Following an inconsistent and underwhelming start to the regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles are currently 4-2 and trending in the right direction. While many fans are certainly pleased with the team’s performance over the last two weeks, there is always room for improvement.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, November 5th at 4:00 PM ET, Philadelphia has been a hot team to include in trade rumors, although the legitimacy of some of those rumors is certainly questionable. Therefore, it’s time to answer any questions that the people may have regarding the current state of the Eagles and Philadelphia’s potential plan moving forward.
@thePHIspecial asked, “Do you see the Eagles making a trade around the deadline (and will it be a blockbuster)?”
I received several questions regarding potential trade deadline moves for the Eagles in this week’s mailbag. After winning each of their last two games, the Eagles are guaranteed to be no worse than 4-4 at this season’s trade deadline. Therefore, it’s easy to envision that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will be a buyer instead of a seller in 2024.
While many Eagles fans are hoping that the team swings for the fences with a player such as Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby, I don’t believe that either one of those players will be traded this season. It’s also worth noting that the Eagles have just seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If Roseman is going to make a deal at this year’s trade deadline, it feels like a lower-end deal for depth at a position of need would make more sense. The Eagles have three fifth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could be the asset that the Eagles use to dangle in potential trade scenarios.
Here are a few potential trade targets that I believe make sense for the Eagles:
- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE, Dolphins
- Za’Darius Smith, EDGE, Browns
- Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Giants
- Josh Uche, EDGE, Patriots
- Cam Robinson, OT, Jaguars
- Walker Little, OT, Jaguars
- Joe Noteboom, OT, Rams
- Harrison Bryant, TE, Raiders
- Daniel Bellinger, TE, Giants
- Greg Dulcich, TE, Broncos
While that list certainly isn’t the most exciting, the Eagles could use help at all three of the positions listed. Philadelphia’s edge defenders have performed at a higher level in recent weeks but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Following Jordan Mailata’s injury, the Eagles could opt to add experienced depth at offensive tackle following Fred Johnson’s struggles in pass protection against the New York Giants.
After in impressive performance in Week 6, Grant Calcaterra crashed back down to earth against the Giants. Considering Dallas Goedert’s constant injury issues, the Eagles could opt to make a trade deadline deal for added depth at tight end.
@thelancesayers asked, “During the game, I felt like Jalen Hurts did an excellent job of using the cadence count to identify if/when the Giants were going to blitz. I feel like that hasn’t been discussed much. Is it just me or did Jalen’s ability to expose the Giants’ defensive plans play a role?”
In Week 7, Philadelphia’s entire offensive operation seemed to be operating at a much-higher level in totality. Both Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni mentioned the need for urgency and having a cleaner line of communication in recent weeks. Which they certainly were able to put on display against the Giants.
The Eagles did a great job of mixing up the cadences and keeping New York’s defense on their toes. Philadelphia’s offense would line up early in the play clock to allow Hurts a chance to dissect New York’s defense. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is notorious for this because he is allowed to communicate with the quarterback until the play clock reaches 15 seconds.
While it’s unclear if the Eagles are taking the same approach with Hurts and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, it certainly doesn’t hurt to take advantage of that line of communication. The Eagles would be wise to continue to mix up their pre-snap looks moving forward and force defenses to potentially reveal their hand earlier than they would prefer to.
@JoshBernard asked, “Are you worried about the Bengals? Can the offense and defense pull it together to play a better team?”
Although the Bengals are 3-4, they are a classic case of a team being better than their record says that they are. Cincinnati’s defense has certainly struggled, yet their offense will present the Eagles with their toughest matchup of the regular season thus far.
Cincinnati’s offense is one of the only units in the NFL that can go toe-to-toe with Philadelphia’s offense from a talent standpoint. Joe Burrow is a star quarterback, while Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. Their revamped backfield led by Chase Brown and Zack Moss is underrated as well.
Given the explosive potential of Cincinnati’s offense, this matchup will provide the Eagles with a great litmus test in Week 8. If Philadelphia is going to make a significant postseason run, the Eagles are going to have to prove that they can keep up with the best offenses in the NFL.
After Philadelphia’s back-to-back wins over relatively underwhelming opponents, the Bengals could present a much-needed adversity for the Eagles in Cincinnati.
@frenemyToYou asked, “It seems like Jordan Davis is getting less snaps, Huff is mainly used on known pass, and Vic is bringing pressure lately. Is it safe to say that the ideas and philosophy that we came into the year with are changing on the fly? Should fans be concerned or encouraged?”
It’s hard to be anything but encouraged about Philadelphia’s defense over their last two games. While it’s easy to hone in on certain players and discuss their shortcomings, the defense as a whole has played at a significantly higher level. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has now watched Philadelphia’s players through six games and is getting a better understanding of their skillsets and potential roles.
Therefore, if that means Jordan Davis plays primarily on early downs while Bryce Huff plays on obvious passing downs, so be it. If the Eagles continue to rank among the best defenses in the NFL in several categories, despite struggling to force turnovers through the first six weeks of the regular season, they’ll be just fine moving forward.
@TommyStroup asked, “Can we expect the Eagles to make the NFC Championship with San Francisco struggling with injuries?”
The Eagles entered this season with dreams of a deep run in the postseason. Considering all of the injuries around the NFL, especially suffered by the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia’s chances have only improved to achieve those dreams. Anything short of at least one postseason win would be an absolute failure for the Eagles.
As of right now, the NFC is wide open, and the Eagles are just one game out of being tied for first place in the conference. While the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Washington Commanders certainly appear to be legitimate contenders in the NFC, the Eagles have all of the talent necessary to defeat any of those teams this season.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
