Trade winds blowing: NFL analyst thinks 2 Eagles could be shipped out

Ryan OLeary

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Trade winds blowing: NFL analyst thinks 2 Eagles could be shipped out image

The trade winds are blowing in the NFL. The New England Patriots rocked the league Wednesday when they acquired a third-round pick from the Atlanta Falcons for four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon. The Dallas Cowboys followed by striking a surprising deal with the division rival New York Giants of all teams — adding big defensive tackle Jordan Phillips for a swap of 2026 late-round picks.

The Patriots reportedly spoke with multiple teams about a possible Judon trade. They actually got an impressive haul. The 32-year-old Judon is coming off a season-ending injury and has been publically campaigning for a new contract all offseason. The Patriots might have done this deal for a Day 3 pick, but there was enough interest in Judon’s services to fetch a fruitful return for a team that’s headed absolutely nowhere.

The return for Judon is the real story here. With NFL cut-down day right around the corner, trade discussions will only intensify as teams work to trim their rosters from 90 down to the final 53.

Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com named 10 NFL players who could be traded next, and the Philadelphia Eagles led the way with two players on the list: QB Kenny Pickett and DB James Bradberry.

“Even after a relatively underwhelming summer, the Philadelphia Eagles would surely prefer to keep Pickett's NFL experience onboard as insurance for Jalen Hurts,” Benjamin wrote. “The ex-Pittsburgh Steelers starter has never enjoyed a better supporting cast. That said, the Eagles are always in the business of collecting/flipping quarterbacks, and third-stringer Tanner McKee has shown enough poise to warrant No. 2 consideration in back-to-back years. Pickett is local to the Philly area, but he'd almost certainly sign off on a chance to get right back into a starting gig, adding to the appeal of another move.”

Benjamin named the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers as the two potential fits for Pickett, who just arrived to Philly via trade on March 15. The Vikings are desperate for quarterback help after losing rookie J.J. McCarthy to a season-ending knee injury. But with Minnesota’s limited draft capital next year — only a first and two fifth-round picks remaining in 2025 — a deal here feels super unlikely. The Chargers currently hold eight selections in next year’s draft, so they would be a more realistic trade partner. If McKee shows enough to warrant consideration as the Eagles’ backup for Hurts, the phone lines could be open here.

Bradberry’s name has been mentioned in trade fodder all summer long. Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report recently reviewed one player each NFL team should put on the trade block this preseason, and he sees Bradberry as the most likely Eagles player to be shipped out. Bradberry has been managing a switch to safety in training camp after the Eagles doubled down in the draft with corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

“The former All-Pro was a hit for the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl-contending secondary in 2022, only to fall off a cliff as a perimeter cover man a year later,” Benjamin wrote. “Since then, Bradberry has taken a switch to safety in stride, and suddenly feels like a decent bet to crack the Birds' lineup as veteran insurance on the back end. Still, if the Eagles find themselves a taker in exchange for depth at another position, they'd probably consider it after injecting youth into the secondary via the draft.”

One former Eagle also made the list — Haason Reddick, now of the New York Jets. Eagles GM Howie Roseman saw this one coming a mile away. Reddick never wanted to play the 2024 season on a lame-duck contract with no remaining guarantees. The fact that a deal between Reddick and the Jets has taken this long to get done is honestly hard to fathom. 

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan OLeary Photo

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.