Eagles trade deadline report card: Grades, analysis for every move

Howie Roseman and the Eagles were active ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, acquiring three players in an attempt to strengthen one of the best rosters in the league.

Now that the dust has settled on the deadline, let’s hand out individual trade grades and an overall mark for what Roseman and the Eagles were able to get done.

Eagles get: Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips

Dolphins get: 2026 third-round pick

Trade grade: A

The Eagles needed help at edge rusher. It was a concern in the offseason, and it became a big enough concern that they felt the need to lure Brandon Graham out of retirement. Through eight games, the Eagles’ edge rushers had 4 1/2 sacks — and half that production came from September signing Za’Darius Smith, who abruptly retired last month.

The Eagles addressed that problem by acquiring Phillips, one of the most promising young edge rushers in the league. The 2021 first-round pick had 22 sacks in his first 42 games as a Dolphin. He had season-ending injuries in 2023 and 2024, but he’s rebounded nicely this year with one of the best pass-rush win rates in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

The draft capital and finances involved make the trade even more appealing. Phillips is in the last year of his rookie contract with a little less than $7 million owed; the Dolphins converted $5 million of that into a signing bonus, meaning the Eagles are on the hook for just $1.5 million.

If the Eagles don’t sign Phillips to an extension and he’s just a rental, they would be in-line to secure a compensatory pick, perhaps a fourth-rounder. So there’s minimal risk. If they do sign him to an extension, it will be because Phillips plays lights out. Win-win.

Eagles get: Jets CB Michael Carter II, 2027 seventh-round pick

Jets get: WR John Metchie III, 2027 sixth-round pick

Trade grade: B

Much like the pass rush, the Eagles have had a concern at corner since the summer. Quinyon Mitchell is a lockdown outside corner, and Cooper DeJean is a stud. But Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers left, and the Eagles were hoping Kelee Ringo or Adoree’ Jackson would solve the CB2 nickel problem when DeJean is in the slot. That didn’t happen.

Bringing in Carter gives coordinator Vic Fangio more options in the secondary. At his peak, the 2021 fifth-round pick looked like one of the best young slot corners in the NFL. Carter’s form has slipped this season in a small sample size. But there’s enough familiarity — Eagles scouting executive Joe Douglas was the GM who drafted Carter in New York — to believe that Carter can give the Eagles quality slot snaps, allowing DeJean to move outside.

Moving Metchie to get this done isn’t a loss. The Texans’ 2022 second-rounder was acquired for minimal capital in the summer and didn’t do much in Philly (four catches, 18 yards). The Eagles still have A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson. There’s also confidence that undrafted rookie Darius Cooper can be a reliable WR4.

Eagles get: Ravens CB Jaire Alexander, 2027 seventh-round pick

Ravens get: 2026 sixth-round pick

Trade grade: B-

Neither of these additions at cornerback are big swings or sure-fire answers. They’re sensible moves on the margins to try to shore up an issue on the cheap. I don’t blame Roseman for throwing darts and hoping one of them (Alexander, Carter, Bennett, etc.) sticks. But these aren’t “A+” deals because chances are they won’t be immediate problem solvers.

It’s worth taking a flier on Alexander. The 28-year-old was a two-time All-Pro with the Packers in 2020 and 2022. Quad and knee injuries limited him to just seven games last season, leading to his release. Alexander signed with the Ravens, but he was a healthy inactive in five of seven games before Baltimore dealt him to Philadelphia.

If Alexander can contribute at all and regain his form, the Eagles will have a steal on their hands. If he doesn’t, there’s a reason why he was available.

OVERALL DEADLINE GRADE: B+

We already broke down the players individually. But let’s look at things holistically: the Eagles had two major holes on the roster, and Roseman acquired three players to try to fill those gaps. Being as active as they were alone deserves some recognition. A lot of teams would sit on their hands and not do anything. That’s not Roseman’s style.

Then there’s the capital part of this. The Eagles walked away from the deadline still with six picks in the first four rounds of the 2026 draft. They parted with a third-rounder for Phillips, but they held onto the Jets’ third-rounder acquired in the Haason Reddick trade. That was important. And they still have all of their first-round picks moving forward.

Would it have been fun to land a Gardner or a Myles Garrett? Sure. But Roseman improved a Super Bowl-contending roster and didn’t mortgage the future to do it. They also didn’t do anything silly like trading A.J. Brown. Job well done.