Will Eagles' poor trade-deadline history convince Howie Roseman not to make a move?

Howie Roseman holds a history of trade misses as the Eagles keep their eye on the NFL trade deadline closing on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

By Reuben Frank • Published October 30, 2024

 

Jay Ajayi ran for over 400 yards with a 5.8 average in seven games in 2017 and had a huge postseason.

A trade-deadline hit.

The rest of them?

Trade-deadline misses.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman traded a 4th-round pick to the Dolphins at the 2017 deadline for Ajayi, and his rickety knees held up long enough to help the Eagles win a Super Bowl. 

In 2018, Roseman traded a 3^rd-round pick to the Lions for wide receiver Golden Tate. The result? He caught 30 passes for just 278 yards. He did catch the game-winning touchdown in a playoff game against the Bears, but it was kind of an accident because he didn’t even know the play.

In 2019, Roseman traded a 4^th-round pick to the Browns for edge rusher Genard Avery. The result? He had just half a sack the rest of the season and only 3.0 sacks in 35 games before the Eagles finally gave up on him.

In 2022, it was a 4^th-round pick to the Bears for aging pass rusher Robert Quinn, who had 18 ½ sacks a year earlier. The result? No sacks as an Eagle. Never even came close.

And last year, Roseman shipped 5^th- and 6^th-round picks and safety Terrell Edmunds to the Titans for two-time all-pro Kevin Byard. The result? Byard gave the Eagles no better than functional safety play during the late-season collapse.

That’s a lot of draft picks Roseman has shipped away with minimal return, something to keep in mind as this year’s trade deadline approaches on Tuesday.

The Eagles have won three straight games and are sitting at 5-2 with a home game against the Jaguars on Sunday. There aren’t any areas of desperate need, and while another edge rusher or wide receiver could help, would Roseman really trade away more draft picks for a guy who recent history says probably won’t help?

Vic Fangio said Tuesday the defense doesn’t need any help, and explained why he’s generally not a fan of in-season trades.

"Yeah, I mean, it's hard to improve your team drastically this time of year,” he said. "I think if you look at some of those trades over the years, they really haven't had the effect that some teams were hoping for. 

"Unless it's a trade where you're getting a guy that you're going to have for a few years, where it’s more of a bigger trade than swapping guys, trading a 6 for a 7, those types of things.

"Each and every case is different obviously. Sometimes the guys come in with no prior relationship with the coaches and everything is totally new. I think if the guy had been with you somewhere along the line and has system knowledge and comfortability, that helps. Every scenario is a little different.”

The Eagles already traded a 3^rd-round pick to Washington back in August for receiver Jahan Dotson, who has all of six catches for 35 yards in seven games.

That leaves them with their own 1^st- and 2^nd-round picks in 2025, along with a 3^rd-round pick – either their own or the one they got from the Dolphins during the draft in April (the better one goes to Washington in the Dotson deal), as well as a 4^th-round pick and three 5^th-round picks. Not a ton to work with there.

The Eagles don’t have a lot of tradable assets, but someone like Avonte Maddox might appeal to a team desperate for secondary help. And James Bradberry is still an Eagle too, last time we checked. 

Nick Sirianni seemed open to the idea of making a deadline move while also saying he doesn’t think a big move is necessary.

"I love the team that we have,” he said Monday. "And I think this team is really coming together. With that being said, I know we're always looking for ways to improve our team. I know Howie is the best at that – of always, always, always, looking at ways he can improve the football team. I admire that and value that of how he goes to work there. 

"But like I said, love the guys that we have. I think we're coming together really nicely as a team. But we'll see how this next week plays out. … Any way we can make the team better, I'm always up for that.”

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-trade-deadline-history-howie-roseman-nfl-2024/627317/

Trade for a true difference maker. Someone who can come in and make an impact. Not a player who’s declined this year or over the last year. Not a player who was a high draft pick that hasn’t lived up to their potential. A true difference maker.

16 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Trade for a true difference maker. Someone who can come in and make an impact. Not a player who’s declined this year or over the last year. Not a player who was a high draft pick that hasn’t lived up to their potential. A true difference maker.

If a player is a young, true difference maker than they probably aren’t available (unless you give up a ton of picks).  No thanks.  Build through the draft with players on cheap rookie contracts (that’s the other problem with adding a "true difference maker” … in addition to giving up a boatload of picks you’re going to have to pay him a ton too).  Seems the team chemistry has been developing nicely … no sense disrupting that.  

