PHILADELPHIA — Less than a week before the NFL trade deadline, the Philadelphia Eagles made a splash, agreeing to trade a fourth round pick to the Chicago Bears for veteran defensive end Robert Quinn. It was yet another move this year that shows the Eagles are all-in on maximizing their current Super Bowl window.
Between the timing of the deal, the type of player acquired, and the value given up, this is a vintage move by general manager Howie Roseman.
Roseman has recognized the opportunity in front of his team. Undefeated at 6-0, a favorable schedule, and an NFC conference that doesn’t seem to have another top-tier contender emerging.
A recipe for a deep run.
Just like at the trade deadlines in 2017 and 2018 when he traded for Jay Ajayi and Golden Tate, Roseman didn’t want to settle, adding one final piece in Quinn to give this team every possible advantage before the stretch run.
Although the 32-year old defensive end has just one sack in 2022, just a calendar year ago Quinn was second in the NFL in sacks with 18.5. Roseman and the Eagles always want to be deep on the defensive line and while they already had incredible depth in the trenches, they prefer to feature a four-man rotation on the edge.
Quinn will now complement Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham. It is very similar to what Philadelphia did in 2017 and 2018 when they acquired Chris Long and Michael Bennett. Proven veteran pass-rushers who may not be the stars they once were, but they can still be productive players in a rotation with less attention on them.
This was the kind of low-risk, high-reward trade Roseman loves to make. A move taking advantage of another team’s situation that allows a good player to be available for cheap.
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The rebuilding Bears were willing to take on the rest of Quinin’s salary in 2022 and accept just a fourth round selection.
Roseman keeps all his top picks and has the option of either restructuring Quinn’s deal next year or moving on with no guaranteed money on the books.
The Eagles have done this a lot in contending seasons. In 2017, Roseman traded very little for the likes of Timmy Jernigan, Ronald Darby, and Jay Ajayi. Jernigan was a young, promising defensive tackle who the Baltimore Ravens made available with their preference to pay other defensive lineman. Darby had two strong seasons to start his career in Buffalo, but the Bills had a new coaching staff and defensive scheme. In a rebuild, collecting draft picks was their priority. Ajayi was one of the more efficient running backs in the NFL, but former Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase had head scratching taste in skill position players.
The 2022 offseason featured a lot of these moves. The Tennessee Titans decided they didn’t want to pay A.J. Brown, a top-tier receiver in his prime. The New York Giants cut James Bradberry for nothing just two years removed from a Pro Bowl season. The New Orleans Saints made a 24-year old versatile safety in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson available with their preference in a different style of defensive back.
Good players that didn’t fit what their former team wanted, but fit a role Philadelphia is looking for.
Not all of these moves have or will work out (although most have), but the Eagles have done a great job making sure these trades can’t hurt them in the short-term or long-term.
It can only help.