Eagles trade reaction: What the addition of John Metchie means for the receiver room

The Eagles acquired wide receiver John Metchie III from the Houston Texans, adding an intriguing receiver to the roster as training camp nears its end.

Here’s a quick look at how he might fit with the Eagles, and what his addition could lead to with time winding down on the way to submitting the initial 53-man roster.

» READ MORE: Drew Mukuba’s first pick-six lifts the rookie back into the Eagles’ safety competition

What they gave up: The Eagles sent tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick to the Texans for Metchie and a sixth-round pick. Bryant was in a competition for a roster spot at tight end, but he played just five snaps Saturday as the Eagles continue to favor Kylen Granson for the TE3 spot on the depth chart.

What he brings and how he fits: First off, Metchie continues a trend for Howie Roseman and the Eagles: adding a player with draft pedigree (Metchie was the 44th overall pick in 2022), and stockpiling SEC talent, specifically those from Alabama and Georgia. Metchie, who played at Alabama, becomes the eighth Alabama player on the training camp roster. There are seven players from Georgia.

Beyond that, Metchie, who missed his rookie season in 2022 while recovering from Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, brings to the Eagles an intriguing receiving prospect at an interesting time. Metchie, who turned 25 in July, lined up in the slot for 186 of his 317 offensive snaps (59.2%) during the 2024 season. All but four of his 30 catches between the regular season and two playoff games came during a nine-game stretch beginning in Week 10.

Metchie is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

What happens next?: It’s hard to imagine the Eagles would make a trade for Metchie if they didn’t think he was going to make their roster. But while it’s easy to consider him a likely candidate for the 53-man roster, they also didn’t give up much for him. Bryant was as bubblish as it gets. It’s low-risk and potentially high reward, but it’s not like it took a lot of capital to acquire Metchie.

His arrival, however, creates an obvious roster crunch for the final wide receiving spots. The Eagles, as they stand today, have three roster locks: A.J. Brown, Smith, and Jahan Dotson. Johnny Wilson’s size and versatility, in combination with the improved catching ability that he’s shown, make him close to a shoo-in.

» READ MORE: Eagles rookie Kyle McCord celebrated ‘a pretty cool way’ to throw his first NFL TD for his childhood team

Undrafted free agent Darius Cooper has been a revelation in camp. Ainias Smith has a touchdown in both preseason games and has looked a little better after struggling in his first NFL camp last season, but he’s far from a lock. Terrace Marshall, signed to a one-year deal, missed time with a knee injury but has not stood out.

The obvious questions are: Did someone get injured? Will someone be traded to try to upgrade another roster spot?

Brown has been out with a hamstring injury, though it is not believed to be serious. But neither he nor DeVonta Smith played a full season last year and have spent time on the injury report in training camp. Metchie brings another player with NFL experience for the bottom of the depth chart.

Who does Metchie’s arrival impact most? Flip a coin between Cooper and Ainias Smith. There won’t be room for both.