The Philadelphia Eagles landed their man ahead of Tuesday afternoon's trade deadline as they agreed to acquire veteran linebacker Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a future third-round pick.
While Phillips joins what will now be a revamped pass-rushing room in the City of Brotherly Love, his addition to Philadelphia's roster is being felt by another NFC contender who just saw a member of their roster picked off by the Dolphins to fill their need at that same spot.
According to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network, the Dolphins will sign former Army standout Andre Carter II off the Detroit Lions' practice squad, leaving one of the biggest threats to the Eagles down a member of their roster.
Ripple Effects Following Eagles' Addition of Phillips Just Hurt the Lions
For any Eagles fans who may not be keeping as close an eye on the competition in the NFC, the Lions' defense could double for an infirmary ward right now. Entering Week 10, Detroit's defense alone has nine players who are either on the IR or have already been ruled out of Sunday's matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Now, the Lions are without another defender in Carter, as the linebacker will be heading from the Motor City to South Beach as a result of the move. While he has not found his footing in the NFL following his career at West Point, Carter was one of the premier pass rushers in college football during his junior season at Army, racking up an astounding 20.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 QB sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception.
With the way injuries are piling up in Detroit, there are no guarantees that Dan Campbell and the coaching staff wouldn't have been forced to turn to Carter at some point during the second half of the regular season. Now, that possibility is no longer an option on the table.
If the Lions can magically find a way to avoid the injury bug from this point forward, losing Carter shouldn't be much of a concern. There has yet to be anything to suggest injuries won't continue to be a main theme surrounding this roster, though, as Detroit pursues its first Super Bowl appearance.
Roster issues that will keep Campbell and Lions GM Brad Holmes up at night are always nice to see for Eagles fans. The fact Philadelphia's key addition also caused a negative effect for a conference rival makes this move even sweeter.