Answering your AMA questions about the Eagles at the trade deadline: Who’s likely out, who’s untouchable, 2027 plans

With the 2026 NFL trade deadline on the horizon, The Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg conducted an AMA (ask me anything) session with Eagles Reddit users, discussing topics including how many players might be exiting, those who will definitely not be moving, and the futures of both Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Neiburg: The Eagles could make a trade before I get done typing this sentence. So, today and into tomorrow.

I would guess 2 to 3 players are moved, and I don’t anticipate any players coming in. But anything is possible with Howie Roseman.

Neiburg: My guess is two trades go down. I’m almost certain Woolen gets moved, and the second one I’m not so sure. Moro Ojomo seems the most likely of the remaining players on the roster.

The salary cap implications of moving Goedert — his dead cap number almost doubles to $18.2 million if he is traded — makes him more likely to stick around, but for the right price, it’s possible.

You can’t really rule anything out. Roseman will need to keep a phone charger handy.

Neiburg: My first reaction is that no one is “untouchable.” Everyone has a price, and the Eagles have a lot of holes to fill. I’m only half-serious saying that. Obviously there are a few players that Roseman won’t entertain offers for, but the number isn’t as high as I even thought when I started typing out this response.

So, let’s list them:

Yeah, that’s my list. Cooper DeJean has played poorly enough this season that I’m not as convinced as I was two months ago that the Eagles need to pay both him and Mitchell at the top of the market at their positions. Jalen Carter could’ve been on the list, too, but if there’s a chance the Eagles aren’t going to be very good in 2027, and possibly into 2028, what makes him a must-keep player? Jordan Mailata has two years left on his deal and has talked about not playing deep into his 30s. He’ll be 30 before next season starts.

Makai Lemon is a strong candidate for the untouchable list. He’s just 22 years old and it’s too early to cast judgment on what kind of NFL player he’s going to be. But how many other young players do the Eagles have right now that are even worth considering as untouchable?

None of the above players are likely to be moved. But it’s worth noting that the list of “untouchable” players isn’t very long. Nor should it be.

Neiburg: It would be speculating on my part to attribute any perceived misses on a talent drain. Yes, the Eagles have lost a few longtime staff members there, but there’s some luck involved in drafting players, and it’s easy to just point at one thing that we know is true and blame it.

Jihaad Campbell was the 31st pick in the draft. Yes, it’s a first-rounder, but wouldn’t the perception of him be a little different if he were picked like 35th? Andrew Mukuba has been at least a serviceable safety (yes, he’s made his share of mistakes this season).

Beyond that, it’s kind of a crapshoot. Picking after the third round is an inexact science. Smael Mondon, a fifth-round pick last season, is a valuable special teamer, and I think he could play linebacker if called upon. Drew Kendall, seven picks later, is a starting center.

Sure, the staff had a much better draft in 2024, but it’s still a little too early to have a whole lot to say on the ’25 and ’26 classes.

Keep in mind, Campbell is still 22 years old.

Neiburg: The offensive line isn’t good enough, doesn’t communicate well enough, and isn’t being put in the best possession to succeed.

It starts there. Then move on to inexperienced quarterback play. Then move on to other injuries to skill players, and a first-time play caller making the play calls.

Nick Sirianni says “it’s never one thing” all the time. In this case, he’s right.

Neiburg: I do wonder how the front office views the state of the defense now compared to two months ago.

Is DeJean going to really be worth top-of-the-market money? Is Campbell a starter in this league? Was Jordan Davis worth extending at that price? Can Jonathan Greenard be relied on to be the team’s top edge rusher for the foreseeable future? Are Mukuba’s flaws fixable? Will Carter’s play live up to the contract?

We’ve all been hyper-focused on a woeful offense, but there are some real long-term concerns on the defense. The DeJean part is what I’m most fascinated by heading into the offseason. Mitchell is in line for a huge extension, but I’m not sure paying DeJean the top going rate for nickel/safety types is the wisest use of money. We’ll see.

