Philadelphia Eagles: The case against trading Andre Dillard in 2021

Welp, it’s officially: The 2021 NFL trade deadline is roughly a week away and teams are getting itchy to make deals.

With Week 7 playing out as we speak, teams have a big enough sample size to know roughly where they fall in the grand scheme of the league and what holes they need to plug to gear up for the immediate future.

Alternatively, teams with suboptimal win-loss records know which veterans they can live without and which youngsters they’d like to give a larger look to over the final 10 games of the season.

In 2021, the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in a relatively unique position. They aren’t particularly good but have a much easy schedule moving forward and thus could conceivably still be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot with some further fortifications. They could conceivably get in on any trade they please as buyers but have already unloaded one franchise legend and could continue down that trend depending on what the market presents.

They also have one of the more in-demand trade chips in the NFL by the name of former first-round pick Andre Dillard, who is reportedly garnering serious interest heading into the deadline, according to Ian Rapoport. While the Philadelphia Eagles could surely secure a very nice return for Dillard’s services just before the deadline, there’s a pretty compelling case to hold onto his contract for at least the remainder of the regular season, maybe longer, depending on his development.

The Philadelphia Eagles shouldn’t rush to trade Andre Dillard (literally).

Jordan Mailata is a better left tackle than Andre Dillard point blank period.

The two duked it out in camp, even if an injury to Dillard limited the length of said battle, and Mailata was ultimately awarded the massive extension that will keep him in the Philadelphia Eagles orbit for a very long time.

Mailata is also a better right tackle than Dillard and in the same conversation as 2020 fourth-round pick Jack Driscoll as the team’s second-best option behind Lane Johnson.

But in the end, Mailata is a better left tackle than right, and because that position is more valuable when you have a right-handed quarterback, the Eagles would be foolish to present a diminished product on the field to cater to getting their former first-round pick snaps.

So it’s no real wonder why Dillard is one of the hottest names on the trade market as the November second deadline rapidly approaches; he could start on a number of teams across the league, including a few with loft aspirations.

If the Eagles can land a “quality Day 2 pick,” which was suggested by teams to Ian Rappoport, many a fan wouldn’t bat an eye at such a return, especially if it also nets a nice young player like Tay Gowen in the deal.

And yet, the idea of trading Mailata gives me pause. I too would like to secure some quality draft compensation for a player who is clearly the team’s 1b at his chosen position or even a more established young player who could plug-‘n-play for years to come at a position of need – has anyone checked in on Kenneth Murray with the Chargers? – but are we really sure Mailata isn’t still in the team’s future?

I mean, think about it; Dillard is only 26 and can be under contract through the 2023 NFL season if the team picks up his fifth-year option. His tape in 2021 is much better than the stuff he put on tape as a rookie, and conventional wisdom would suggest that he’ll only get better with two more years under certified offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland.

With a concerted effort to expand his offensive skill set, could Dillard one day be able to play on either side of the line? Is it possible to learn how to write with your non-dominant hand with 700-plus days of concerted effort?

Furthermore, what happens if Mailata goes down? Who is the Eagles’ backup left tackle? I know Brett Toth made the roster, but he only has one start to his name and hasn’t even played 200 offensive snaps yet. What about Le’Raven Clark off of the practice squad? He was once considered a can’t-miss left tackle prospect during his pre-draft process but has largely underwhelmed as a pro and was unable to beat out Anthony Castonzo to become the Colts’ left tackle at any point during his tenure.

Neither of those options are particularly compelling.

Now the counterpoint to the argument is fairly obvious; the Eagles aren’t winning the Super Bowl this year and will probably miss the playoffs for the second straight season. If you can get a late second-round pick and, like, a former seventh-round pick running back for Dillard’s services, why not do so?

Easy: Andre Dillard’s value isn’t going down.

This isn’t one of those perfect storms where a team offers a first-round pick for Sam Bradford out of desperation. The Eagles could surely get a comparable draft pick for Dillard in March just as easily as they could tomorrow, maybe even from the same teams currently in the hunt. That might be the best course of action, as it would allow the Eagles to secure a quality backup left tackle either through the draft or in free agency and still get a pick to further fill out their depth with good players.

If the value is roughly comparable at any point in the next nine months, why make a deal now if it doesn’t bring back an immediate contributor?

Could Andre Dillard eventually become a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles? Sure. Maybe he can finally transition from left tackle to right and secure a long-term deal with the Eagles too, but ultimately, I don’t see that happening. No, in my humble opinion, Dillard will be traded sooner than later; I’d just rather see him get moved in the offseason if the only compensation coming back is draft picks.