are ranked 15th in Tankathon’s draft capital power rankings. That’s mostly boosted by the fact that they have two first-round picks.
What the class could use is more picks in the middle of the draft. They make four top-100 selections but aren’t due to be back on the clock until No. 222. There are contributors at non-premium positions like center, running back and linebacker who could wind up helping if Philly has selections in that span.
Identifying a veteran the Eagles can trade for a pick could be key in balancing the roster and the budget.
DT Mike Purcell, Denver Broncos:
Of all the positions that have the potential to be hit hard in free agency, defensive tackle might be the most concerning.
Not only are Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave set to hit free agency, but Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh are also going to have to decide whether they are interested in another year or retirement.
It’s a real possibility that three of the four retire and some team offers Hargrave a pile of money that Philadelphia can’t.
That leaves the potential for a mass exodus in the middle of the defense. The Eagles have done a good job preparing for that scenario. Jordan Davis can step up in his second season, and Milton Williams has some potential.
However, they would still need a veteran presence as part of the rotation in the middle. Someone like Mike Purcell would make a lot of sense.
The 31-year-old has virtually no guaranteed money left on his reasonable contract. So, the Broncos could clear his $3.7 million cap hit, giving them cap space to build the team according to head coach Sean Payton’s vision.
Meanwhile, the Eagles would have a veteran nose tackle who racked up 45 tackles this season while stuffing the run as part of an effective Denver defensive front.
This isn’t the kind of move that would make headlines, but it’s one that guarantees a reasonable level of run defense would remain even if Philadelphia loses a lot of talent on the interior.
Alex Ballantine:
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