Howie Roseman is wheeling and dealing, doing his best ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline to position the Eagles for another Super Bowl run.
On Monday morning, the Eagles acquired Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips for a 2026 third-round pick.
That big swing followed a pair of under-the-radar moves: acquiring Jets cornerback Michael Carter II and Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander for minor draft capital.
Last week, the Eagles added Carter and a 2027 seventh-rounder in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie III and a 2027 sixth-rounder. The Eagles sent a 2026 sixth-rounder to the Ravens for Alexander and a 2027 seventh-rounder over the weekend.
The Eagles, who are 6-2 overall, entered the bye week with concerns at edge rusher and cornerback. Now, those needs have been addressed.
Birds fans have appreciated Roseman’s aggressiveness. But perhaps the most impressive part in all this is the Eagles’ general manager hasn’t leveraged the franchise’s future.
Even after acquiring Phillips, Carter and Alexander, the Eagles still have eight picks in the 2026 draft, including six picks in the first four rounds. Many have pointed out that the Commanders, for example, have only two picks in the first four rounds of the 2026 draft.
Here’s what the Eagles will have to work with in April.
EAGLES 2026 DRAFT PICKS
First round (own pick)
Second round (own pick)
Third round (from Jets)
Third round (projected compensatory pick: Milton Williams)
Fourth round (own pick)
Fourth round (projected comp pick: Josh Sweat)
Fifth round (own pick or from 49ers/Falcons)
Fifth round (projected comp pick: Mekhi Becton)
Howie Roseman
Eagles general Manager Howie Roseman will have a decision to make about the team's first-round pick and whether to keep it or trade it away.(AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)
Crucially, the Eagles didn’t part with the Jets’ third-round pick in the Phillips deal. The Eagles are looking like at least a playoff team; their third-rounder will likely be in the 90s. Meanwhile, the Jets are 1-7; their third-rounder might be a borderline second-rounder in the mid 60s. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s a major difference in the grand scheme of things.
Another thing to consider: Phillips, 26, is a young, talented player in the final year of his rookie deal. The Eagles might want to sign him to a long-term extension. But if they don’t and this is just a rental, Philly will be in-line to receive a comp pick after Phillips’ exit in free agency.
It made sense for the Dolphins, who are not contending whatsoever, to collect a guaranteed third-rounder for Phillips. But it also made a lot of sense for the Eagles on multiple levels.
The pass rush has been a concern since Josh Sweat left in free agency. Edge rushers have accounted for only 4 1/2 sacks through eight games, and some of that production came from Za’Darius Smith, the in-season signing who abruptly retired last month. Brandon Graham coming out of retirement will help, but the 37-year-old isn’t built for starter-level snaps.
So the need was there for a player like Phillips, whose 19.3% pass-rush win rate is the 10th-best in the NFL among edge rushers who have at least 150 pass-rushing snaps.
Phillips thrived under now-Eagles DC Vic Fangio in 2023 in Miami. Now, he joins a defense that got more versatile in the secondary with the additions of Carter and Alexander.
Roseman filled holes on arguably the best roster in the league, and he didn’t mortgage the franchise’s future to do it. That’s more than an added bonus. It’s why so many consider Roseman one of the best GMs in the NFL.
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