Breaking: Browns’ Pro Bowl Defender Headed to Eagles in…
Currently riding a three-game win streak, and playing some of their best football on both sides of the ball, the Philadelphia Eagles enter the final weekend before the NFL trade deadline without a glaring need.
Still, most NFL insiders believe Howie Roseman will do something to improve the roster, potentially targeting a wide receiver to pair with stars A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, or an EDGE defender to help cover for the struggling Bryce Huff.
In one of his final NFL Trade Big Boards before Tuesday’s deadline, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report predicted Wednesday that the Eagles will work out a deal with the Cleveland Browns in a move to bolster their pass rush.
Knox predicted the Eagles will trade for former All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl EDGE defender Za’Darius Smith. Here was his take on the potential move:
Philly’s pass rush has been trending up since the bye week. The secondary has improved since Cooper DeJean was inserted as the starting nickel, and Nolan Smith Jr. has strung together some of the best games of his career in recent weeks. Smith earned a 90.6 pass rushing grade from PFF in last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Adding depth to that group would be a wise move for Roseman and Co. Huff has been slightly better since the opening month of the season, but he’s still failing to make much of an impact in his 27.5 defensive snaps per game. Brandon Graham has also slowed a bit after a hot start, and it remains to be seen how much the 36-year-old will have left in the tank come January.
Smith is on the older side himself, at 32 years old, but he’s been consistently around the quarterback, ranking in the upper half of pass rushers per PFF’s grading metrics. He has five sacks in eight games, an impressive stat considering the 2-6 Browns have trailed a ton in games this season.
Smith’s contract was designed to be redone in 2025, as his cap hit is set to balloon from $5.2 million to $9.4 million next season. Still, it’s a reasonable contract to deal with, and considering his age, the Browns should be happy with a mid- to late-round swap of draft picks to get a deal done.
Wide receiver should remain high on Philly’s list as well, but this hypothetical move for Smith would be a shrewd one for an Eagles team that looks capable of a deep playoff run this winter.
