PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has been full-throttle in front of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, making three deals to bolster the defensive side of the ball.
To recap, Philadelphia has acquired:
Edge Jaelen Phillips from the Miami Dolphins for a 2026 third-round pick
CB Jaire Alexander and a seventh-round pick in 2027 from the Baltimore Ravens for a 2026 sixth-round pick
DB Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the New York Jets for WR John Metchie III and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Roseman foreshadowed this flurry of activity all the way back in late August when he declared, "We're not done here" shortly after the team announced the initial 53-man roster.
"We got a lot of picks here and we're happy to use those picks in the draft, but I think for us, the early part of the season, September, we have to see what we have and if we need something, I'll do whatever I can to help this football team and be aggressive," said Roseman, who also acquired running back Tank Bigsby, corner Jakorian Bennett, QB Sam Howell, OT Fred Johnson and Metchie since making that statement.
The first half of the season confirmed that they needed help, particularly at CB2 and on the edge.
The additions of Carter II and Alexander don't guarantee the secondary will be fortified but they do give defensive coordinator Vic Fangio some options to play around with for a pass defense that ranks 17th in opponent QBR (56.6) and 14th in passing yards against (1,727). Carter II has played almost exclusively in the slot. If he were to assume that role in Philly, Cooper DeJean could move outside on a more permanent basis. On the other hand, if Alexander is the answer on the outside, it would allow Fangio to stick with his preference of keeping DeJean in the slot, where he has thrived over the last year-plus.
The production hasn't matched the name recognition of late with Alexander, who was a healthy scratch in five games for the Ravens and totaled just 61 snaps. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he has given up five catches on as many targets for 116 yards. Carter (10 catches on 15 targets, 136 yards) has dealt with some injuries over the past couple seasons, meanwhile, and has two interceptions and 26 passes defensed in 65 games over his career.
It's not easy to jump onto a new team midseason and make a sizable impact, as Fangio noted this time last year as the trade deadline approached.
"I think if you look at some of those trades over the years, they really haven't had the effect some teams were hoping for," he said.
It does help if there is familiarity with the player inside the organization, he added, and that is the case with all three of the new acquisitions.
Eagles senior personnel director Joe Douglas was the Jets' general manager when New York drafted Carter II. Passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Christian Parker was with Alexander in Green Bay in 2019-20 when Parker served as a defensive quality control coach. And Fangio coached Phillips when he was defensive coordinator of the Dolphins in 2023. Phillips was in the midst of his best year as a pro (6.5 sacks through eight games) that year before tearing his Achilles.
While Carter and Alexander feel more like competition/depth adds to push Kelee Ringo, Adoree' Jackson, Bennett, et al, Phillips' role is a little easier to project. He should be near the top of the edge rotation immediately along with Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith, who could return as early as this week against the Green Bay Packers from a triceps injury.
His three sacks this season are the most among Eagles edge players, and his 29 pressures rank second on the team behind only Hunt (30). The Eagles rank 16th in Pass Rush Win Rate this season (Dolphins rank 10th) after ranking 8th in that stat last year according to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats.
Between the addition of Phillips, Smith's return and Brandon Graham's unretirement, the Eagles look to be well-equipped on the outside for their second-half push.
Last week, Graham talked about the unique window this Eagles team is in, with a collection of talent led by Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell and DeJean that won't be together forever.
Roseman is trying to bolster the roster around that core with these moves and was able to do so by stockpiling draft picks even as he was building a championship roster.
The Eagles are still projected to have eight picks in the 2026 draft thanks in part to the compensatory pick formula, which would come into play if Phillips leaves in free agency after this year, helping Philadelphia recoup some of the capital it spent to acquire the edge rusher down the road.
Roseman knows how to build up resources and will aggressively use them when the moment calls for it. That was again made crystal clear at this trade deadline.