3 Reasons Philadelphia Eagles trading for Eli Harold was a wise move

The Philadelphia Eagles continue to tweak their roster by trading for Eli Harold, a former third-round selection. The move was a wise one, and there are several reasons why.

The first preseason game is in the books for the Philadelphia Eagles, and after a long day of speculation about whether or not they’d add to their roster has been answered. They did, but it wasn’t at quarterback like most of us assumed it would be. Instead, they added another pass rusher via trade, defensive end Eli Harold.

By doing so, they sent undrafted rookie offensive tackle Ryan Bates to the Buffalo Bills.

The announcement came shortly after dinner time on the East Coast. Take a look.

Let’s not waste a ton of time. This was the correct move, and here are three of several reasons why it was.

1. He’s an upgrade from Bates.

Here’s what happened if you weren’t paying attention. Philly traded an undrafted lineman that wasn’t going to make the team, and they got a former third-round draft choice in the process.

Bates was taken 79th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015’s NFL Draft. In Philly, he doesn’t need to be a superstar. He just needs to provide quality minutes, something that shouldn’t be a problem in Jim Schwartz‘s defensive scheme. He’ll have an opportunity to make plays.

2. If he’s kept past 2019, the Eagles may re-sign him for a discounted price.

According to Over the Cap, Harold’s current deal will pay him a base salary of $805,000. Philly isn’t obligated to keep him past this season if things don’t work out. If he plays his way into a long-term deal, he figures not to break the bank.

If he doesn’t, he’s done a nice service by holding Joe Ostman’s place until he returns, until Philly gets another pass rusher in next year’s draft, or some other option comes along.

3. Did you see that first preseason game?

Philly rested most of their starters in their first preseason game, and in doing so, we learned something. They aren’t as deep as we thought. This team needs pass rushers on the outside, and Harold solves that issue (somewhat).

Fatigue set in as the night went on, and Eagles fans were reminded of how tight things can get if there’s an injury or two. If Eagles fans haven’t learned anything else over the past two seasons, they’ve learned how quickly things can change on the depth chart. This trade was definitely the right idea.