The Philadelphia Eagles had an active trade deadline, landing pass rusher Jaelen Phillips from the Miami Dolphins, cornerback Michael Carter II from the New York Jets, and ballhawk Jaire Alexander from the Baltimore Ravens. It was clear that bolstering the defensive unit was among general manager Howie Roseman's top priorities, and now he's perfectly set the Eagles up to challenge for another Super Bowl title when the postseason arrives.
But even though the trade deadline has passed, Roseman's job isn't over. On Wednesday, the team made a smaller-scale move, re-signing outside linebacker Patrick Johnson to their practice squad, according to NFL Trade Rumors.
Eagles Bring Patrick Johnson Back Almost Immediately
Johnson has been a frequent flier on the waiver wire, yo-yoing back and forth from the Eagles' practice squad to the free agent market. His latest release was a result of Nolan Smith's imminent return to the lineup.
Smith's 21-day practice window opened on Tuesday after a triceps injury put him on injured reserve, and he's trending to a return to the field for Philadelphia's matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.
Once pegged to be a replacement for Za'Darius Smith, Johnson had three tackles against the New York Giants in a loss and the Minnesota Vikings in a win before being largely a spectator against the Giants in the rematch before their bye week. He'll be a depth piece all year at worst, but there's a chance he ends up playing in key moments if Philly has bad injury luck down the stretch.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's pestering of Roseman resulted in positive results for the Eagles at the trade deadline. And much-needed ones. Teams around the NFC weren't messing around in keeping pace with the reigning Super Bowl champions. Besides the Detroit Lions.
The Dallas Cowboys made several moves to fortify their defense, including landing Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals and Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets. The Seattle Seahawks landed Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints. Even the Chicago Bears made moves on the fringes.
The Eagles moved the needle forward in a big way this past Tuesday, but that doesn't mean depth signings like Johnson aren't necessary. Philadelphia knows the importance of having a deep roster that head coach Nick Sirianni can call on, and his job is even easier when there are plenty of familiar faces around. Considering how Johnson has played 56 of his 68 regular-season games in a Philly jersey, it's safe to say he fits the bill.
The trade deadline splashes combined with depth signings are all you can ask a defending champion for. Now, it's up to the Eagles to prove that they have enough help to win the second of back-to-back Super Bowl titles.