In a swarm of trades that the Philadelphia Eagles made before the trade deadline (nine before and after the start of the 2025 season, to be exact), one started to be an under-the-radar move.
The first trade that triggered the three moves in the last week was the Eagles' acquisition of cornerback Michael Carter II from the New York Jets, which involved the trade of wide receiver John Metchie III. Most Eagles initially thought it signaled that Cooper DeJean was moving to the outside and Carter would be in the nickel.
That conversation was completely shifted after the Eagles made yet another trade to get cornerback Jaire Alexander from the Baltimore Ravens. Now there's the possibility that Alexander is on the outside, and DeJean could stay in the slot.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke with the media, offering his insights into the role Carter could play. Roseman made an interesting comment that could lead everyone to see how Carter will step on the field in 2025.
"When you talk about Michael Carter, the guy has played an elite level inside. That gives you flexibility there. Incredibly sharp guy. Joe Casper coached him at Duke. He can play safety, which is really important. We've always had that piece of a guy who can play nickel and also come in the game and play safety. We had that with Avonte (Maddox)."
Would Carter at safety make sense for the Eagles?
Saying that Carter could play safety feels like a throwaway comment, but it's an interesting one coming from Roseman. Carter has spent his career as a nickel, so this could signal that he might step on the field more than some might think.
The first big decision for Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is whether he is comfortable enough putting DeJean on the outside before considering Carter or Alexander in the slot. Fangio publicly stated last week that he would prefer to keep DeJean in the slot if possible.
Another decision is whether Carter plays or Alexander does. It's telling that Carter might be playing two different positions, as that could give him a slight edge depending on the defense's package.
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This will be an ongoing conversation for the rest of the week, and the Eagles fan base won't know how this secondary's final form will be until the Green Bay Packers game.