Eagles GM Howie Roseman smart not to overpay at trade deadline

The NFL trade deadline has come and passed without any notable moves from Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman.

To the dismay of many Philadelphia Eagles fans, Howie Roseman didn’t pull the trigger on any of the big names who were reportedly on the trade block this year. New York Jets wideout Robby Anderson, Denver Broncos corner Chris Harris Jr., among others, were all linked to Philly as we approached the deadline.

Given how frequent the Eagles have traded for impact players over the past few years, especially during the season, Roseman’s decision to stay put may seem like a letdown. When in reality, refusing to overpay for some of these players was probably the smartest choice Howie could have made.

As the 4 p.m. ET deadline grew closer, reports indicated that the price for some of these deplorable players got higher and higher. The Jets were asking teams for at least a second-rounder for Anderson. A player who only has 21 catches and one touchdown this season.

The same type of reports was coming out about Broncos corner Chris Harris as well. The team’s asking price was at least a second-round draft pick, and it appeared it was too steep for Roseman to consider. Given the fact that Harris is 30-years-old and on the last year of his contract, giving up a second-rounder for potentially just eight games of play seems silly.

The fanbase may be angry right now and that’s completely understandable, but before everyone jumps the gun and says Howie’s lost his wheeling-and-dealing ways, let’s just look at the facts.

First off, none of the noteworthy players who were reportedly on the trading block this year got traded on deadline day, except for Los Angeles Rams corner Aqib Talib getting dealt to the Miami Dolphins. The lack of movement around the league before the deadline indicates that the sellers were simply asking for too much.

Secondly, the weakest areas on the team (corner, wide receiver and interior defensive line) are all dealing with injuries at the moment and all of those injured players are expected to be back within the next few weeks. Corners Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills have already gotten back from injury, while Avonte Maddox and Cre’Von Leblanc are reportedly going to be back on the field sooner rather than later. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson is back on the practice field this week, which should help the passing game immensely, and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan should be fully healthy after the Week 10 bye.

Could the Eagles have used another impact player to help them this season? Sure, there’s no one disputing that. If there was a reasonable move to be made that didn’t result in the Eagles giving up multiple high draft picks, Roseman would have undoubtedly made it. There simply wasn’t a trade worth making once the deadline hit.