Eagles Talk: Would the team consider trading Brandon Graham?
An article from The Ringer suggests the San Francisco 49ers should inquire about Philadelphia Eagles defensive end, Brandon Graham.
Imagine being in Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman’s shoes. You run the front office of the current Super Bowl Champions. So naturally, teams are going to shoot their shot and try to make a deal for some of your big name players. While the Eagles were rumored to have Nick Foles and Ronald Darby on the trade block in the past, would they actually consider trading one of their top players from last season?
The offseason is fun for the imagination. That’s precisely what The Ringer’s Danny Kelly used when coming up with his article titled “Nine Hypothetical Trades NFL Teams Should Make.” Assuming that a Foles trade would be the only realistic scenario to come from Philadelphia, Kelly got creative and proposed a deal involving the Eagles Super Bowl hero, Brandon Graham.
Elite pass rushers are hard to come by in the NFL. Fortunately for the Eagles, they have a handful of guys who can consistently disrupt a backfield. And after a dominant season up front, Roseman went out and acquired more lineman so they could remain comfortable in the trenches. Now, we are not suggesting they could afford to lose Graham in a trade. But it could be something to consider if the price is right.
Why would the Eagles consider a trade?
The Eagles are in excellent shape talent-wise, and draft asset-wise heading into 2018. Their biggest concern is the cap space situation as they have struggled to remain under the cap throughout the offseason. The worst part about it is the money situation doesn’t get much better beyond 2018. With Graham set to become a free agent after this year, he will need to make a business decision that works best for him considering he will turn 31 after next season.
Here’s what Danny Kelly had to say about a potential trade:
"Let’s say, just for a minute, that the cap-strapped defending champs decide they can’t afford to sign Graham, 30, to a long-term contract extension now or in 2019. In that case, their next two options are to (1) ride out the final year of his contract and maximize their shot at winning a second consecutive title before letting him walk in free agency—thus getting relatively little (a 2020 comp pick, maximum) in return or (2) think big picture, and trade him now for high-value picks and some much-needed cap relief."
Could they pull the trigger?
It’s tough to let go of a drafted player who is coming off of his best season. Especially when the man made the game-saving sack-fumble in Super Bowl LII. Unless the Eagles were getting an offer that is just too good to pass up, trading Graham shouldn’t be considered at all. Graham might not be a top pass rusher in the NFL’s eyes considering all of his snubs. But the Eagles sure do recognize how valuable he has been over the years.
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A Super Bowl hero, a team captain, and one of the best players on the defense must remain in midnight green throughout this upcoming season. And who knows, maybe we will see some pay-cuts take place from others so the Eagles can ensure that they will have Graham for the rest of his career. Anything can happen, but this specific trade scenario shouldn’t be considered.