GM Howie Roseman has been keeping busy over the last week, making deals to address the defensive concerns for the Philadelphia Eagles. After adding Michael Carter and Jaire Alexander to the cornerback rotation, the Eagles made their third and most important trade of the season on Monday. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles were acquiring pass rusher Jaelan Phillips from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.
The move doesn't come as much of a surprise as the Eagles' interest in trading for an edge defender and the Dolphins' desire to move on from valuable veterans were well-documented in recent weeks. A third-round pick for a player of Phillips' caliber, who has been healthy and productive this season in a premium position, seems like a reasonable price.
Eagles' Jaelan Phillips Trade Finally Fixes the Bryce Huff Mistake
This trade also fixes a major offseason regret for the Eagles. In the offseason, the Eagles traded Bryce Huff for a conditional fifth-round pick that will turn into a fourth-rounder if he gets eight sacks for the season. He is on track to do so, but even a fourth-round pick is nowhere near enough of a return for Huff, considering the price tag of quality pass rushers on the market. Huff is in the midst of a much better season than Phillips and would require an earlier round pick in a trade if he were available.
The Eagles have now turned Huff into Phillips while also downgrading from a third-round pick to a fourth-rounder at best. That is obviously not an ideal exchange, and one that Roseman will think about for a long time, with how well Huff has been playing in San Francisco.
At the same time, if Phillips gives the Eagles what they are looking for in the pass rush rotation, no one will think about the decision to trade Huff.
Phillips is coming to Philadelphia with positive momentum. The 26-year-old has three sacks in his last five games, and has received a 66.5 defensive and 77.8 pass rush grade on Pro Football Focus. His pass rush grade is second only to Josh Uche among Philly's edge defenders.
The newest Eagle didn't end up becoming the game-wrecker defender many thought he would be when he came into the league as the 18th-overall pick in 2021, but after an unfortunate third and fourth seasons in the NFL when he suffered season-ending injuries, he is finally beginning to show the potential he demonstrated in his first two seasons in the league. Phillips will immediately play as many snaps as he can handle and should be an important part of Vic Fangio's defense going forward.