Philadelphia Eagles: Justin Jackson is an ideal buy-low trade target

Say what you will about Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, but he sure likes to make a trade.

Since returning to power in January of 2016 following the firing of Chip Kelly, Roseman has executed 26(!) different trades according to Spotrac, which may not be the most in the NFL, but is darn close to it.

Roseman has exchanged potential cuts for conditional picks, acquired a player in exchange for moving up or down in the draft, and even made trades to then go on to trade the acquired assets, as he did with a pair of trades to acquire Carson Wentz second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. If there’s a way to work the wire and get the most value out of a pick, player, or contract, Roseman has already figured it out and likely done it at one point or another in his decade-plus long career running the show for the Eagles.

So, naturally, with free agency right around the corner and the 2021 NFL Draft coming up shortly thereafter, there is a borderline guarantee that Roseman will pull off some sort of trade – maybe even a few – to put the Birds in what he feels is the best position to succeed, even if such a move probably won’t be trading up a few spots in order to select Zach Wilson second overall.

Considering the Eagles’ current cap situation, why not try to procure some young yet established talents on bargain bin rookie-scale contracts? Certainly couldn’t hurt, right?

Justin Jackson could help bring Shane Steichen’s rush to the Philadelphia Eagles.

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250 players were drafted before Justin Jackson in the 2018 NFL Draft.

That’s a lot.

He was the 20th running back selected, which just so happens to be the total number of running backs picked overall, and likely wasn’t expected to be much of a contributor to the Los Angeles Chargers’ offense slotted in behind Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler on the depth chart.

And yet, here we are, in 2021, and against the odds, the Northwestern product has remained a gainfully employed member of the Chargers three years later, with a chance to hit free agency when the forthcoming season comes to an end. Though he’s never amassed more than 300 yards in a single season and is only an above-average receiver utilized in a below-average volume, Jackson has remained a solid offensive contributor and occasional special teamer under head coach Anthony Lynn thanks to his consistency, hard work, and – unfortunately for the Chargers – a string of injuries that just kept dropping bodies.

But now, with Brandon Staley set to replace Lynn as the Chargers’ head coach, it’s worth wondering if Jackson’s luck is about to run out.

With Ekeler signed to a long-term deal and UCLA fourth-round pick, Joshua Kelley, set to take on a more expansive role in his sophomore season, Jackson’s a Day 3 RB away from being a training camp cut with no clear path to another NFL roster.

Enter the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, as you may or may not know, Howie Roseman isn’t afraid to trade a conditional pick for a player another team no longer wants. He did so to acquire Jordan Howard from the Chicago Bears, to ship Mark Sanchez and Allen Barbre to the Denver Broncos – in separate deals – and most recently to potentially land a first-round pick from the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, depending on how many snaps Carson Wentz plays in 2021.

If Roseman is willing to go the conditional route on what may be the most consequential trade of his career, surely he wouldn’t bat an eye at flipping a conditional seventh-rounder to the Chargers for a fourth-year rusher LA may ultimately opt to release anyway, right?

In theory, such a deal makes sense for the Eagles.

As you may or may not know, the Eagles have hired Shane Steichen to serve as Nick Siranni’s offensive coordinator. While he won’t be tasked with calling plays or transplanting the same run-focused offense the Chargers used in 2020, Steichen will surely have some say in what the Eagles’ offense will look like in 2021, especially on the ground, and may vouch for acquiring some of his former Chargers players to help implement that scheme.

Assuming that’s how things shake out, targeting a player like Jackson over signing an external option, rolling with UDFAs, or even retaining a player like Corey Clement with no pre-existing connection to the new coaching staff makes a good bit of sense.

What also makes sense is landing a 24-year-old running back set to make $920,000 in 2021, which is tied for the 63rd biggest cap hit of any running back in the league tied with players like Boston Scott and Paul Perkins.

Are there better players available for less than $920k? Sure, James Robinson has one of the cheapest contracts in the NFL, and he was the Jaguars’ leading rusher in 2020, but there are also a ton of players like Ito Smith, Bryce Love, and Darrynton Evans who make more than Jackson despite having less production.

As tough as it may be to admit, the running back position as a whole is being aggressively undervalued league-wide so it’s not really about scouring the league for the best possible value but instead picking the right style of player who fits a team’s needs in their desired price range.

Even if Jackson plays lights out in 2021, there’s very little chance he’ll earn a long-term deal worth much more than $3.295 million over four years, which is basically the same money the Eagles have committed to Jason Huntley, who was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

And hey, what to know the best part of all? If the Eagles do trade a conditional pick for a player like Jackson before the draft and are ultimately able to land a better player in the draft or as a UDFA, they can surely waive him before the season starts and recoup their selection without any fussin’ or cussin’.

What other deals can a team pull off, decide they don’t like it, and then get their assets back? I’m honestly surprised more teams don’t pull off similar deals more often for players another team would like to waive. It just makes sense.

Assuming Howie Roseman decides to retain restricted free agent Boston Scott, the Philadelphia Eagles will have three running backs under contract heading into free agency. While the team could address the position further by signing a premier name like Leonard Fournette or opt to draft a legit number two runner like UNC’s Michael Carter on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft, it’s just as likely that the Eagles could trade a conditional pick for a player like Justin Jackson or someone similar as an intriguing stop-gap with long-term viability. Howie Roseman does love trades, after all.