There are very few executives around the NFL as aggressive as Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Roseman has assembled a heck of a roster in Philadelphia, even as disappointing as the 2023 season ended for them.
You can bet that as disappointing as the end of the 2023 season was for the Eagles, Roseman is going to be doing whatever he has to do in order to ensure that his team doesn't suffer a similar fate in 2024. The question at this point would be, what trade opportunities are actually out there?
We know Roseman moves aggressively when guys get put on the block, or when players hit free agency, but how can we realistically put ourselves in the mind of Roseman and project some deals he might actually make? Let's take a look at a handful of moves that could make a ton of sense for Philly in 2024.
1. Trade for Browns RB Nick Chubb
Trading for someone like Nick Chubb seems like something Eagles GM Howie Roseman would do.
First, we have to figure out why Chubb could potentially be available. You're not always going after a sure thing when you trade for someone in the NFL. Teams try to get rid of players for one reason or another.
From the Browns' perspective, Chubb is entering the final year of his contract in 2024. He's not only got one year left on his deal, but he's 29 years old this coming season and is coming off of a serious knee injury that cost him most of the 2023 campaign. Cleveland could save nearly $12 million by cutting or trading Chubb this offseason, and that's an avenue they may unfortunately have to explore, given the fact that they are $21 million over the salary cap right now.
The Philadelphia Eagles may be willing to oblige in taking on the majority of Chubb's contract if the price is right in a trade. Philly is currently $20 million under the cap and they have the flexibility to get even further under it. A player like Nick Chubb, if he's even 90 percent of what we're used to seeing, is someone that could realistically push this team over the top offensively.
2. Trade for Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy
The Philadelphia Eagles might not be in the market for a receiver that is close to needing a new contract, but this is a team competing for championships right now, and sometimes you have to make moves like this in order to get over that proverbial hump.
Jerry Jeudy was a first-round pick in the vaunted 2020 NFL Draft, a class that produced so many of the star players we see in the NFL today. Notably, the Broncos and Eagles were both in the wide receiver market that offseason, and both came away from the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with receivers. The Broncos got Jeudy at no. 15 overall, while the Eagles took Jalen Reagor 21st overall.
At this point, we know that things obviously didn't work out between the Eagles and Reagor, but things between Jeudy and the Broncos are complicated.
To this point, the Broncos have refused to trade Jeudy. They have apparently had offers on the table that they've turned down, and even amidst rumors that the Broncos might be motivated to trade Jeudy, they have kept him and they picked up his 5th-year option last offseason. Jeudy is under contract for 2024 at the price of nearly $13 million, and if he were to come to the Eagles, he'd be reuniting with a couple former Alabama pals in quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver De'Vonta Smith.
Receiver may not be the top priority on Philadelphia's list, but there are connections galore in Philadelphia for Jerry Jeudy. The Eagles have made a number of deals with the Broncos since George Paton became the GM there in Denver, and Philadelphia has former Broncos executive Matt Russell in the front office alongside Howie Roseman. The Eagles also just hired Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator, and Fangio was the Broncos' head coach when they used a 1st-round pick on Jeudy.
3. Trade for Broncos safety Justin Simmons
If there's one trade I think is maybe the most realistic for the Philadelphia Eagles on this list, it would be this one.
To reiterate a previous point, the Eagles and Broncos have made some deals since George Paton became GM of the Broncos back in 2021. We saw the Broncos trade the Eagles former 7th-round pick Kary Vincent Jr. a couple of years ago, and Denver sent the Eagles Albert Okwuegbunam at the tight end position at roster cuts last season.
The Broncos and Eagles have pulled cornerback Mac McCain back and forth from each other's roster and practice squad. Denver grabbed Alex Singleton in 2022 free agency from the Eagles. We saw Matt Russell join the Eagles front office after previously serving as the right-hand man to John Elway in Denver, and now you have Vic Fangio in Philly as the defensive coordinator.
The connections are there for safety Justin Simmons, who is entering the final year of his contract with the Broncos in 2024 with a base salary of $14.5 million, non-guaranteed. I think one of the key people in Philadelphia that has ties to the Broncos and Justin Simmons, in particular, I haven't even mentioned yet. That key person is former Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker, who is now going to be working under Vic Fangio as DBs coach and passing game coordinator with the Eagles.
Parker is really highly respected by Simmons, and even if Simmons and Vic Fangio didn't always see eye to eye, I think they could work extremely well together in Philadelphia to help take this Eagles secondary to a new level in 2024. The Eagles might be able to get Simmons for a 3rd-round pick as the Broncos are desperate for more NFL Draft capital.
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