Eagles’ trade deadline targets, bye week concerns, best locker room humans and other AMA highlights

The Eagles have hit the bye week at a solid 6-2 and with their Super Bowl LX hopes intact, but that won’t keep the questions about the team from coming at a brisk pace.

With the team on a break, The Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg took to Reddit for an AMA — “Ask Me Anything” — to answer reader questions about all of the pertinent points of debate around the team.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

What position should the Eagles prioritize at the deadline?

Neiburg: If it were up to me I would prioritize an edge rusher. A lot has been made about the CB2 issue, but as we saw Sunday against the Giants, it’s easy to hide an average corner when your rush is getting home. (Editor’s note: the Eagles traded for CB Michael Carter II on Wednesday).

I think the Eagles could get by with what they have right now at edge, with Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche, Brandon Graham, Patrick Johnson, and Azeez Ojulari, but there’s a lot of risk there because of injury.

» READ MORE: Eagles' biggest priorities for the bye week

I don’t think the Eagles have any obvious needs on offense unless they want to get creative and trade for Dallas Goedert’s eventual replacement, but otherwise I don’t really see it.

Teams have extra time over the bye week to focus on self scouting. What elements of the first half of the season need an additional look; and can those perhaps ‘less than great’ parts of the Eagles game plan truly be impacted by coaching changes?

Neiburg: Luckily for the Eagles they had a mini-bye a few weeks ago and had at least a little bit of time for self-reflection. That led to changes in under-center usage that have already positively impacted the offense.

I guess the easy answer here is one successful week doesn’t mean the run game is fixed. The Eagles should be taking a long look at what worked Sunday, how teams might counteract what worked, and implement schemes to continue to move the run game forward. Everything is easier when the running game is working, as we’ve seen in the past and present.

Is there any discourse either between reporters or within news outlets on whether a story should be posted? For example, articles written about A.J. Brown’s Tweets have no positive impact on the team or fans — they just stoke drama surrounding the team we all enjoy. Is this ever taken into consideration before posting a story?

Neiburg: Certainly there’s conversation about what is news and what isn’t. The Inquirer, in my opinion, tries not to operate in the Sports Radio Brain landscape and make every talking point a big deal, but with A.J. Brown, it’s a big story. He’s one of the best players on the team, and he’s obviously choosing to handle his frustrations in a certain way. It is news inside the NovaCare Complex, and it’s our job to report and write about the news.

It’s not our job to worry about whether the story will have a positive impact on the team or fans. It’s about conveying news, contextualizing the topic when we can, and never about how it will be perceived inside the locker room or to readers. That would be a disservice to those who subscribe to The Inquirer for objective and balanced reporting on the team they love.

Is there a rookie in this class that you feel like can develop into a really strong leader?

Neiburg: Jihaad Campbell.

It’s tough to say for certain how long the rest of the class will be around. It’s too early to call this a weak draft haul, but Campbell is the big difference maker, and he plays a position where being vocal and being a leader should come pretty naturally.

Drew Mukuba could turn out to be a great safety in the long run, but he’s a little more lead by example and is quieter so far during his rookie season.

The jury is out on the offensive linemen, who could develop into bigger roles down the road. Myles Hinton seems to have pretty good leadership qualities based on our limited interactions with him, but he’s a sixth-round pick who is being stashed on IR.

Are there players who seek out relationships with members of the media? Team captains tend to be the folks that make themselves available for press questions, but do other team members try for banter and other fun interactions? Do you find that it’s clear that some folks really would rather not answer questions, and when that happens what are your go-to simple ice breakers to help manage that reticence?

Neiburg: Great question!

There are definitely players that like talking to us and players that don’t, which is natural. All humans are different. As you mentioned, team captains tend to understand their role in that way, so Jordan Mailata, Zack Baun, Reed Blankenship, etc., tend to be a little more accessible. It comes with the C.

And yes, there are certainly some players who like to screw around and have fun, which I’m cool with. This is football. We’re not saving the world. Jihaad Campbell has been pleasantly playful but also has inquired about what our jobs are and who we work for, etc. Fred Johnson can be a big goofball. (As can Mailata, for that matter.) I don’t really have go-to ice breakers, but I try to always remember that I’m talking to another human and not a robot. This relationship can’t just be transactional.

Now, there are some (both players and media) who probably don’t mind the transactional nature. We’re there to work and whatnot. But I want to be on this beat for a long time, and I think it’s important to remember that human relationships and human interaction are critical parts of the job. There are some players I rarely ever need to quote, but I talk to them about music, movies, the Philly restaurant scene, etc.

Maybe that pays off down the line when I need a quote for something. Maybe it doesn’t. But that’s fine.

Is there anyone on the team that stands out behind the scenes just being a good human?

Neiburg: There are probably too many to name. I have only been on the beat for two seasons, but I’ve been around professional and college sports locker rooms off and on for the last decade. This is a good room.

Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown (yes, that one), Zack Baun, Reed Blankenship, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Jordan Davis, Adoree’ Jackson, Brett Toth all come to mind. Sorry to the Eagles — who definitely aren’t reading this — whom I left out.

Trading for Calais Campbell with the Cardinals on tap to go 2-6 is a no brainer right?

Neiburg: Haven’t the Eagles reached the limit of defensive ends in their late 30s with the return of Brandon Graham? That being said, Campbell is still producing, and a big body to help stop the run and set the edge is never a bad idea.

I’m intrigued. I do think the low-cost route is the way to go if the Eagles want to upgrade at the edge.

Obviously, the front office is focused on anything trade deadline related right now, and scouts are doing their thing. Does the draft process really get started internally with the team immediately after the trade deadline, or do they leave it until the college season wraps up? And, if so, what do they fill their time with between now and January?

Neiburg: The draft process is always ongoing as it’s such a critical part of roster building. We see what happens when you’re able to have cost-controlled players under contract that produce in big ways. See the Super Bowl the Eagles just won.

There are layers to front offices. Of course, Howie Roseman and the rest of the staff that works hard on the 53-man roster are heads down on the trade deadline, but the Eagles have scouts and other folks who are still focused solely on what’s to come in the 2026 draft and beyond.

What’s some of the players’ favorite candy?

Neiburg: I’m not sure about the favorite candies in the room overall, but Jihaad Campbell did have me try a gummy candy that was protein packed. It was fine at first, but the aftertaste was kind of weird. Pass.