NFL Trade Deadline 2018: Best options for Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are in need of some changes as the NFL Trade Deadline approaches. What players available can make the best impact on this Eagles roster?

The Philadelphia Eagles are almost halfway through their season and it’s obvious that changes are going to have to happen for this team to succeed. The NFL Trade Deadline looms on Oct. 30 and the Eagles should be in the market for some talent if they want to salvage their 2018 season. The question is: Who do they go after, and what do they give up?

Let’s start on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles are taken care of at quarterback and tight end with Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz. The offensive line is having some injury troubles, but most likely they won’t be making any moves there as the group as a whole appears solid. The areas of need are a running back and receiver depth.

Heading into the season, one of the strengths of the Eagles roster was the running back position. With Jay Ajayi, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement, they were loaded. Fast forward to Week 8 and Ajayi is out for the season, Sproles hasn’t played since Week 1, and Clement has been bothered by nagging injuries all year.

Where do the Eagles go from here? There are a couple options at the position on the trade market.

The home run would be going after Le’Veon Bell. He is arguably the most dynamic running back in the NFL. The danger with Bell is the fact that he hasn’t played a game all season due to a contract holdout. If he came to the Eagles, they would have to pay a hefty price to sign him to a long-term deal. Also, they would have to give up some draft picks and/or key players in a trade.

Another option would be former Eagle LeSean McCoy. The 30-year old Buffalo Bill has had his name floated out there for trade bait. At his age, he obviously wouldn’t be a long-term option. But he might be the quick fix that the Eagles need. Fans are still upset that former head coach Chip Kelly traded him in the first place. Maybe they should make a move to get him back.

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For the wide receiver position, the Eagles are solid with Alshon Jeffery being the top guy. But they are clearly missing a deep threat like they had last year with Torrey Smith. The Eagles were hoping to have that deep threat when they signed Mike Wallace in free agency, but he is out for the season as well with an injury.

One of the receivers on the market is Denver Broncos playmaker Demaryius Thomas. Thomas is 30 years old and clearly his best days are behind him, but he is still a dynamic player. With him and Jeffery together, opposing teams will have to respect the big play aspect. If they were to land Thomas,  they would be able to keep Nelson Agholor in his more preferred position in the slot.

Another receiver’s name that has been mentioned is DeVante Parker of the Miami Dolphins. Parker’s season has been filled with injuries and has been disappointing. Maybe a change of scenery from Miami to Philly can change that for Parker. Look what it did for his former teammate, Ajayi, last season.

Defensively, the Eagles are stuck with some injuries upfront. Derek Barnett is out for the season, Haloti Ngata is suffering from a calf injury and Timmy Jernigan is still recovering from offseason surgery. That being said, the Eagles will probably stay with what they have on the defensive line and just hope that they can shake the injury bug.

The linebacker position is really the only healthy position on the Eagles roster. Don’t expect to see any changes there either.

That leads us to the secondary. It’s obvious that the Eagles are in need of a playmaker in the secondary. Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills have been burnt time and again this season. Also, the Eagles still don’t seem to have a definitive answer in replacing Rodney McLeod at safety.

The huge play would be going after Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson. He is one of the best lockdown corners in the NFL and would immediately impact the Eagles secondary. However, due to his reputation and skill, the Eagles would have to give up a lot in return if they were to make a trade for him.

Another option at cornerback would be another Denver Bronco, Chris Harris Jr. Harris would be a less appealing option than Peterson, but he would immediately be a starter in the Eagles defense. He would bring Super Bowl experience and a toughness to the secondary that they clearly have been missing.

No matter what general manager Howie Roseman decides to do he’ll have some tough decisions to make. This week against the Jaguars is a make or break game for this Eagles team. If they win and go to 4-4 expect Roseman to start wheeling and dealing. If they lose and drop to 3-5 the Eagles might pack up their bags and start to prepare for 2019.