What trades could Howie Roseman make to alter the Eagles roster in his typically active month of August?

The Eagles made five trades last August, acquiring four players who eventually landed on the team’s initial 53-man roster.

It was an active month for Howie Roseman, even more so than usual. The longtime general manager has made a habit of August acquisitions. Over the last five years, Roseman has added backup quarterbacks, a starting safety, a third wide receiver, a depth corner, and others, never shying away from upgrading the roster early, in the middle of, or late in training camp.

This August is more than halfway gone, and Roseman hasn’t yet made a trade. That could change soon, of course. The Eagles could be in need of an upgrade in a certain spot, or they may aim to acquire some draft capital.

Where might the GM be looking to make a move?

Here are some possibilities:

Let’s start with the obvious one.

Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee are auditioning for the backup quarterback job behind Jalen Hurts. But they’re likely also auditioning for other teams. It seems unlikely the Eagles would keep both and either cut rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton — which would expose him to waivers — or use four roster spots on the quarterback position.

So, which of the two quarterbacks vying for the No. 2 job will go? Whichever one can fetch the best asset in return, is the obvious answer.

Both Dalton and McKee are entering the final year of their contracts. A few weeks from now, teams could be hurting for quarterback help and might find one of them useful. The Eagles were one of those teams looking for help last season. Sixth-round pick Kyle McCord had a rough camp and the Eagles didn’t think he was ready to be the third quarterback, so they traded fifth- and seventh-round picks to Minnesota for Sam Howell and a sixth-rounder.

Dalton, the Bengals’ starter from 2011-19, has played a lot of football and recently helped mentor young quarterback Bryce Young in Carolina. McKee, meanwhile, has been a solid backup and had a stellar starting debut at the end of the 2024 season, though his 2025 start in Week 18 wasn’t as strong.

The Eagles parted with a 2027 seventh-round pick to acquire Dalton this offseason. They used a sixth-round pick on McKee in 2023. If they’re able to get a Day 3 pick for either player, it’s a pretty good result as far as asset management goes for a player who won’t play much and isn’t under contract next season.

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The back end of the defense remains the thinnest position on the roster. It’s the only spot where an undrafted free agent rookie might make the team. But defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has at least publicly expressed confidence in what the Eagles have.

Perhaps it’s less of a concern since Cooper DeJean, an All-Pro nickel, will play safety when the Eagles are in their base defense. But that still leaves something like 75% of the defensive snaps to Marcus Epps, the current leader in the race to start next to second-year safety Andrew Mukuba. Epps, 30, has been a solid player in the NFL, but he also was available at the end of camp last season for the Eagles to add to their practice squad.

Behind Epps is Michael Carter II, a converted nickel who may also be the top option at backup nickel if DeJean goes down. An undrafted free agent like Max Pulley or Kapena Gushiken might make the team as the fourth safety, though seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski returned to the practice field Monday after missing most of camp with a hamstring injury and veteran J.T. Gray, a special teams ace, is in the mix.

The Eagles don’t have a lot of proven talent at safety. Mukuba is coming off a season-ending fibula fracture and has just 11 games of NFL experience under his belt. He’s the lone constant back there right now.

Fangio’s defense might be the best in the NFL with or without Roseman addressing the safety spot, but the thought of what could happen if the defensive backfield is hit with an injury or two might force Roseman to make a move.

Atlanta’s Jessie Bates III, for example, a veteran on an expiring contract, could be available.

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The Eagles travel up to Massachusetts this week to see old friend A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots for two joint practices and then a preseason game.

It’ll provide a look at what they do and don’t have at wide receiver with Brown no longer with the team.

DeVonta Smith returned to practice on Monday after missing time with a hamstring injury, and rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon, who also has a hamstring injury, looks like he’s nearing a return to the practice field. If both players are in uniform with the first-team offense Wednesday morning, the unit certainly will look a lot different than it has in recent practices.

The Eagles aren’t lacking for top-end talent with Brown gone. Smith is more than capable of being a top-of-the-depth-chart receiver in the NFL. But behind him are players who are either unproven or aging.

Is Dontayvion Wicks ready to take the next step? Can Lemon provide an immediate impact in the slot? Is Darius Cooper more than the “dirty work” receiver Nick Sirianni described him as? Does Hollywood Brown just hate training camp and have more left in the tank? Is Elijah Moore’s NFL career nearing its end, or is there more? How much can you rely on Johnny Wilson after a season-ending knee injury last camp?

The Eagles have reasons to like the position group. A trio of Smith, Wicks, and Lemon on the field has potential, and the Eagles probably are better at spots 3 through 6 on the depth chart than they were a year ago. But they don’t have the physical presence and one-on-one catching talent that A.J. Brown had.

This position is an interesting one as far as trades go. Roseman actually could go either way. There’s a world where he gets to the end of August and realizes Hurts needs more top-end help. But there’s also a scenario that has him trading a player like Hollywood Brown, who Roseman signed to a one-year deal worth $5 million guaranteed, and flipping a receiver for a late-round draft pick because he’s comfortable rolling the dice with what the Eagles have.

Cornerback: The Eagles have arguably the best group of corners in the NFL with Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen manning the outside and DeJean at nickel. But could they use better depth? Veteran Jonathan Jones, who’s in line to be the primary backup at outside corner, is out with a shoulder injury. Second-year corner Mac McWilliams has inside-out versatility, like Jones, but is he ready to be relied upon? Kelee Ringo is great on special teams but through three years hasn’t shown the coverage chops to play corner. Jakorian Bennett also hasn’t been consistent. The Eagles have a few other unproven players they like in Ambry Thomas and Tariq Castro-Fields, but Roseman could be in the market for some insurance.

Edge rusher: Jonathan Greenard’s pectoral injury has the major offseason acquisition sidelined, and while the Eagles are hopeful he’ll be ready for Week 1, his absence highlights what could be a weakness. Jalyx Hunt has emerged as a talented pass rusher, but Nolan Smith Jr. is coming off a season that was marred by injury and inconsistency, and behind him the Eagles have two veterans on one-year deals in Arnold Ebiketie and A.J. Epenesa. International Pathway Player Joshua Weru may push to make the team during his first-ever football training camp, but edge rusher is an important position to complement an interior line group that might be the best in the NFL. A healthy Greenard should make a move unnecessary, but, like cornerback, you rarely consider the value of the insurance policy until it’s time to use it.

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