By all appearances, the Philadelphia Eagles have turned a corner this season after winning their third straight game, their toughest test of this young season, a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the team’s recent success does not mean that the organization can afford to sit back and relax.
With the NFL trade deadline set for Tuesday, Nov. 5—the most important event of the day, Howie Roseman and company have just under one week to improve this roster further.
The biggest area of opportunity? Unquestionably, the team’s pass rush.
While the rush has looked much improved over the past three weeks, especially by the Georgia boys—Carter, Smith, Dean, and even, at times, Jordan Davis, it’s important to remember the opposition and their struggles in pass blocking. All three teams the Eagles faced sit in the bottom half of the league in pass-blocking, and the Giants—who rank the highest of the three—are significantly worse since the Andrew Thomas injury, which occurred the week before they faced the Eagles.
The risk is too great to firmly believe that the Eagles’ pass rush woes are over. Philadelphia would undoubtedly be better served making an addition ahead of the deadline to maximize their pass rush and, in turn, their potential this season.
With that in mind, here are five players who could bolster the Eagles’ pass rush.
Arden Key
Not the sexiest name off the rip, and surely the first thought is, “Why not Harold Landry?”
Simply put, the Tennessee Titans are, historically, a stubborn organization. Since trading A.J. Brown to the Eagles, the Titans have not so slowly fallen apart and completely lost their identity after star running back Derrick Henry in free agency to the Baltimore Ravens.
They have no quarterback, their offensive line has gone from one of the league’s best to one of its worst, and they currently sit 1-6 on the season with no answer in sight. Despite this, Tennessee’s front office has maintained that they will not move off of star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.
While Landry may not receive the exact same treatment, given the remaining years on his contract, his performance this season, and the valuable nature of his position, if Landry hits the trade block at all, expect the price to be hefty and a half, and expect him to remain a Titan through the end of the year.
Arden Key, on the other hand, is expected to be one of the premier budget pass-rushing options on the market. He’s performed well this year, racking up three sacks this season—all in the past two weeks, and is capable of seemlessly plugging into the team’s outside linebacker rotation.
Calais Campbell
The Miami Dolphins are potentially on the uptick after the return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. However, sitting at 2-5, the team has a lot of work ahead of them. With one more week between now and the deadline, the Dolphins will have a critical matchup against the Buffalo Bills that could influence whether or not they ship off expiring contracts.
One of those expiring players is longtime starter Calais Campbell.
The 38-year-old veteran is a bit long in the tooth, but that’s experience, something Philadelphia could use more of on the defensive line, especially on their interior of Vic Fangio’s 3-4(ish) defense. Campbell would not play the star role, but rather, he would be another important player in the team’s defensive line rotation.
Should the Dolphins attempt to ship off expiring deals, Campbell would be among the best “bang for your buck” candidates at the trade deadline.
Jonathon Cooper
The Denver Broncos are one of the surprise teams this season, sitting at 5-3 and currently positioned as a Wild Card team. Earning a spot in the postseason would be great for the development of the team, but with the number of holes on the team, bringing in as many draft picks while holding on to the core of the team.
Denver is unlikely to recoup any draft compensation through compensatory picks, as they’ll look to surround rookie Bo Nix with complementary players and, ideally, further improve their impressive defense. Without the worry of missing out on comp picks, the Broncos could opt to ship off expanding deals to build a brighter future.
Jonathon Cooper is one such option to be dealt ahead of the deadline. NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero have previously reported the potential availability of Cooper and fellow edge rusher Baron Browning.
Cooper has started in all eight of the Broncos’ games so far, raking up 5.5 sacks and 11 QB hits in the process. Playing on the outside of Fangio’s defense, Cooper could prove to be an impactful force without costing a premium draft pick.
Josh Hines-Allen
Now we’re talking. You want to make a splash? Josh Hines-Allen is definitively that.
This season has been a near nightmare for the Jacksonville Jaguars. A win against the New England Patriots had the Jaguars temporarily puffing out their chests. A loss to the Green Bay Packers and several injuries to key players has brought down the vibes for sure. An upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles could prove to be the nail in the coffin.
Last season, Hines-Allen racked up an impressive 17.5 sacks. This season, he has struggled to replicate that success, only finding the QB three times this season; a large part of his struggle has been the overall inability of the team.
At last check, Hines-Allen is among the least likely players to be dealt by Jacksonville, but the right offer and the opportunity to shed salary could prove too enticing to pass on.
Doug Pederson, in what may be your last act as head coach, talk to who you have to talk to, do Hines-Allen a favor, and leave him in Philadelphia.
Za’Darius Smith
Eagles fans are understandably clamoring for Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. As incredible of an edition as the future Hall of Famer would be, the odds of that trade realistically occurring are slim. Far more likely is fellow Browns pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Through eight games, Smith has amassed five sacks on the season, leading the team, even ahead of Myles Garrett.
In every sense of the word, Za’Darius Smith is the more affordable option from the Browns. The draft compensation needed to land him would pale compared to that for Garrett, and his cap number is roughly a fourth of Garrett’s.
Smith is in the penultimate year of his deal, so he would be able to return to Philadelphia next season while remaining on a palatable contract. If, for any reason, the Eagles have some sort of buyer’s remorse, there is a potential out in Smith’s contract next season as well, giving the team their much-desired optionality.
Much will happen between now and the NFL trade deadline, but the question lingers if the Eagles will participate this year or not. That decision comes down to Howie Roseman, his confidence in his team, and his ability to work the phones this year.
