Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is looking for any reason to find great talent without overpaying on a player, so with Jaelan Phillips about to be a free agent, there might be a better solution at edge rusher who would be cheaper than him.
Phillips could command a $15-17 million per year contract, which would be tough for the Eagles to swing with other free agents and the positions they need to fill. Well, Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox made his trade block big board with New York Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson on there, and the Eagles are being named a potential suitor.
"The New York Jets sold off key players Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at last year's trade deadline, and they may continue turning over their roster in the offseason. Edge-rusher Jermaine Johnson II should be a player closely watched by teams in need of pass-rush help. The 2022 first-round pick was a Pro Bowler in his second season but missed most of 2024 with a torn Achilles and underwhelmed in 2025. SNY's Connor Hughes reported the Jets weren't "particularly interested" in dealing Johnson for a second-round pick at the trade deadline. Of course, that was a half-season ago and before New York was staring down the chance to draft another promising edge-rusher."
Should the Eagles trade for Jermaine Johnson over re-signing Jaelan Phillips?
Johnson has not been the difference-maker off the edge as the Jets hoped he would be when he was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Last season, he had just six quarterback hits and three sacks in 14 games.
For the Eagles, Johnson is the cheaper option, with a cap hit of $13.4 million, about $3-4 million less than Phillips. That would somewhat give them more flexibility to spend their money.
On the flip side, just giving Phillips that extra $2-4 million per year to have a better, more established edge rusher makes more sense. Phillips knows Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme, and the coach obviously is a big fan of his, so keeping him on the team could be the better move.
Read more: NFL insider's proposed trade would be easiest "yes" answer Howie Roseman ever had
2026 season is a critical year for the Eagles and taking a risk on Johnson is not something Roseman wants to do with the team's backs are up against the wall. Stick to what they know best with Phillips and cough up the extra cash to get him back in Philly.