The Philadelphia Eagles limp into the trade deadline with their worst losing streak since 2012, an injured franchise quarterback and some big contractual decisions to make. Joe Milton's debut, as expected, didn't magically fix the offense, and now Howie Roseman has to decide just how aggressive he wants to be over the next two days.
Annoyingly, that decision is far more complex than simply saying 'tank, the season is done', or being adamant that the year is salvageable.
The Eagles are in what is easily the most confusing division in Football this year.
The Giants lead the NFC East with a 5-2-1 record despite fielding three quarterbacks throughout the year, the Cowboys are below .500 and the Commanders continue to struggle against decent teams.
Then there's the Eagles...2-7 and somehow only three games back from a Giants team that is punching above its weight limit.
A well-timed bye coinciding with the deadline does present Roseman with an opportunity...but is it one worth taking when zooming out?
Round 1: 1
Round 2: 1
Round 3: 1 (Compensatory)
Round 4: 1
Round 5: 3 (BAL & NE picks from AJ Brown & Cam Jurgens trades)
Round 6: 1
Round 7: 2 (MIN pick from Jonathan Greenard trade)
According to Tankathon, the Eagles are currently eyeing the 5th overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The last two times they picked inside the top-5 was back in 2016 (Carson Wentz) and 2013 (Lane Johnson).
Where things get really juicy is 2028. The Eagles of course have New England's first-rounder as well as their own, along with Baltimore's second-rounder and their own. That's 4 selections in the first two rounds of a Draft, which, looking at it now, will absolutely help reload this team with top prospects for the next era of Eagles football.
So the real question is, do they go all-in on emergency fixes to salvage a season where a deep playoff run is unlikely, or instead look to cash in on expiring assets and accumulate more capital to help prepare them for the long-term future?
The Eagles have no shortage of trade candidates. From an aging and suddenly injury-plagued Saquon Barkley, to a surging Moro Ojomo on a contract year, Philadelphia isn't short of talent that other teams will want to take a swing on, as much as their record would otherwise suggest.
Riq Woolen
Dallas Goedert
Tyler Steen
Byron Young
Moro Ojomo
Hollywood Brown
Kelee Ringo
Tanner McKee
Marcus Epps
Grant Calcaterra
Fred Johnson
Arnold Ebikete
Tank Bigsby
If any of these players were traded, I don't think there would be much debate around whether or not it was a good decision. The only one that would sting for fans is saying goodbye to another team great in Dallas Goedert, but the remainder all have some question marks or a ticking clock that either needs to be cashed in on now or allowed to expire.
Moro Ojomo is probably the name to circle in red. His career trajectory is eyeing that of Milton Williams, who signed with the Patriots ahead of last season, so he's going to command a pretty big payday.
The issue is that the Birds also need to eye extensions for Nolan Smith, Cooper DeJean, Jalyx Hunt, Willie Lampkin, and Dontayvion Wicks by the end of next season to name but a few.
So do they go all-in on securing Ojomo, maybe lock down Woolen for one more year and trade a few lower-tier players, or do they instead save that cap space for those cornerstone players down the line?
Let's not forget that Jalen Hurts has two full seasons left on his contract and we don't yet know if he'll even play in 2027. As much as it's anticipated he'll return, this was a serious injury and one that needs to be viewed with Jalen's best interests at heart.
Before injuries, Landon Dickerson was one of the best interior guards in football. 2026 has shown an unfortunate decline in play on the back of the setbacks endured and while scheme could be playing a role, the whole offensive line has been blown up.
Cam Jurgens is now in Baltimore, Lane Johnson retired, and the Eagles may well be looking to hit reset on the whole group, recoup some mid-round draft capital, and open up some funds to use elsewhere.
I don't think this moves happens but it's impossible not to speculate. Barkley's 2026 campaign has been mired with injuries and inconsistency. Again, a change of scheme and a depleted offensive front is only really mirroring what he experienced in New York, but Barkley has two years left on his deal and will be hitting his age-30 season next year.
If we're being cynical and look through the lens of a GM looking to aggressively retool, Saquon was brought in to do one thing - help the team win a Super Bowl. He did that. If the Eagles can get some capital to deploy in other areas instead of letting Barkley sustain knock after knock while his stock declines on a team that's essentially on fire, it's probably in the best interest of both parties.
If the Eagles are going to be looking to bring in pieces at the deadline, they're going to fit a certain criteria. Cheap, young, plenty of upside and arguably undervalued due to circumstance, injury, or environment.
Marvin Harrison Jr. would've been the perfect player to tick those boxes, but he's not the only one.
The Panthers TE is still only 23 and Tommy Tremble is the clear TE1. He's been active in only one game this season and the Eagles are going to need to finally pull the trigger on a long-term option at some point after passing on prospect after prospect. Eli Stowers is a project and some NFL polish alongside him might help. Is he the future of the franchise? Probably not, but there's enough upside on a guy with 532 receiving yards through the first two years of his career to take a swing on.
The price has to be right for this, but BTJ is someone very similar to Harrison Jr. who would likely thrive away from his current team. The Jags don't need him due to a fairly stacked WR room, and if the Eagles want to move on from Wicks or can afford Thomas Jr. on the cheap, he'd make for an excellent WR4.
There are a range of defensive names to watch too, ranging from EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux to S Andre Cisco. We have a full breakdown of potential targets available here, but if the Eagles are going to wheel and deal, it's hard to imagine them targeting impact players to save the season. They'd likely be deal-sweeteners to offload existing players to accumulate draft capital.
The only logical answer is to hit the sell button. How many times Howie Roseman smashes that is anyone's guess, but the Eagles have to be smart. They're well-positioned to retool this team over the next two drafts without needing to blow up the roster, but they also need to rebuild an offensive line that's dissolving and ensure depth on the other side of the trenches doesn't follow suit. If that means cutting their nose to spite their face, that might just have to be the plan.
But if there's one thing we know about Howie Roseman, it's that we never really know what's around the corner.
MORE: Eagles' season continues to spiral out of control after Giants loss
