The Philadelphia Eagles have usually been on the winning end of the trades they've made. General manager Howie Roseman is a master at finding disgruntled or misused players and getting them to the City of Brotherly Love to flourish.
Landing Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline was another example of that. Unfortunately, it wasn't all good. Adding Michael Carter II gave them some depth at defensive back, but going after Jaire Alexander was a big mistake.
Now, with a banged-up secondary and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio scrambling to patch things up, the Alexander deal has become a bit of a headache for Nick Sirianni's team.
The Eagles Dropped the Ball With Jaire Alexander
Alexander came with plenty of red flags already. He used to be a superstar, but his injury woes and well-documented character issues essentially made the Green Bay Packers give up on him. Then, the fact that the Baltimore Ravens were also willing to get rid of him so early into his tenure with the team was another concern.
The former All-Pro cornerback played just 61 snaps for John Harbaugh's team. He posted a horrid 36.9 Pro Football Focus grade, so it's not like he was lighting it up and needed to get on the field early and often.
The Eagles are now dealing with multiple injuries in the secondary. Meanwhile, the CB2 spot is a big question mark again with Adoree Jackson's play slipping (plus health issues) and Kelee Ringo struggling mightily all season long. Without another option like Alexander to turn to, Cooper DeJean could be forced to move to the outside.
DeJean is one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the game, and he's already shown that he's more than capable of holding back the most explosive slot receivers. He's not nearly as good when he lines up outside, as he gave up five receptions on six targets for 152 yards and one score in man coverage on the left side of the field. He may get there eventually, he clearly has to put in a lot of work first.
The Eagles will roll with Sydney Brown in Andrew Mukuba's absence, with Michael Carter II also getting some reps at safety. That can pose a big problem against Ben Johnson's vertical-passing offense.
Not all moves can be home runs, and Roseman has found its fair share of success when he's swung for the fences. But given Alexander's history of injuries and volatile character and the team's lack of depth at cornerback, not going for someone else was clearly a big mistake by the front office.