Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sees Eagles Acquire $135 Million Star

Getty Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles could be an ideal landing spot for Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald if the Rams begin “trending toward another lost season,” according to Bleacher Report.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are one team that may not seem like an obvious landing spot for Donald, but they would benefit more than most from acquiring him,” Alex Kay wrote in an August 8 story about the 2023 season’s top trade targets. “Adding a player of his caliber to a defense that already reached the Super Bowl last year could push this group over the top in 2023.”

Kay proposed a trade in which Donald, the most accomplished interior lineman in league, would go to the Eagles in exchange for their first- and second-round picks in the 2024 draft. Such a move would put Philadelphia “over the top” as a contender this season, he wrote.

Why Rams Could Consider Unloading Aaron Donald During the Season

The idea of the Rams trading Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, isn’t exactly surprising. Even though the Rams will enter the season with visions of contending with many of the key figures — Donald, QB Matthew Stafford, head coach Sean McVay — from their Super Bowl season two years ago, their holding a fire sale seems very much possible if they get off to a disappointing start after a 5-12 season last year.

In fact, ESPN’s Dan Graziano also raised the notion of Donald as a good “trade chip.”

“And if they’re out of it in late October, what’s to stop them from dangling Donald — who has toyed with the idea of retiring anyway in recent years — as a trade chip for a team looking to beef up for its stretch run?” Graziano wrote in an August 7 story. “Remember, the Rams are trying to absorb as much of that dead money as possible this season.”

Donald, 32, is in the midst of a six-year, $135 million deal that he re-negotiated during the 2022 offseason. The deal pays him an extra $40 million over the last three years, making him the first non-QB to get paid over $30 million per year. The Rams have an out in his contract after this season and $49.5 million in dead money across 2024 and 2025.

Why Eagles’ Potential Trade for Aaron Donald Makes Sense

While Donald’s earnings for the 2023 season are huge — $26 million cap hit with $13.5 million base salary, the 12th-highest paid player in the NFL — he could further fortify a front seven that already features potent pass rushers Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat.

Kay also noted that Philadelphia already features former first-round picks at defensive tackle in Fletcher Cox and Jordan, writing that Donald could make the defensive line “near-unstoppable.”

“The move might look a tad redundant on paper due to the presence of players like Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis, but Donald’s presence would make this defensive line near-unstoppable,” Kay wrote. “He’d also be the perfect player to bridge the gap between the aging veterans and the team’s next wave of defensive line stars like first-round rookie Jalen Carter and 2021 third-rounder Milton Williams.”

The Eagles would obviously have to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze given that Donald is due for a $34.1 million cap hit for the 2024 season in the last year of his deal.