Stopping the high-octane Dolphins in their tracks, the Philadelphia Eagles rebounded marvelously in Week 7 from the previous week's shocking loss to the Jets. Jalen Hurts and the offense had everything cooking, particularly with A.J. Brown, and the defense did enough to keep Mike McDaniel's offense in-check (though Dolphins fans might argue the refs had a hand in this as well).
However, the Eagles defense's performance doesn't mitigate the lack of depth they currently have, particularly in the secondary. Safety Reed Blankenship missed the game against Miami while slot corner Bradley Roby is out indefinitely. They needed help, so they went out a little more than a week before the NFL Trade Deadline and made it happen with a former All-Pro.
As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Eagles are trading for Titans safety Kevin Byard.
The 30-year-old Byard now gives Philadelphia a big-name and big-time upgrade on the back end of the defense.
Kevin Byard trade details: Eagles give up picks, Edmunds to Titans
Dianna Russini of The Athletic provided the full details for the Byard trade with a pair of Day 3 backs and former first-round pick Terrell Edmunds going to Tennessee from the Eagles.
Obviously, Philadelphia is getting the best player in the deal while the Titans get some capital and a replacement. But how did each team make out in this trade? Let's hand out some trade grades as we dive into that.
Eagles Trade Grade: A
It's pretty clear that the Eagles are big winners of this trade. Edmunds was fine but, both in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, had not necessarily lived up to his pedigree as a first-round pick. Meanwhile, they gave up two Day 3 picks to get a player who, though he might not be at his peak All-Pro levels, Byard is still one of the best safeties in the league.
Once Blankenship gets back on the field now, pairing him with Byard could be phenomenal. More importantly, Byard is a free agent after next season but has an out with no dead cap for the 2024 season if he were to be cut. That creates another advantage and more flexibility for the Eagles that can't be overstated.
All told, this is another Howie Roseman masterclass.
Titans Trade Grade: B
Yes, the Titans are giving away the best player in the trade and, frankly, not getting all that much in return.
At the same time, this is still a savvy move for Tennessee. In the current state of the roster, it'd be foolish to believe that the Titans are going anywhere of substance this season. As mentioned, Byard is also entering the end of his contract and is now on the wrong side of 30. Looking ahead to the future plans for the roster, it's hard to imagine Byard being part of that.
Subsequently, getting a younger safety to potentially work on in Edmunds in addition to some more draft capital is advantageous for the Titans' position. They certainly aren't as big of winners as the Eagles in this trade, but it's ostensibly still a win-win for both organizations.
