• At the risk of saying Eagles GM Howie Roseman “did it again,” it’s fair to look at Philly’s trade for veteran Titans safety Kevin Byard and conclude that the executive took the football world to school (again) from an asset management standpoint.
The guts of the deal: The Eagles will send 2024 fifth- and sixth-rounders, plus the safety that will replace Byard on the roster (Terrell Edmunds) for the two-time All-Pro.
We can start with Philly’s trade of former first-rounder Jalen Reagor to the Vikings. That deal, sending away a distressed asset, brought home a 2024 fifth-round pick. The Eagles then made a deal with the Saints for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a starter for them last year, trading away the lower of their two fifth-round selections. They restored that fifth-rounder by dealing their ’23 sixth-rounder (which became Trey Palmer) to Tampa Bay for a ’24 fifth. And in this latest move, they agreed to send the higher of their fifths to Tennessee.
Confused? We’re just getting started. But, essentially with the fifth-rounders, this means the Saints will get either the Eagles’ slot or the Vikings’ slot in the fifth-round, whichever is lower; the Titans will get either the Buccaneers’ or Eagles’ slot, whichever is higher; and Philly will wind up with the pick remaining.
As for the sixth-rounder, Philly already has the Titans’ sixth-rounder as the result of the trade of backup OL Ugo Amadi (as part of a pick swap that cost the Eagles their seventh-rounder). The Byard deal gives the Titans the higher of the sixth-rounders, which almost certainly means Tennessee will get its own sixth-rounder back.
So the Eagles have picks in both rounds, got a year from Gardner-Johnson, acquired Byard, and all they gave away was a couple of guys who were getting cut, the guy Byard is replacing, a sixth-rounder this year and a seventh-rounder in 2024. And that’s without even getting to the comp picks the team expects for departed free agents such as Isaac Seumalo, Andre Dillard, T.J. Edwards, Miles Sanders and Marcus Epps, which will help to restock Day 3 picks.
That’s Roseman doing a masterly job of utilizing resources. Now as for the player Philly is getting …
• Saying goodbye to Byard is, for sure, difficult for Titans folks.
The 30-year-old veteran with 111 consecutive starts—he became a starter midway through his rookie year (2016) and has started each and every game since—has been the quarterback of Tennessee’s defense and a torchbearer for the culture Mike Vrabel has built there over the past six seasons. And that, really, is what the Eagles are buying here, according to those who’ve coached against him recently.
“Really smart player,” texted one rival offensive coordinator. “Reads the QB’s eyes. Elite ball skills. Average range. Instinctive player. Good pickup. Just smart, dependable and durable.”
“Smart player who’s a turnover creator,” said another offensive coordinator. “Versatile and can cover tight ends well. Philly got a good player.”
I did ask the second OC to verify what I’d heard, that athletically Byard might not be quite what he was a couple of years ago when he made first-team All-Pro. The coach responded that Byard’s probably lost “half a step. Just a bit, but he can still play.”
Byard should slide in next to Reed Blankenship—who’s been banged up—at safety, with rookie Sydney Brown a promising option in reserve. The position, truth be told, was one of two that had become a bit of an issue after veterans left in free agency in March and their replacements struggled to match their level of play. The other trouble spot is off-ball linebacker, so the Eagles could still make a move (Denver’s Josey Jewell?) there.
One last thing on Byard: He’s owed the remainder of his $4 million base for 2023, which comes to about $2.4 million for the Eagles. He’s due $14.1 million next year in nonguaranteed cash, which gives Philly a pricey team option for ’24.
