For the first time since the 2020 season (heavily impacted by COVID), the Philadelphia Eagles stood pat near the NFL trade deadline.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
If Howie Roseman was worried about lighting some more draft picks on fire after struggling to make good deals in recent years, I can’t blame him. The thinking here was that the Eagles should either go big or go home at the deadline. That’s to say they should’ve been big game hunting by looking to pay a premium for a bonafide star (such as Maxx Crosby) … and sitting it out if they couldn’t make that scenario work. No half measures where they get a “bargain” to only later find out that that player was available at that cost for a reason (see: Kevin Byard, Robert Quinn). Sometimes you truly get what you pay for.
But while the Eagles didn’t make any trades (notable that Bryce Huff didn’t get moved after his name came up in trade rumors), a number of their upcoming opponents did. Let’s run through those and how they impact the Birds.
Cowboys receive: WR Jonathan Mingo, 7th round pick (2025)
Panthers receive: 4th round pick (2025)
The Cowboys curiously decided to be buyers despite the fact they’re 3-5 after losing three straight games and Dak Prescott is likely headed to injured reserve.
Of course, the Cowboys’ trade wasn’t an “all in” move (see what I did there?). Mingo is under contract for two more seasons after this one.
The thing is … he’s not good!
Mingo’s career receiving numbers, via Pro Football Reference:
It’s only fair to point out he’s played with terrible quarterbacks on a terrible team. But other Panthers receivers have been more productive than he is. And to the point where Mingo’s role decreased in recent weeks, even with the Panthers theoretically opening up an opportunity for him to play more by trading Diontae Johnson.
But don’t just take it from me, here’s a Cowboys writer’s perspective on the trade:
Given the way the Cowboys are currently struggling, the 2025 fourth-round pick they give to Carolina could be a relatively high Day 3 selection.
It remains to be seen just how much — if at all — Mingo will play against the Eagles in Week 10. He obviously won’t have much time to pick up a new offense before Sunday’s game. But even if he is a fast learner, I don’t think the Eagles are really worried about him.
We already dedicated an entire article to the Commanders trading for Marshon Lattimore (thanks to inadvertent help from the Eagles).
In short, the Eagles’ top competition in the NFC East got better. That’s no fun.
Ravens receive: CB Tre’Davious White, 6th round pick (2027)
Rams receive: 7th round pick (2026)
White’s been bad (138.4 passer rating allowed) for the Rams so this is a case of addition by subtraction for them.
The Ravens have had some secondary struggles but, as just noted, White has been bad. So it could be good if he has to play against the Eagles.
After trading Mingo and Johnson, here are the Panthers’ remaining four receivers:
Xavier Legette — 41 targets, 26 catches, 244 yards (9.4 average), 2 TD
Jalen Coker — 18 targets, 14 catches, 222 yards (15.9 average), 1 TD
Adam Thielen — 12 targets, 8 catches, 109 yards (13.6 average), 1 TD
David Moore — 18 targets, 11 receptions, 103 yards (9.4 average), 0 TD
That’s 89 targets for 59 receptions, 678 yards, and 4 TD.
For perspective, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith (who’ve each missed playing time) have combined for 81 targets, 58 receptions, 917 yards, and 7 TD.
I’m beginning to think the Panthers might not be any good?
The Steelers made two trades on deadline day.
The first:
Steelers receive: WR Mike Williams
Jets receive: 5th round pick (2025)
The second:
Steelers receive: LB Preston Smith
Packers receive: 7th round pick (2025)
Williams and Smith aren’t what they used to be. But they are solid veteran pickups that improve Pittsburgh’s roster.
The Giants notably did NOT make any trades on deadline day despite being an obvious candidate to sell. There was an expectation that Azeez Ojulari, who’s set to be a free agent after this season, would be moved.
By holding onto him, the Giants passed on a chance to add valuable draft ammo. It’s possible they could get a compensatory pick for him if he leaves in free agency … but that’s no guarantee.
Ojulari remaining on the Giants is also good for the Eagles in terms of them wanting the New York to not to be so bad that they get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Lions receive: DE Za’Darius Smith, 7th round pick (2026)
Browns receive: 5th round pick (2025), 6th round pick (2026)
There’s no guarantee the Eagles play the Lions this season but it’s quite possible that the road to the Super Bowl will go through Detroit. In need of pass rush help after losing Aidan Hutchinson for the season, the Lions were able to add Za’Darius Smith. That’s a good pickup for them; Smith has five sacks and six TFLs in nine games this season.
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