Sportsnaut
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman pulled off three trades Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s roster cutdown, but could a much bigger one be on the horizon? If one NFL analyst had his way, Roseman would make a blockbuster deal for an All-Pro defensive end.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the Birds should make a play for Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson as both sides remain in a contract stalemate. Hendrickson, who signed a four-year, $60 million deal as a free agent in 2021, wants a massive pay raise after being named first-team All-Pro in 2024 with a league-leading 17.5 sacks.
However, both sides have yet to reach an agreement, and the clock is ticking until Week 1.
That’s why, according to Barnwell, Roseman should trade for the disgruntled star by offering the Bengals defensive end Jalyx Hunt, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 conditional pick.
“He can’t keep getting away with this, can he? If there’s anybody who might get creative to strike a deal for the most expensive player left on the market, it’s Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman, who has a Super Bowl-caliber roster, a team owner perpetually willing to spend more money and questions about what was recently the league’s deepest defensive line,” writes Barnwell.
The NFL analyst notes that the Eagles have nearly $30 million in cap space and would need to get “creative” to make a Hendrickson contract work.
“Could they afford Hendrickson? If they want to get creative, sure. He might need to compromise a bit to get a deal done, but the Eagles could give him a contract with what amounts to two years and $70 million in guarantees with some void years and unguaranteed money tacked on to create cap flexibility,” Barnwell explains.
The Eagles are thin at edge heading into the regular season. Josh Sweat left in free agency while Brandon Graham retired. They also traded 2024 free-agent bust Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers.
Philadelphia added Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche in the offseason, but they are rotation players, not Pro Bowl-caliber talent like Hendrickson.
Barnwell adds that the Bengals should have traded Hendrickson in March or April if they wanted to get the best deal possible.
“At this point, if the Bengals think they’re just going to trade him for the best possible offer, they might not have many better options. And if the Eagles want to give themselves the best possible chance of repeating as champs, adding the best edge rusher available would be a difficult opportunity to turn down,” states Barnwell.
In his first eight seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Bengals, Hendrickson has recorded 77 sacks, 155 quarterback hits and 14 forced fumbles while being named to four Pro Bowls and earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2024.
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