Philadelphia Eagles trade proposals that could pay dividends at deadline

Philadelphia Eagles trade proposal number 2: Fletcher Cox leaves the nest

Howie Roseman does some stuff sometimes that’s difficult to explain, but perhaps his biggest issue is he’s led by his emotions. He gets too attached to players (he had a life-sized poster of Carson Wentz in his office for goodness sake), and he often pays guys for what they’ve done as opposed to what they are still capable of.

Guys can often hang around too long as well thanks to huge deals that the Eagles can’t get anyone to take on. Think Alshon Jeffery, but if you need a more recent example, look no further than Fletcher Cox.

He’s the owner of the highest salary on this Eagles team, and in 2022, he’s set to earn about $26.5 million if nothing changes. That’s money that can be spent elsewhere, and while it’s going to be hard to convince another team to take that massive number on, Fletcher Cox, despite being someone that isn’t what he once was, can get a few teams interested. Perhaps his former head coach, Andy Reid, would give him a look?

We’ve seen Reid add former players to the Chiefs roster before, none of which had as much tread left on the tire as Cox does. This would take some doing as the Chiefs simply don’t have the financial ability currently. They only have a little over $2 million in cap space, so for that reason, it makes more sense if we revisit the Browns roster.

Cleveland has about $9 million in cap space. A $15.7 million salary is being paid to Odell Beckham Jr. That means the Birds and Browns can simply swap two players that aren’t contributing much (and their salaries), and it wouldn’t be a shock to either team financially. As a matter of fact, it would save the Birds money.

For those who are worried about the defense, don’t be. The Philadelphia Eagles have young defensive linemen in Tarron Jackson, Milton Williams, and Marlon Tuipulotu.

Philly could also rely more on Hassan Ridgeway or promote Raequan Williams or Marvin Wilson from the practice squad. To make long stories short, the Birds have options along their defensive line if they do indeed move on from Cox, and whether you agree with whether they should or not, you have to admit it’s definitely something that they need to think about.