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What This All-Pro Trade Means For Titans, Eagles

Tennessee traded Kevin Byard, a beloved franchise icon again to Philly. What are the short and long-term effects for both teams?
Kevin Byard Trade

On Monday afternoon, news broke of a trade between the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles for star safety Kevin Byard. Dianna Russini of The Athletic had the deal terms as seen below.

Byard was a third-round selection in the 2016 draft by Tennessee. He prospered in Nashville, starting 127 out of 127 games. The Mayor of Murfreesboro returns home to the City of Brotherly Love. He leaves Tennessee with 674 tackles, 27 interceptions, 63 passes defended, and three fumbles forced. Byard gets a chance to play for a winning franchise again and wears the same uniform as his idol, Brian Dawkins, once did.

As with most bittersweet endings when iconic players leave their original homes, The Mayor posted a very heartfelt goodbye to the only professional organization he’d known to this point in his career.

The organization responded in kind with numerous tributes to the man known as the Mayor of Murfreesboro.

First from controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk via the team’s official website:

“I want to thank Kevin and Clarke for what they have meant to the Titans family and our community,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “Kevin has been a model of leadership on and off the field, always setting such a wonderful example for teammates and others to follow. His phenomenal play and tireless charitable efforts have earned him a special and lasting place in our hearts. Kevin will always be a Titan, and we wish him well this year and in the years to come.”

Head Coach Mike Vrabel:

General Manager Ran Carthon:

What the Kevin Byard Trade Means For the Titans, Eagles

The Eagles Outlook

The Eagles fortify their secondary with the addition of Byard after numerous injuries and departures hit the reigning NFC champions. He’ll bring a stabilizing effect as rookies Eli Ricks, Sydney Brown, and Keelee Ringo look to make impacts for a veteran group. Philadelphia’s back end was already impressive with veterans like Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Josh Jobe leading the way.

Byard is a cost-controlled asset for the Eagles as he was in the process of playing out a five-year, $70 million deal that was expiring after the 2024 season. He signed a restructured two-year contract worth $25.1 million. Admittedly, he has lost a little bit of his athletic verve as he’s been graded as the 36th-best safety out of a group of 84 with a score of 67.3. The grade has fallen off tremendously since his 2020 peak of 90.4.

However, they gave up very little in the Kevin Byard trade in terms of draft compensation and a player they were simply renting for a season in exchange for a valuable safety that could recapture his previous highs. The Super Bowl runners-up get one over yet again on the Tennessee Titans mere hours after A.J. Brown continued to be A.J. Brown. They will make a massive run at winning yet another ring in this current era of Fly Eagles Fly.

What the Deal Means for the Tennessee Titans

Thus begins the rebuilding and reset of the franchise that needed a shift in priorities as its core is aging. Tennessee is 2-4 and facing a litany of promising young talents within its division. This current iteration of the team wasn’t likely competitive within a conference full of powerhouse teams. Byard was an important part of the core that got them to an AFC championship appearance several seasons ago. New general manager Ran Carthon likely has the carte blanche to reshape the team in his image with Mike Vrabel assisting. Better late than never for a team that needed a reset after the previous GM who spectacularly failed at his job of keeping up with the times. Byard was a team captain for several years and a powerful voice in the locker room.

The Aftermath and Potential Impact

Tennessee recoups something for Byard as he was the subject of offseason trade rumors after initially declining to take a pay cut and was very likely facing the axe next offseason with a large $19 million cap hit. The Titans would’ve dealt with a $14 million dead cap hit if they released him in 2024.

All is not lost for the Titans, however, as they restock the draft pick cupboard on Day 3 as they were previously facing an extreme deficit in assets. Prior to the Kevin Byard trade, they didn’t have a single pick between the fourth and seventh rounds. They also have a projected $86.5 million in cap space next offseason, according to The Football & Other F Words Podcast X account. Their projected selections after the trade:

An update from OverTheCap contributor, Nick Korte

Byard could be the first piece of many to get shipped out of Nashville as the team rebuilds and other “buyers” circle the Titans for usable assets like Derrick Henry, Denico Autry, and a (presumably healthy) Ryan Tannehill. Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports on teams speculating how far the Titans will go in rebuilding for the future. Tennessee also received safety Terrell Edmunds to seemingly replace Byard and partner with underrated safety Amani Hooker to help a beleaguered secondary. Notably, Byard didn’t request the trade and wanted to remain in Nashville, according to Titans247’s Terry McCormick

Tennessee will play the Falcons at home on Sunday mere days before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Main Photo: Peter van der Berg – USA Today Sports

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