The public wants the Philadelphia Eagles to take a chance and trade for a big-name edge rusher of some kind to replace Jaelan Phillips after losing him in free agency to the Carolina Panthers.
Philly has been attached to trade rumors with Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Cleveland Browns defender Myles Garrett. Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport named NFL stars who could be traded and their potential landing spots, with Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt linked to the Eagles as a potential trade partner.
"To be clear, moving Watt for anything less than a first-round pick—even with his sizable contract—would be selling low. It is also fair to question whether the current version of the Steelers, even with Aaron Rodgers, profiles as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Add in that the Steelers have an in-house replacement already on the roster in Nick Herbig, and maybe dealing Watt isn't so ludicrous after all."
Should the Eagles trade for T.J. Watt?
The Eagles need to get some kind of edge rusher on the team. They do have Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. in the starting lineup, but that was the case last season to start the year, and it did not go well. Phillips was traded to Philly and saved the Eagles from further issues with the pass rush.
Watt would certainly fix those problems easily for the Eagles, but there comes a risk with trading for the eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro. Since 2022, Watt has missed 10 games for the Steelers and has been known for being banged up.
The big difference between trading for Watt and trading for another player like Garrett or Crosby is that acquiring Watt would be cheaper. It might only take one first-round pick to bring him in, while the other two would take at least two first-round picks.
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Philly should consider a trade for Watt if it is available, but they will need to be cautious with the decision.