Philadelphia Eagles: Retaining Andre Dillard was the right move

Andre Dillard might just have been the most popular name around the 2021 NFL trade deadline.

Sure, there were bigger names on the market, players like Odell Beckham Jr and Deshaun Watson, but neither was really expected to be moved before 4 pm, not after news broke that the Miami Dolphins were out on the latter, at least.

Dillard, by contrast, was reportedly available for a good Day 2 pick, and with multiple playoff teams in need of left tackle support, the market was expected to be aggressive for his service.

Though the Birds ultimately did make a deal, it was to add 2021 seventh-round pick Kary Vincent (more on that here), making him teammates with Dillard for at least the remainder of the season.

Will the Philadelphia Eagles potentially go on to regret not trading Andre Dillard while his value was sky high? Potentially so, but the upside of keeping him heading into the offseason was just worth more than a pick down the line.

Andre Dillard may be in the Philadelphia Eagles’ plans after all.

According to Pro Football Focus, Andre Dillard has graded out as the 30th best offensive tackle in the NFL.

That’s pretty good, not amazing, not horrible, but good.

Jordan Mailata, by contrast, is the 15th best tackle in the league, where he grades out very well against the pass rush and is elite as a run blocker.

If the Philadelphia Eagles had to keep one or the other, Mailata is clearly the choice. He’s bigger, younger, and has a personality that quite literally jumps through the screen and gives you a bear hug.

Like literally literally, I’ve seen it happen (sarcasm).

But here’s the thing; the Eagles didn’t have to trade Dillard. I mean they could have, and it wouldn’t have been too hard to do so either, but why give up a promising young player with two years left on his contract just because you have a better player at the same position?

I know, I know, teams can only play one left tackle at a time. That is true, but how, if you recall, did the Eagles close out their second win of the season? They moved Mailata from right tackle to left tackle off the shoulder of Dillard and ran the ball down the Panthers’ throats with a super-sized, unbalanced rushing attack.

Now granted, I’m not suggesting that Dillard should transition to left guard and take the spot of Isaac Seumalo or Landon Dickerson moving forward. Dillard isn’t what anyone would call a road grader, and I doubt he would sign an extension to play left guard when his heart is set on being a tackle, but is there a world where the pride of Washington State moves over to right tackle? He’s reportedly been cross-training at the position all season long and may be better than his rookie season showed.

That, my friends, is something the Eagles will be able to test externally over the next 10 weeks.

As things presently stand, Dillard is undoubtedly one of the Eagles’ five best healthy lineman. At full strength, he’s either their fifth or sixth best, depending on how you feel about Seumalo.

Do you want to give up that guy in the middle of the season for a future draft pick that will likely still be on the table in March, April, or even this time next year?

I wouldn’t, and clearly Howie Roseman agreed.

The Philadelphia Eagles may ultimately move on from Andre Dillard sooner than later. Despite his draft pedigree, Jordan Mailata has unquestionably flip flopped him on the depth chart and dashed a clear path to the field. But in the NFL, where you need as much talent as possible to field a contender, Dillard unquestionably raises the Eagles’ ceiling as an injury replacement now with the potential to play a more expansive role in the future depending on his further development and Lane Johnson‘s future with the team after 2021.