Defensive end Brandon Graham for a future pick
Besides quarterback Nick Foles, the Super Bowl hero for the Eagles was Brandon Graham. His strip sack of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter essentially sealed the game and the title for Philadelphia. Graham is, without a doubt, the Eagles’ best edge rusher.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t be traded.
In the NFL, the age of 30 years old is where most players peak and then start their decline. Not only is Graham 30 years old, but he also is on the last year of his contract. A sign that Graham may not be with the Eagles in the future, is that Philadelphia decided not to extend Graham this past offseason.
Instead of allowing the star defensive end to hit free agency and possibly leave for nothing, why not trade Graham for a high draft pick? The talent Graham possess would demand at least a second-round pick in a trade package. General manager Howie Roseman may unintentionally be preparing for Graham’s future departure this offseason anyway.
In free agency, the Eagles added more talent to their already stacked defensive line rotation. Roseman went out and struck a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire defensive end Michael Bennett. Chris Long is also a backup defensive end at the disposal of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
The biggest factor that gives the Eagles the ability to trade Graham is his replacement, Derek Barnett. Barnett has showed flashes of his star potential in his rookie year. For Example, in the NFC Championship game, Barnett had a strip sack. Its a reason Barnett was a top-15 draft pick in his respective draft class.
Gaining a draft pick and replacing Graham with a cheaper star would be very beneficial to the Eagles.
