The killer mistake Eagles must avoid at 2026 NFL trade deadline

The killer mistake Eagles must avoid at 2026 NFL trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With just one game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the 2026 NFL trade deadline, it’s safe to say Howie Roseman has a little more than the New York Giants on his mind heading into Week 9.

One of the most consistently good teams in the NFL this century, with Nick Sirianni leading his team to the playoffs in every season he’s been a head coach, losing isn’t exactly a novelty in the City of Brotherly Love, but prolonged losing certainly is, with just three losing seasons on the Birds’ resume since 2000.

Would it be cool to see new starting quarterback Joe Milton put it all together, shock the world, and turn a collection of youngsters like Makai Lemon, Eli Stowers, and Markel Bell into a certified unit, one made all the more impressive when veterans like Saquon Barkley, Dontayvion Wicks, and DeVonta Smith are back to full strength? Sure, and from a purely entertainment standpoint, giving Milton half a season to let it loose can only lead to impressive highlights and dazzling feats of athleticism, regardless of the final score. But unless pretty much everyone across the board, including Sirianni, Sean Mannion, and Vic Fangio, can hit at the very top of their expectation curve, it’s probably not going to result in much more than worse draft positioning and, at best, an embarrassing playoff loss.

Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

No, while it may not feel great in the moment, the Eagles simply aren’t a good enough team to justify even staying the course at the deadline, and must instead shed talent now to pick up more in the future, knowing that it could cost them plays, drives, or even games down the stretch.

That means saying goodbye to players they would probably lose in free agency come March anyway, players like Riq Woolen, Hollywood Brown, and maybe even Moro Ojomo too, if a team is willing to give up compensation on par with, or greater than, what would come back in the compensatory formula, but what if opposing general managers come calling about more foundational pieces? Saquon Barkley has already been told he won’t be traded despite being a very attractive option for teams unwilling to give up the Indianapolis Colts’ asking price for Jonathan Taylor, and other established veterans like Landon Dickerson have come up in conversation too, especially after Cam Jurgens was already shipped down I-95 to the Baltimore Ravens before their season was also derailed by injuries.

When Week 9 comes to an end, players like Barkley, Dickerson, Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean, and Zack Baun will almost certainly drive back to their respective homes and rest easy, knowing they likely won’t be looking for sublets a few weeks before Thanksgiving, but should they feel so comfortable? Because at this point, the biggest mistake the Eagles could make would be trusting that they will be back to contending in 2027 and thus should hold onto veterans who are highly valued now but could see their value diminish by the time they are actually ready to go for another Super Bowl, especially with so much uncertainty just over the horizon.

The Eagles have to be ruthless when determining what their future looks like

Who will be the Eagles’ head coach when Week 1 of the 2027 NFL season opens up? Who will have crafted the playbook the team will be running on offense? Who will be calling the defense? And who will be under center playing quarterback?

Things could look relatively familiar, with Nick Sirianni surviving a doomed season, Sean Mannion showing enough to maintain his job as offensive coordinator, Vic Fangio holding off on retiring for another year, and Jalen Hurts agreeing to sign a long-term contract extension. Or Sirianni could get fired, Mannion could get fired, Fangio could retire – or all three – or Hurts, after everything he just went through, is gone as well, be it via trade or maybe even a medical retirement if disaster strikes and he can’t overcome his blood clot issues.

If Sirianni sticks around but his coordinators don’t – a disaster scenario in the mind of many fans – could he convince the front office that the combination of, say, Shane Steichien and Jim Schwartz is good enough to shoot for another Super Bowl, with a few high-profile draft picks helping to fortify their roster? Or could this be the year where Philadelphia steals away one of the hot-shot young offensive minds they’ve been after for years, someone like Declan Doyle or last year’s dark-horse OC option, Charlie Weis Jr., and suddenly Fangio’s experience is more important than ever, forcing some major changes all over the Jefferson Health Training Complex to accommodate a new offensive regime and a bolstered defensive one?

Needless to say, 2027 is one of the least certain years in recent memory at this point in the Eagles’ season, and as a result, planning one way or another would be foolish.

As tough as it may be to admit, the Eagles really don’t have that many untouchable players on their roster at this point, especially if a team is willing to give up an above-market package that’s too good to be true, like the Chicago Bears surrendered for Jeffery Simmons.

Hurts unquestionably falls into that category, as a team would be foolish to give up a pick for his services while dealing with blood clots, but who else falls into that category? Quinyon Mitchell comes to mind, as does Jordan Mailata, but outside of that trio, who is an elite player now who will also be in five years? Smith probably falls into that category, and from a pure talent standpoint, Carter does too, but in 2026, DeJean, Jordan Davis, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, and seemingly every other blue-chip player has shown flaws in their games that could only get worse, leading some to wonder if moving them now could result in steals like the picks Roseman got for AJ Brown and Jurgens.

As a result, if some overly zealous general manager offers up a first or even more for a player like DeJean or even Carter, the Eagles would be foolish to slam down the phone, even if the answer is ultimately no.

Ultimately, the Eagles probably won’t make any major trades involving anyone under contract past this year, with Woolen, Brown, and Ojomo the most likely players to go before Tuesday, but if a deal comes along for, say, Dickerson or Dallas Goedert, Philly would be foolish to hold onto them just because they are Super Bowl champions, as there’s no guarantee either makes it back to the “Big Game” in a midnight green uniform, what with so many questions that still need to be answered this offseason.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/killer-mistake-eagles-must-avoid-232120612.html