Battle Red Blog
Brandon Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation joins BRB for five questions
Nick Caserio may have pulled off a fast one. He traded Kenyon Green to the Philadelphia Eagles and a 2026 fifth round pick in exchange for C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth round pick. It almost seems unreal. Gardner-Johnson was a starting safety for the Super Bowl Champion Eagles while Kenyon Green was getting benched mid-game for the Houston Texans.
So, we got in touch with Brandon Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation to get the lowdown CJGJ. What were we missing if anything? Of course, we returned the favor by filling him in on Green. Needless to say, at first blush it looks like the Texans got the better end of this one, but let’s see what he thinks.
Battle Red Blog: CJGJ obviously had some sparkling numbers last season. Why were the Eagles so eager to get rid of him? This seems like a low haul for a top flight secondary player. Is there something we are missing?
Brandon Gowton: So I can’t be accused of only speaking in hindsight, here’s what I wrote about CJGJ in our Eagles roster outlook series back on March 6:
“REVIEW: The Eagles brought CJGJ back to Philly with the idea that he’d invigorate their defense with swagger and play-making ability. He certainly delivered on that front. CJGJ logged six interceptions in 2024, which is the same amount he had with the Eagles in 2022. CJGJ helped the Eagles get to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons. “BTA.”
OUTLOOK: CJGJ, who turned 27 in December, is under contract through 2026. But he doesn’t have guaranteed money in his deal after 2025. The Eagles could conceivably rework his contract to give him more security.”
The Eagles cleared little cap space by trading CJGJ but they did save $8 million in cash spending. The team messaging seems to be that they needed to make some tough decisions since there big contract extensions for young core players are looming (see: Jalen Carter, Cam Jurgens, etc.)
One such player might be fellow starting safety Reed Blankenship, who is currently set to be a free agent after 2025. The guess here is that Eagles would like to sign him to an extension soon. And if they did that with CJGJ still on the team, it could lead to CJGJ also wanting a new deal that the Eagles didn’t want to hand out.
I think CJGJ is a good player and nice pickup for the Texans. But it’s also worth mentioning that this is the fourth time in four years that his team has decided to move on from him: Saints in 2022, Eagles in 2023, Lions in 2024, Eagles in 2025. I’m guessing he might not be a long-term fixture in Houston, either. His intense personality can be a positive but teams clearly seem to think there is also a detriment to having him around.
**BRB: Is CJGJ more of a salary dump?...
