The Philadelphia Eagles have been relatively quiet on the trade front since landing Tank Bigsby in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in early September. Of course, a month and a half without a trade is like an eternity for touted Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
While Philadelphia is still positioned to run the table in the NFC East and make a deep run in the postseason, it still has some holes to patch up before the November 4 trade deadline. The Eagles got started by striking a deal with the New York Jets.
They ended up sending wide receiver John Metchie III, who they acquired earlier this offseason and had just four catches for 18 yards this year, and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Jets in exchange for slot cornerback Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
New Eagles CB Michael Carter took drastic measures to land in Philadelphia
Carter is a welcome addition to the cornerback room in Philadelphia, as outside of young stars Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the unit is severely hurting for depth and talent. Thankfully, Carter was seemingly willing to take drastic measures to be sent to the Eagles.
"Here's how badly Michael Carter II wanted to join the champs: Sources say he agreed to delete the $5M guaranteed for injury in his 2026 contract year to complete the trade to the #Eagles," NFL Network'sIan Rapoport reported.
This is practically unheard of for an NFL player to do, as guaranteed money is essentially a get out of jail free card. But Carter's willingness to sacrifice this perk in order to get a deal done shows, once again, that Philadelphia is the league's most premier destination.
Granted, most places in the NFL are better than New York, and that goes for both of the teams that play there. But the mystique around the Eagles and the genius of Roseman are enticing for players around the league, and Carter's bold move proves that.
Of course, Carter's arrival also signifies something else for Eagles fans: perhaps the end of Kelee Ringo's time in Philadelphia. DeJean is now likely to move outside on a more permanent basis with Carter in town, leaving Ringo without a role.
Things are really coming together for Vic Fangio's secondary, as Jakorian Bennett is also returning from injury. If everything works out how it should, then the depth in the Eagles' cornerback room should look entirely different in the coming weeks, which is a good thing.
Read more:Eagles' dream Kelee Ringo trade partner may have just emerged
And it may all be thanks to Carter's sacrifice in order to get a deal done, which he wouldn't have done to play just anywhere.