Ever since the Philadelphia Eagles received the unexpected news of Za'Darius Smith's retirement, there have been plenty of calls about needing to find a replacement. The team was already lacking in depth at pass rush, and losing one of your more competent veterans in the rotation certainly called for an addition.
So far, the Eagles have only added defensive end Titus Leo to their practice squad, a move that will not move the needle significantly. With the Nov. 4 trade deadline looming, there is an expectation for a bigger move, but that may be harder than some think.
The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye reported on Thursday that based on his conversations with an NFC executive, there may be "a supply and demand issue" in the pass rusher market. He suggested that there are "more teams interested than teams selling." Since Kaye covers the Carolina Panthers, who are also believed to be on the market for a pass rusher, this is a problem for the Eagles.
Lack of Pass Rush Sellers at Trade Deadline Is a Problem for Eagles
Quality pass rushers don't grow on trees. Every NFL team needs multiple good options in its rotation and struggles to find them. Even teams that are going to miss the playoffs don't want to trade their good pass rushers (unless you are the Dallas Cowboys, I guess) since they know how difficult it may be to replace them later.
There are plenty of teams looking for upgrades in their pass rush rotation. Kevin Patra of NFL.com identified multiple teams whose biggest need is EDGE or pass rush, including the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, the aforementioned Panthers, and the Eagles. He also mentions the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cowboys as teams who may be interested in adding a pass rusher at the deadline.
Obviously, the biggest name who could be on the trade block is Bengals star Trey Hendrickson. There were contentious contract extension negotiations with him in the offseason, and where Cincinnati is at right now, they could choose to trade him for draft capital rather than letting him walk in free agency.
If he were made available, the Eagles would presumably engage in a bidding war with multiple teams. Miami Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips, New York Jets' Jermaine Johnson, New Orleans Saints' Carl Granderson and Cameron Jordan, Tennessee Titans' Dre'Mont Jones are some of the other veterans who are widely speculated to be available before Nov. 4.
Regardless of who will be made available over the next few weeks, it sounds like there will be a lot of competition for their services. How aggressive general manager Howie Roseman will be in the pursuit of a pass rusher remains to be seen.