Jalen Carter
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Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
If the Philadelphia Eagles are going to trade NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter, you can bet they’re going to get a King’s Ransom in return.
What that amounts to is up to essentially 1 person — Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. We can assume Roseman wants something in the realm of multiple draft picks, including a 1st rounder, but there’s a chance it could just be for 1 draft pick.
In that case, it would have to be a very high draft pick, which Heavy’s Max Dible thinks the Cincinnati Bengals might be willing to give up in exchange for Carter, with the Eagles getting Cincinnati’s 2026 1st round pick at No. 10 overall.
“Carter is a two-time Pro Bowler who will play next season at 25 years old,” Dible said. “The Eagles picked him at No. 9 three years ago. Carter makes only $7 million next season, but is under contract through 2027 via a fifth-year team option that pays him $27 million that year. At a $17 million average, he is a sure bet for Cincinnati. The Bengals might be able to draft an elite rookie edge-rusher like Rueben Bain at No. 10. However, there is a reasonable chance the top three pass-rushers are gone by that pick. Carter is good against the run and the pass and can provide an anchor in the middle of the defensive line at good value. Philadelphia would get a top-10 pick, while the Bengals get an established star at good value for two years and don’t have to run the risk of swinging and missing on a top defensive rookie who hasn’t proven himself in the NFL.”
Extra Pressure on Bengals for Defensive Help
The Bengals are facing added pressure to add big-time defensive help.
Their AFC North Division rival Baltimore Ravens traded their next 2 1st round picks for All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby on Friday, which means Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will face a gauntlet of arguably 3 of the 5 best edge rushers in the NFL twice each season, and within his own division.
That now includes Crosby, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett on the Cleveland Browns, and 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and 6-time NFL All-Pro T.J. Watt on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bengals, to put it lightly, need to be able to answer that Murderer’s Row. Carter would be a great start.
Report: Philly Fielding Trade Calls for Jalen Carter
Trade rumors about Carter kicked up a notch after the Eagles signed another 1 of their defensive tackles, Jordan Davis, to a whopping 3-year, $78 million contract extension.
What that means for Carter, arguably the NFL’s best young defensive tackle and already an NFL All-Pro, Pro Bowler, and Super Bowl champion through 3 seasons, is anybody’s guess at this point.
The Eagles might actually be listening to calls for him in a trade. According to Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, Carter was offered up in a potential trade for him when he was still with the Dallas Cowboys.
“With defensive tackle Jordan Davis now extended, Philly also must weigh whether to extend Jalen Carter, who is eligible for a new deal,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on Sunday. “I’m told Philly has received trade calls on Carter.”