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If the Eagles are serious about adding one more Pro Bowl piece, they are going to have to free up both roster and cap space. Addition by subtraction.
Jamal Adams, Yannick Ngakoue and Joe Thuney are the three biggest names out there to acquire in a trade. Some lesser names make sense, too. Guys like Broncos running back Royce Freeman and Rams guard Austin Blythe are two intriguing options in a trade scenario. But the Eagles would have to give something up in any of those potential deals.
Or maybe they stand pat and don’t tweak the roster at all. That was the impression shared by Doug Pederson last week in a radio interview.
“This is pretty much the roster. Outside of maybe looking at a replacement for Brandon [Brooks]. Maybe doing something there,” Pederson told SportsRadio 94WIP. “Other than that, this is pretty much the roster that we are going to take to camp and work with. And I’m excited about it.”
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Eagles Rumors: 6 Trade Targets on Roster
Rasul Douglas: The fourth-year cornerback — and Super Bowl champion — recently took a pay cut and went down from $2.1 million in base salary to the veteran minimum of $825,000. That seems to indicate the Eagles are willing to roll the dice on Douglas in 2020 to compete for a job at camp. Or, from a conspiracy theorist, the Eagles lowered Douglas’ cap hit to facilitate a trade down the road.
Zach Ertz: The Eagles need to sign their Pro Bowl tight end to a contract extension sooner rather than later. That deal could net Ertz around $45 million. It’s something that has been dissected and debated heavily in this space. He’s been mentioned in trade rumors for either Jamal Adams or Yannick Ngakoue. Ertz’s departure is especially intriguing considering the franchise already has a possible replacement, in Dallas Goedert, on the roster.
Sidney Jones: The other cornerback linked to trades and the one with a much higher ceiling than Douglas. Jones was a second-round pick in 2017 (43rd overall) and was thought to be the steal of that draft after a torn Achilles dropped his stock. But, the 24-year-old has been unable to earn a starting job in Philly, although he did earn the moniker “The Closer” last year down the stretch. Jones is an unrestricted free agent in 2021 and his cap number is set at $1.9 million.
Jalen Mills: The Eagles bought themselves time by inking Mills to a one-year deal over a long-term extension this offseason. The plan is to convert him to safety and pair him alongside Rodney McLeod. The former seventh-round pick has been a valuable contributor (when healthy) and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has always been high on Mills. However, if there was an opportunity to include him a deal for … say, Jamal Adams … you do it. Plus, it would free up some cap room by taking $4 million off the books.
Malik Jackson: Why trade a Pro Bowl player who hasn’t even played a full season here? Because the way the Eagles structured his contract make it feasible. Jackson inked a three-year, $30 million deal in 2019 but it reads like a five-year deal ($50 million) and the last two years are voidable, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. Remember, the Eagles just signed Javon Hargrave to a massive deal to anchor the defensive line with Fletcher Cox. Jackson could easily be trade bait (minus his $17.2 million dead cap hit). The other problem is he’s coming off a serious foot injury.
Andre Dillard: The second-year left tackle has come under fire after a roller-coaster rookie year. Doug Pederson (sort of) gave him a vote of confidence last month but then admitted he was keeping in contact with Jason Peters. Insurance policy, right? But, if Pederson and the Eagles don’t feel like Dillard can handle protecting Carson Wentz’s blindside, then they should trade him before his price tag plummets. The 24-year-old was the 22nd overall pick in 2019. Not for nothing but LaAdrian Waddle is still sitting out there as a free agent tackle, too.
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