The Philadelphia Eagles suffered their first loss of the season in Week 6, falling to the New York Jets by a score of 20-14 on Sunday afternoon. Could the two teams come together on a trade for wide receiver Mecole Hardman?
The Eagles’ offense struggled to get much of anything going, failing to register a point the entire second half. Jalen Hurts threw three interceptions, and the club’s lack of a genuine No. 3 receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith once again appeared to be an issue.
Philadelphia has between now and the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline to bring in another wide out, and Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus has a target in mind.
That target would be Hardman.
Hardman signed with New York as a free agent back in the spring, but he has only seen scarce playing time with the Jets this season, logging one catch on three targets. Clearly, he has fallen out of favor with the club, which has resulted in trade speculation surrounding the 25-year-old.
The Eagles could represent a perfect landing spot for Hardman, as he would provide Hurts with yet another explosive deep threat.
Hardman spent the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and was productive over his first three seasons, with his best campaign coming in 2021 when he hauled in 59 receptions for 693 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
Injuries limited Hardman to just eight games in 2022, and the Chiefs allowed him to walk via free agency.
While Hardman has been a non-factor for the Jets, his game-breaking speed could be a boon to another offense. Maybe Philly could be that team?
The Eagles could offer a 2024 fourth-round draft pick to New York in order to secure a deal for Mecole Hardman. Gang Green would surely accept such a return package, as Hardman has not even been playing anyway. Meanwhile, Philadelphia would land a potential third receiver.
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