12 hours ago, time2rock said:

If a player is a young, true difference maker than they probably aren’t available (unless you give up a ton of picks).  No thanks.  Build through the draft with players are cheap rookie contracts (that’s the other problem with adding a "true difference maker” … in addition to giving up a boatload of picks you’re going to have to pay him a ton too).  Seems the team chemistry has been developing nicely … nonsense disrupting that.  

Sorry I should have specified that. Yeah I’m not just trading for anyone because I’m still not sure we are legit SB contenders. Now I’d trade for a Crosby or maybe a Garrett but I’m not trading the farm for them (which I’ll likely take). It’s just got to be the right move at the right price otherwise no thanks.

Having overspent more than any team in the NFL we need cheap talent.  Howie needs to draft better

9 hours ago, weko said:

Having overspent more than any team in the NFL we need cheap talent.  Howie needs to draft better

Do you even watch the Eagles?  Lemme show you how silly that comment is...

Carter, Smith, Steen, Brown, Ringo, McKee, Ojomo ring a bell???. Aside McKee, I'm pretty sure that whole draft class is producing in some way. Oh wait, how about.... Davis, Jurgens, Dean, Johnson, Calcaterra???? Not gonna call out the names from this year's draft, bc it's early, but seems like we got at least 2 stud DBs. Show me a team as of late to get this type of draft production that's not the bottom feeders in the NFL... 

Yea.... HoWIe NeEDs tO DrAFt bETtER....

16 minutes ago, Portyansky said:

Carter, Smith, Steen, Brown, Ringo, McKee, Ojomo ring a bell???. Aside McKee, I'm pretty sure that whole draft class is producing in some way. Oh wait, how about.... Davis, Jurgens, Dean, Johnson, Calcaterra???? Not gonna call out the names from this year's draft, bc it's early, but seems like we got at least 2 stud DBs. Show me a team as of late to get this type of draft production that's not the bottom feeders in the NFL... 

 

You forgot Williams and Goedert bud 😊.

2 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

You forgot Williams and Goedert bud 😊.

That was pre Hurts. Bc the re-tool as Howie calls it, really didn't start till Jalens 1st season as a starter.

You would think that it is now time to take what we can get for Bradberry. Some team who has injuries at CB should give us at least a 6th rounder for him. 

Every single one of those trades were considered very good moves at the time.  I highly doubt that Roseman has given it a second thought about how they didn't work out in regards to what he's considering this year.

The pro scouting department and Roseman are constantly looking for opportunities to improve the team and if something they like becomes available for an affordable price, I have no doubt that he pulls the trigger.

On 10/31/2024 at 1:01 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Sorry I should have specified that. Yeah I’m not just trading for anyone because I’m still not sure we are legit SB contenders. Now I’d trade for a Crosby or maybe a Garrett but I’m not trading the farm for them (which I’ll likely take). It’s just got to be the right move at the right price otherwise no thanks.

The eagles absolutely are Super Bowl contenders.......talent wise.  But the shortcomings of the head coach are getting more and more obvious and costing the team on the field.

The talent has overcome the idiotic coaching for the most part.  But in high pressure, playoff games, Sirianni is going to cost them.  Getting to the Super Bowl has caused sirianni to overstate his ability......and he is making some really stupid decisions and getting too involved in the offense.

Kellen Moore is obviously hampered by Sirianni's involvement......this offense regularly leave 6-10 points on the field each game.  Fangio has the defense flying around and it is playing well.  That only leads to more confidence and the turnovers are starting to come.

 

3 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

The eagles absolutely are Super Bowl contenders.......talent wise.  But the shortcomings of the head coach are getting more and more obvious and costing the team on the field.

The talent has overcome the idiotic coaching for the most part.  But in high pressure, playoff games, Sirianni is going to cost them.  Getting to the Super Bowl has caused sirianni to overstate his ability......and he is making some really stupid decisions and getting too involved in the offense.

Kellen Moore is obviously hampered by Sirianni's involvement......this offense regularly leave 6-10 points on the field each game.  Fangio has the defense flying around and it is playing well.  That only leads to more confidence and the turnovers are starting to come.

 

I completely agree with you. The NFC isn’t that strong this year and even though Detroit look good I could still see us being able to win that… If Sirianni wasn’t the HC that is. With Sirianni as HC though I’d give us little chance because he’d cost us points and against an offense like that you can’t leave points out there.