Will the Eagles have a fire sale? Could they be buyers? A way-too-early look at the NFL trade deadline
The battered Eagles certainly don't look like a contender, but someone has to win the NFC East. How will those factors inform Howie Roseman's deadline thinking?
The Eagles are on a four-game losing streak for the first time in the Nick Sirianni era, and the first six weeks of the season have been marred by injuries, a major retirement, and the latest blow on Monday: Jalen Hurts is dealing with blood clots in his lungs that will keep him sidelined likely through the rest of the 2026 season.
The trajectory of the season has changed in a matter of a few weeks.
The Eagles have a defense capable of winning games and possibly contending for the top of a weak NFC East. But their offensive scheme, mounting injuries, and Lane Johnson’s exit would have made winning the division for the third consecutive season a challenge even before Hurts’ ailment.
Now? FTN Fantasy had the Eagles at 15.8% to win the division as of Tuesday morning, and The Athletic’s playoff simulator had it even lower at 13% — the lowest chance among all four NFC East teams. FanDuel’s +430 odds of making the playoffs as of Tuesday morning, meanwhile, implied an 18.9% probability of qualifying for the postseason.
What would a win Monday night against the Cowboys do to the math? It’s a question worth considering as the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline nears. Just three games separate the Eagles from that date, and all of them are against their NFC East rivals.
Is it already a lost season? Will Howie Roseman offload players and restock the cupboard with assets? Or could he use draft capital — the Eagles have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2028, for example — to add a few players to plug holes on the offense in an effort to get into the playoffs, where anything can happen?
The selling scenario
This, of course, is the likeliest route right now. Two wins during this upcoming three-game stretch might provide fans with some hopeful delusion, but Roseman’s job is to not overreact and to see the bigger picture.
Could the Eagles be a player or two away from winning the division? Sure. Are they a player or two away from contending for a Super Bowl? It’s much harder to make that argument.
So, what would selling look like?
The Eagles have a few obvious candidates playing on expiring contracts who should be pretty marketable before the deadline.
Let’s start with those players:
TE Dallas Goedert: How many more one-year deals are the Eagles going to sign Goedert to? It feels like the end of the line this time. Especially if the Eagles become sellers. Goedert is a reliable red-zone target that certainly could help a few playoff teams in need of a pass catcher.
DT Moro Ojomo: Ojomo has been a major success story for the Eagles, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2023 and developed him into a starting-caliber interior lineman. But with extensions already signed with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, and other big contracts likely coming on the defense, there won’t be enough money to sign Ojomo. He’d be a rental, but a good one.
G Tyler Steen: It’s unclear what Steen’s value would be. He’s a starting-caliber right guard, probably around a league-average one, on an expiring contract. The Eagles also might value the possibility of bringing him back in free agency on a relatively friendly deal. But a team could be desperate for O-line help before the deadline.
CB Riq Woolen: Woolen’s one-year deal with the Eagles has gone pretty well. He has been a solid cover corner and has given the Eagles pretty much exactly what they needed playing across from Quinyon Mitchell. Mitchell’s upcoming extension makes it unlikely Woolen fits into the cap math, but a defense looking to contend for a Super Bowl might part with a mid-round pick to have Woolen for the rest of this season.
The Eagles have a few valuable trade candidates who aren’t on expiring deals, too.
RB Saquon Barkley: This one doesn’t seem likely, but it’s worth considering. The two seasons following Barkley’s historic 2024 campaign haven’t gone as planned. The offensive line in front of him struggled in 2025. This year, Barkley has missed time with a hamstring injury. He’s signed for two more seasons, and the Eagles at least have the draft capital to not go full-blown rebuild mode. Why wouldn’t they want Barkley around for the next few seasons? Every player has a price, and while Barkley turns 30 in February, it’s not hard to imagine a team like Seattle or Minnesota parting with a premier draft pick to acquire him.
LB Zack Baun: Baun is only signed through 2027 and remains one of the better players at his position. If the Eagles plan to put a contender on the field in 2027, Baun would be a big part of that. But he’ll be 30 in December and the Eagles have some young linebackers on the depth chart behind him. They’re nowhere near as good as him, but in the world of asset management, that’s not always the determining factor.
G Landon Dickerson: Hey, the Eagles just got a second-round pick from the Baltimore Ravens for Cam Jurgens. What could they get for Dickerson? If he returns this week from injured reserve, he might be auditioning for his next team.
EDGE Nolan Smith Jr.: The Eagles picked up Smith’s fifth-year option, keeping him under contract through 2027. Jonathan Greenard is signed to big money, and Jalyx Hunt is in line for a contract extension. The Eagles would need to backfill behind their top guys if they move Smith, but that wouldn’t be much of a problem.
The buying scenario
OK, maybe the Eagles beat Dallas on Monday night and then go down to Washington and pull off another win there. The defense is playing well enough, and Sean Mannion’s offense is retooled to Tanner McKee’s strengths so the offense is at least passable by then.
The Eagles are 4-4, possibly on top of the division, and feeling good about themselves as they enter their Week 8 game vs. the New York Giants. It’s not hard to imagine them being favored in that game, which would leave them 5-4 at the trade deadline.
This all sounds a bit like fan fiction, right? You mean one of the worst offenses in the NFL is going to turn things around with McKee at the helm?
It’s why this scenario seems far-fetched.
Winning three in a row is unlikely. Heck, winning two of the three at this point seems like a tall order. How many 4-5 teams are buyers at the deadline? Would the Eagles really be a veteran lineman or receiver away from competing? Would they think they’re a quarterback away from contending, and try to acquire a veteran to drag them to the finish line? Gardner Minshew or Kirk Cousins to the rescue!
News flash: You can’t trade for an offensive coordinator or scheme.
Why status quo won’t work
Maybe there’s a world where Roseman accomplishes both things. Maybe he trades Ojomo and Woolen, for example, and also adds a veteran offensive lineman and/or another playmaker,
But the status quo — keeping the roster as is — seems imprudent. The Eagles have valuable players who they can’t keep around and need to cash in on. Plus, as Roseman knows as well as any NFL GM, what’s the point in going 7-10 or 8-9 anyway?
The news keeps getting worse. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will likely miss the rest of the 2026 season with a deep vein thrombosis blood clot, as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli. Moments after the story broke, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Marcus Hayes reacted to the news, looking at what the diagnosis means for the Super Bowl MVP, how the Eagles handled the situation dating back to their trip to London, and whether backup Tanner McKee is ready to take the helm on a full-time basis. Listen here.
Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.
