A lot of NFL pundits see the Philadelphia Eagles having a fire sale at the NFL trade deadline as a real possibility. If they do, consider linebacker Nolan Smith a potential trade candidate.
That’s what The Athletic’s Daniel Popper argued while he included the 25-year-old on his list of top 50 trade candidates entering Week 7.
Popper ranked Smith at No. 23 on the list of 50 candidates.
“The Eagles exercised Smith’s fifth-year option in the spring. He is in the fourth year of his rookie deal and is due $13.75 million guaranteed in 2027,” wrote Popper. “Because the Eagles restructured Smith’s fifth-year option — a pretty rare occurrence — they would take on a little less than $1 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Smith.
“The Eagles are now in a rare position. They can sell and potentially earn a high draft slot, affording GM Howie Roseman a chance to retool. Smith, a violent edge-setter who had 13 pressures through the first six weeks, would be a trade option if Roseman aggressively pursues this rebuild opportunity.”
Smith appeared to be on the verge of breaking out when he had 6.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits in 2024. He made 10 starts out of 16 games that season, as the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
But last season, Smith regressed while dealing with an aggravated triceps injury. The linebacker had surgery on the triceps earlier in his career.
This season, Smith has three sacks with four tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and one pass defenses in six contests.
Why Linebacker Nolan Smith Could Be Eagles Trade Candidate
It appears to be a long shot that the Eagles trade Smith. If the team can quickly fix its roster issues over next offseason and experiences better luck with health, then they could be right back to contending.
Thanks to the fifth-year option in his rookie deal, Smith remains under contract for 2027. The Eagles drafted the linebacker at No. 30 in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which meant he had the fifth-year option included in his rookie contract.
But whether the Eagles want Smith on the roster for next season could depend on how they view their chances of getting back into contention.
The team is currently on a 4-game losing streak. Put another way, the sky is falling, and everything appears to be on the table in terms of changes occurring.
If the Eagles aim to rebuild rather than retool their roster, then Smith could be a trade candidate. He might be one of the more intriguing trade chips they possess because of his relatively young age and remaining upside.
Other Philadelphia Trade Candidates Ahead of Cowboys Showdown
Overall, Popper included five Eagles players on his list of 50 trade candidates before Week 7. That’s an incredible number considering the team was a Super Bowl candidate a month ago.
But things change quickly in the NFL. Again, if the Eagles decide to fully rebuild, the team could make a lot of trades. That’s why pundits are considering a lot of different candidates from the Eagles roster.
In addition to Smith, Popper included Moro Ojomo, Landon Dickerson, Riq Woolen and Dallas Goedert on his trade candidates list.
The NFL trade deadline is set for Tuesday, November 10.
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