Finding 10 potential trade targets for Eagles this offseason

[time2rock]

Finding 10 potential trade targets for Eagles this offseason

 

With NFL free agency about to start next week, all eyes will be on the players with expiring contracts.

But what about the players still under contract? Because this is the time of year where the Eagles can look around the NFL and try to find some players who might be available for a trade.

One of the top targets would have been Falcons’ receiver Calvin Ridley (and the Eagles made a run) but he was suspended for at least a year for betting on NFL games … so go ahead and cross him off the list.

There are still some players around the league who might be logical trade targets for the Eagles. And we’ve already seen our fair share of trades league-wide this week.

Here are a 10 potential Eagles trade targets in no particular order:

WR D.K. Metcalf: After the Seahawks dealt Russell Wilson and cut Bobby Wagner, it became clear that they’re in obvious rebuild mode so it’s time to look through their roster and find players you might be able to shake free. The guy who comes to mind first is DK Metcalf, who was a Pro Bowler in 2020 and has gone over 900 yards receiving in each of his three NFL seasons. The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the Seahawks and if they don’t think they can re-sign him, then maybe they’d entertain some trade offers. The Eagles could have drafted him in 2019 but he was off their board for medical reasons (oops) and they ended up with J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.

WR Tyler Lockett: A more realistic trade target from the Seahawks might be veteran receiver Tyler Lockett, who is 29 now but has gone over 1,000 yards in each of his last three seasons and would give the Eagles a legitimate deep threat. Lockett would come with reasonable salaries the next two years too. A problem here is that Lockett signed an extension not too long ago and the Seahawks would have to take on some dead money to deal him. That means he probably wouldn’t be cheap.

WR N’Keal Harry: The Patriots used a first-round pick on Harry back in 2019 and he’s been a real disappointment. The 6-4, 225-pound receiver is also about to enter the final year of his rookie contract and New England obviously won’t pick up his fifth-year option for 2023. How about a Jalen Reagor for Harry swap? Give two disappointing first-round receivers a chance to play elsewhere.

LB Zack Baun: The Saints drafted Baun in the third round out of Wisconsin back in 2020 but he’s had a somewhat limited role playing just 8% of their defensive snaps in 2020 and 17% in 2021. With two years left on his rookie deal, Baun is still cheap and if he’s not going to have a role with the Saints, maybe they’d be willing to deal him. At 6-3, 225, Baun isn’t a prototypical off-ball linebacker. In fact, his ability as a pass rusher would make him a nice fit as the SAM in Jonathan Gannon’s scheme and could offer a longer-term solution as the Eagles move on from Genard Avery.

Edge Za’Darius Smith: There seems to be a pretty good chance Smith won’t be with the Packers in 2022. They will gain $15.75 million if they trade or release him and the Packers need cap space. While a release seems very possible here, the Eagles could get in front of it and try to bring him in with a trade. Smith is coming off a back injury in 2021 but was great in 2019 and 2020 (with 13.5 and 12.5 sacks) and is still 29. On his current contract, Smith has a base salary of $14.5 million so if the Eagles were to trade with him, it would be time for a contract extension to bring his number down in 2021. While Smith has played as a 3-4 OLB in his career, he would be a fine fit in the Eagles’ 4-3 as an end and could even work as a standup rusher and take some snaps at their SAM position.

Edge Preston Smith: Like we mentioned, the Packers need cap space and trading the other Smith would create $12 million in room. Like Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith is also entering the final year of his contract and has a base salary of $8.35 million in 2022. My best guess is the Packers get rid of Za’Darius and extend Preston, but the Eagles should keep an eye on both.

CB Bradley Roby: The Saints actually shipped a third-round pick to the Texans early last season to get Roby but now he has a base salary of $9.5 million in 2022 and the Saints are in a very rough spot in terms of cap space. Roby didn’t have the role with the Saints that they probably envisioned. He’s a definite candidate to be a cap casualty, so maybe the Eagles can wait to see if the 29-year-old hits the market.

CB Noah Igbinoghene: The former first-round pick from 2020 just simply couldn’t get on the field in Miami in 2021, playing just 78 defensive snaps, buried on the depth chart. His NFL career hasn’t gone to plan but there was a reason Igbinoghene (5-11, 197) was a high draft pick. The Eagles brought in a bunch of young corners last season for DBs coach Dennard Wilson to mold. Why not add a former first-round pick to the mix?

DE L.J. Collier: Speaking of former first-round picks who haven’t worked out, another guy the Eagles could make a run at is the 291-pound defensive lineman from Seattle, who didn’t play much in 2021 following a shift on defense. He started all 16 games in 2020 but was buried on the depth chart in 2021. The Seahawks reportedly shopped Collier before last trade deadline and he could be a nice fit for the Eagles in a modest trade.

DE Danielle Hunter: This would be a mega deal for one of the league’s best pass rushers (when healthy). Hunter was previously unhappy with his contract in Minnesota and the Vikings will need to figure out what to do before Hunter’s $18 million roster bonus triggers later this month. The cheaper option at edge rusher is to get one from what appears to be a deep draft class but Hunter is still just 27, has familiarity with Gannon and the scheme and is already proven himself at the NFL level. He’s coming off a torn pec in 2021 but was still very disruptive before the injury.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/nfl-trade-rumors-finding-10-potential-trade-targets-eagles-2022

[UK_EaglesFan89]

The Metcalf trade would be great but it would also cost a lot and then you've got to give him a new contract (which will be a pretty big one). Lockett would be an interesting one but not exactly the bigger more physical WR we want to see opposite Smith.