PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has made a deal ahead of next week's NFL trade deadline, sending a pair of draft picks and safety Terrell Edmunds to Tennessee in exchange for All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, multiple reports claimed Monday.
In addition to Edmunds, a former first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers who signed with Philly in the offseason, the Eagles are sending the Titans their fifth and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport and other sources.
Byard, 30, was the Titans' third-round draft pick in 2016. He quickly became one of the league's top players at his position, at one point becoming the NFL's highest-paid safety, according to SI.com.
Byard has 27 career interceptions. He finished the 2022 season with 108 tackles and four interceptions. He has 47 tackles in six games this season, according to ESPN.com. Byard is a two-time All-Pro First Team recipient and has made the Pro Bowl twice.
He is expected to make an immediate impact in the Eagles' secondary, which has been banged up for several weeks.
The Birds beat the Miami Dolphins 31-17 Sunday night despite a slew of injuries in their defensive backfield. Starting safety Reed Blankenship missed the game with a rib injury, while his counterpart Justin Evans was also shelved by a knee injury that landed him on the Injured Reserve list.
The Eagles started rookie Sydney Brown and Edmunds at safety against the Dolphins Sunday night.
Byard is able to play both safety spots, as well as slot cornerback. He'll be a welcome addition to coordinator Sean Desai's defense, which is riding high after limiting the high-powered Dolphins to a season-low 244 yards and 10 points (Miami's second TD was a pick-six touchdown by its defense).
This is the second time Roseman has made a big trade with Tennessee to acquire a star performer. Last year, the Eagles grabbed wideout A.J. Brown in a trade with the Titans.
Brown caught 10 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns against Miami Sunday night and is considered to be one of the top receivers in the game right now.
Philly fans will hope Byard makes a similar impact for the defense.