The Philadelphia Eagles haven't been as dominant on defense this season as in previous years. They still have Vic Fangio, one of the sharpest defensive minds, leading the way, but they might need to add a little more firepower to their ranks.
Za'Darius Smith's surprising retirement was a big blow, given how undermanned their pass rush unit was. And even though Brandon Graham came out of retirement to help out the Eagles, that might not be enough. That's why they've been tied to a move for New York Jets star Jermaine Johnson II.
Joe Douglas Could Help Eagles Land Jermaine Johnson II Ahead of Deadline
Fortunately for them, Joe Douglas, who was the Jets' former GM, could help make things easier in these negotiations to acquire Johnson. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Eagles are keeping tabs on the Jets' pass rusher.
"The Eagles need an edge rusher and asked the Jets about Jermaine Johnson. It makes sense, considering former Jets GM Joe Douglas drafted him in New York and is now Philly’s senior personnel director. However, New York has held a high asking price of a second-round pick or better," Russini wrote.
Of course, Johnson isn't in the final year of his contract, so it's not like the Jets need to make any rash decisions. They can try to play the waiting game to see if the Eagles take the bait, although that sounds unlikely at this point.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman has never been the one who hesitates when it comes to taking risks, even if that means paying a steep price. That being said, he has only done that for top-tier players, and as good and promising as Johnson is, he hasn't reached that status yet.
Johnson would be a solid addition to the Eagles' defensive front. He's just 26 years old and would be under club control for a little longer, so they could always give him a contract extension if they like what they see in the early returns.
This season, he's made five appearances for Aaron Glenn's team, tallying 19 total tackles, two QB hits, one tackle for loss, one pass defensed, and one sack. He's a Pro Bowler who has yet to enter his physical prime, and giving up a couple of mid-round draft picks to acquire his services makes sense.
Hopefully, Douglas will be able to talk some sense into his former team to help his new team get a deal done before the 4 pm ET deadline on Tuesday.