With the Aug. 30 roster cutdown day getting closer and closer, the Eagles still haven’t made the kind of late-summer move that has become part of Howie Roseman’s routine.
That doesn’t mean one isn’t coming.
Roseman was busy at this point last year, swinging five trades in August and bringing in four players who ended up making the initial 53-man roster. This time around, he’s still sitting on his hands - at least for now - but there are a handful of players on the roster who could become trade chips before the deadline hits.
One name to watch is Andy Dalton. Tanner McKee has been discussed plenty as a possible trade candidate in the battle for the QB2 job, but Dalton may actually be the more movable piece.
Rookie Cole Payton has shown enough to suggest he could stick as a developmental QB3, which makes the picture behind the starter a little crowded. The Eagles passed on a Day 2 pick for McKee last offseason, and the question now is whether Roseman would take less than that for the 26-year-old in the final year of his rookie contract.
Dalton, meanwhile, comes with a more obvious market after the Eagles sent a seventh-rounder to Carolina in March. If Philadelphia can get that back - or better - it’s at least worth considering.
At linebacker, Smael Mondon Jr. fits the kind of situation that can tempt a front office to deal from strength. Vic Fangio called the position the defense’s “deepest” spot, and that matters when you’re trying to sort out the back end of the roster.
Behind Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Chance Campbell and UDFA rookie Deontae Lawson have both made a push, and the Eagles are not likely to carry six linebackers. Mondon, a 2025 fifth-rounder who spent most of last season on special teams, could be the one moved if Roseman can land a Day 3 pick or a depth piece at another spot.
Hollywood Brown is another possible trade candidate, though his situation is different. If not for the $5 million guaranteed on his one-year contract, he might already be staring at a cut.
Instead, the Eagles could try to get something back for a veteran who has done very little this summer while Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore and Johnny Wilson - when healthy - have been more productive. Brown has more than 4,000 career receiving yards over seven seasons, so maybe there’s a team willing to give up a late Day 3 pick for him.
Jakorian Bennett probably wouldn’t bring back much, but he’s still a player worth mentioning because of the circumstances around him. The Eagles acquired him last August by sending defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV to Las Vegas, and Bennett has not had a strong summer.
At this point, it seems unlikely he makes the roster. Still, he’s only 25, was once a fourth-round pick, and is in the last year of his rookie deal.
A team with thin cornerback depth could decide to take a chance.
Fred Johnson feels like the longest shot of the group, but he’s not completely off the board. He left Philadelphia in free agency looking for a starting job and didn’t find one.
Now he’s in the mix for the top backup role, while third-round rookie Markel Bell has put together a positive camp and looks like a possible future option behind Lane Johnson. If the Eagles are confident in Bell and another team is willing to offer a fifth- or sixth-round pick, moving Fred Johnson could make sense for everyone involved.
In Other News...
Cooper DeJean Practice Clip Has Eagles Fans Talking For The Wrong Reason
Joint practices usually provide the cleanest snapshot of where a roster stands before the games start counting, and one of the most watched matchups on the field Thursday in New England came with Cooper DeJean lined up across from DeMario Douglas. The Eagles defensive back entered the offseason with plenty of momentum after earning first-team All-Pro honors as a slot defender last season, so every rep against a quick, elusive receiver was going to draw attention from fans looking for clues about how Philadelphias secondary is coming together.
Douglas made the most of the spotlight, winning all three of their 1-on-1 reps by snapping off sharp cuts and exploding into separation, and the clip moved quickly through social media as Eagles followers reacted to what they saw. It is still only a practice setting, of course, but when a player with DeJeans reputation looks out of sync in a widely shared drill, it is the kind of thing that tends to linger until the pads come on and the matchup gets another chance to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Former Penn State Standout Sees Strong Eagles Camp Cut Short
Tariq Castro-Fields had been one of the more intriguing names in Eagles camp, trying to turn a strong summer into a legitimate push for a 53-man roster spot while working back from a heel injury. The former Penn State standout brought enough familiarity and upside to make him worth watching in a secondary that always seems to have room for another corner to force the issue.
Instead, Philadelphia moved Castro-Fields to injured reserve, which ends his training camp and likely his season before the real evaluation could even finish. The Eagles also waived/injured wide receiver Johnny Wilson while adding center Zeke Correll and wide receiver Brandon Hayes, a reminder of how quickly roster opportunities can shift at this stage of camp, especially for players trying to survive on the margins. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Roster Battle Already Has Clear Early Winners And Losers
The Eagles got a useful measuring stick in their joint practice with the Patriots, and a few players quickly stood out on both sides of the ball. Saquon Barkley looked sharp, while Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and Will Shipley also made strong impressions as the staff continued sorting through a roster picture that is still very much in motion.
Riq Woolen, Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams had more difficult stretches, which matters in a camp setting where every rep carries extra weight. Technique, consistency and how players handle pressure all loom large at this stage, and the coaching staffs evaluations from a session like this can shape opportunities fast, even if the final roster decisions are still ahead. [Read more 🡒]