Game-changing Eagles trade ideas (and one very intriguing suggestion)

The Eagles can cap a magnificent offseason by landing the player everyone wants them to add, Jessie Bates.

The one glaring need the Philadelphia Eagles have right now is filling what seems to be a hole at the safety (even though they have guys there to play the position). The Eagles have faith in Marcus Epps. They brought Anthony Harris back, but it still feels like something is missing.

Adding a player like Jessie Bates changes the entire makeup of the Eagles’ secondary.

The Bengals’ young superstar has seen his name churn in the rumor mill for quite some time and has now decided to hold out as he waits for a new contract. Connecting the dots between him and the Eagles makes too much sense.

Again, Philly’s need at safety is obvious, and they have players and draft capital to make an intriguing deal. There may not be a safety of Bates caliber in next year’s draft, but that’s yet to be determined.

A package involving Andre Dillard and a second-round pick could be enough for the Birds to get a discussion started and hopefully land Bates. Dillard is a capable starter at tackle in the NFL, and he satisfies a need the Bengals have along their offensive line.

The goal is to keep Joe Burrow upright, and here, they’d also get a high draft choice in next year’s draft to sweeten the pot. The fact that a deal still needs to be worked out could soften their asking price.

The Eagles have enough depth along their offensive line to move on from Dillard. They also have an extra first-rounder in 2023, so losing a second-round selection shouldn’t be a reason for worry. The Eagles have made solid moves all offseason and adding a player of Jessie Bates caliber to this defense would be a nice feather in the cap for what’s been a picture-perfect offseason.