Jaguars Pro Bowl DE Better Fit for Eagles Than Jamal Adams

Yannick Ngakoue

Getty Yannick Ngakoue celebrates a big play in 2018.

If the Eagles want to trade at least one first-round pick (plus a Pro Bowl veteran player) then give Jacksonville a call. It just makes more sense.

Following multiple reports of Philadelphia being in the Jamal Adams’ sweepstakes, it’s time to go back and look at a better fit for the Eagles. Jaguars star edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue has been looking for (no, screaming) his way out of Jacksonville for quite some time. The Eagles have long been high on his wish list but they never made a legitimate trade offer.

In fact, the last team to make any kind of offer was the Las Vegas Raiders on draft weekend. Ngakoue remains stranded in Jacksonville and still hasn’t signed his franchise tender with the deadline of July 15 looming on the horizon. What’s going to happen? Will the Eagles make a play?

The 25-year-old defensive end is reportedly seeking a long-term deal in the range of $22 million per year. On Tuesday, he posted a Twitter message saying: “God sent.”

Ngakoue has made a habit out of trolling fans on social media so don’t read too much into it. However, never count out the Eagles from making a last-minute move. Philadelphia values their edge rushers more than safeties and trading for Ngakoue and his 37.5 career sacks would make much more sense than pulling the trigger on Adams.

Remember, the Eagles intend to head into training camp light at defensive end. Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett are the starters, with Josh Sweat and Genard Avery expected to be the next men up. It is way more conceivable to see GM Howie Roseman invest in a nasty, young pass-rusher than a skilled in-the-box safety. Especially when both players are seeking the same kind of bank-breaking contract.

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NFL Insider Calls Adams ‘Perfect Fit’ for Eagles Secondary

NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt is one of the most trusted names in the business. He’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a long, successful career in the Cowboys’ front office. Point is, when he talks people tend to listen.

So, it was a tad surprising to hear him hype up the Eagles’ chances of landing Adams in a trade. Dallas has been rumored to be the front-runner going back to last year but Brandt put Philadelphia at the top of his five-team list. Maybe he knows something everyone else doesn’t from his 30-year stint inside the star.

Either way, Brandt pointed out the void left by Malcolm Jenkins and unpredictability around Jalen Mills and Will Parks and K’Von Wallace. Of course, he did cite the same salary-cap concerns in getting a long-term deal done with Adams. He wrote:

General manager Howie Roseman — who employed Jets GM Joe Douglas as his vice president of player personnel for three seasons — isn’t afraid to make bold moves, and the Eagles could use safety help. Malcolm Jenkins left in free agency, leaving converted corner Jalen Mills, veteran free agent Will Parks and fourth-round pick K’Von Wallace to attempt to fill his shoes. Adding Adams to a secondary that upgraded at corner via the trade for Darius Slay would take Philadelphia to another level. The only caveat is that salary cap considerations could make this one tough to pull off.

Just something else to consider. The chances of Adams getting traded at all (as Brandt mentioned) could be slim to none. He’s under Jets team control for two more seasons and they hold all the leverage right now.

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