Neiburg: Sirianni would put all of the responsibility on himself, at least publicly. Everything on that field is his product. Those are his words.

But from my perspective I only think he shares some portion of the blame. I’m not sure how much exactly.

Look, how many wins would you project the Eagles to have if I asked you two months ago to predict their record at the bye knowing Lane Johnson was going to retire after three games, Jalen Hurts would only play in five of the nine, DeVonta Smith would miss five games, Saquon Barkley would miss time and be playing hurt, Cam Jurgens would be traded, etc.

The backups and recent draft picks, meanwhile, haven’t been very good. Some of that is coaching, some of that is talent evaluation.

But doesn’t 2-7 feel about right given those factors? Maybe 4-5 if you’re feeling generous.

That being said, Sirianni was involved in the Sean Mannion hire, and that has been a spectacular failure. And this team has lacked a lot of detail, which is one of Sirianni’s core values.

OK, I’ve talked myself into Sirianni having a larger share of the blame than I thought. But it’s not all him.

Neiburg: Hey, it’s hard to argue with the results prior to this year, right? Taking care of the football and limiting mistakes has served Sirianni pretty well.

But when those other factors — coordinators, roster talent, etc. — aren’t operating at the highest levels, we’re seeing how hard it is to just rely on that mantra.

I do think the middle-of-the-field stuff is both a Sirianni thing and also a reluctance of Hurts, but certainly it’s an area of the field Sirianni hasn’t shown a lot of aggression in, so it’s hard not to think that’s a “mandate” of sorts coming from him.

Neiburg: I think the next Eagles coach needs to be the offensive play caller, and there will be some interesting names available for them, some with more experience than others.

Let’s list a few:

Could they go a defensive route? Sure. There are some names on that list, too:

How about college coaches? There are some there, too:

All of this to say the Eagles will cast a wide net in their search if they do indeed move off of Sirianni.

Neiburg: I’m not sure Jalen is going to need to request a trade for the Eagles to consider making a move there.

The Eagles are entering dead cap hell anyway, so what’s one more contract?

But seriously, I think there’s a world where there’s both a new coach and quarterback in 2027.

How likely is it that Hurts is dealt? Just ball-parking here ... it’s probably in the 15-to-20% range, but that’s not nothing.

What factors could lead to that outcome? The Eagles hiring a head coach that wants a new quarterback; the Eagles seeing a better option for their future either in the draft or via trade (hello, Joe Burrow?); the Eagles entering a bridge period where they’re not going to contend for a Super Bowl and try to get draft assets for Hurts (what that market looks like, I’m not so sure).

All of this is a long-winded way of saying yes, Howie would abide.

Neiburg: It’s a factor, but if it gets to the point where the Eagles don’t want him, or he doesn’t want them, it won’t be a hindrance to facilitating a deal other than Hurts essentially being able to pick his next destination. That could matter to some degree, but I would imagine a deal would still get done if it comes to that.

Neiburg: Great question. Metrics-wise he’s not really an elite quarterback, but he has won a lot of football games. At a time where there aren’t as many great quarterbacks as we think, you could do a lot worse than Jalen Hurts.

Neiburg: Without knowing who the offensive coordinator and offensive line coaches are, it’s tough to take an educated guess, but for the sake of the game here, let’s do it:

I do think the Eagles want to see Bell develop more. He’s just 22 years old and they have eight more games to watch him during the rest of the 2026 season. Can he be the starting right tackle on a team that wants to win in 2027? It’s tough to say right now. Will the Eagles be serious contenders in 2027? That’s tough to know at this point.

Steen is a free agent, but I think you could do a lot worse than re-signing him. Mailata is under contract through 2028. Kendall hasn’t done enough to lose his grip on the 2027 job. I’m guessing that Landon Dickerson either isn’t here in 2027 or isn’t the Week 1 starter at left guard.

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