The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the deepest groups of edge rushers in the league, and they might trade Josh Sweat to try and bolster other parts of the roster. A former fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Sweat began his career as a situational role player before blossoming into one of the more reliable edge defenders in the league. The Florida State product made his first Pro Bowl in 2021 and recorded a career-high 11 sacks in 2022.
While his 2023 season wasn’t as statistically dominant as his previous campaigns, he still finished with 6.5 sacks, 43 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, and 23 quarterback hits in 17 games. However, with first-round pick Nolan Smith impressing internally, the Eagles are willing to listen to trade offers for Josh Sweat.
The #Eagles are having trade calls on DE Josh Sweat, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
Sweat has 35 career sacks and is still only 26 years old. Philly is starting over with a new defensive staff and Sweat could be on the move. pic.twitter.com/81I3k7RSeQ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 9, 2024
Philadelphia Eagles Entertaining Josh Sweat Trade Calls
It will be interesting to see how this Josh Sweat trade goes down. The six-year veteran is entering the final year of his contract and currently carries a $9.08 million cap hit, per OverTheCap. However, the deal has some void years on it, which complicates matters for salary cap purposes.
If the Eagles trade Josh Sweat before June 1st, the edge rusher’s cap hit would increase to $14.5 million in 2024. Obviously, the Eagles aren’t going to do this unless they get substantial compensation, which is highly unlikely. However, if they wait until after June 1st, Sweat’s cap hit will drop to $4.77 million, clearing roughly $4.3 million in salary cap space.
So, if the Eagles are going to trade Josh Sweat, it probably won’t officially happen for another few months. Perhaps Philadelphia agrees to terms with another team, but the transaction won’t officially process until June. Regardless of when the deal goes through, some other organizations should be interested in adding a reliable pass rusher into the mix.
Best Team Fits
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars desperately need to find somebody capable of lining up opposite Josh Allen. The former first-round pick is an elite pass rusher, recording 17.5 sacks during the 2023 season. However, this team doesn’t have anybody else capable of getting after the quarterback. Josh Sweat isn’t the type of player who can lead a pass rush on all his own, but the trade candidate could be a great second fiddle for Allen.
New England Patriots
Sometimes, the best offense is a good defense. The New England Patriots re-signed Hunter Henry, but they still have a lot of work to do if they want to build a functioning passing attack. Seeing as they can’t possibly address every single need in one offseason, New England could decide to win in the short term with elite defensive play. Matthew Judon is a great pass rusher, and acquiring Josh Sweat via trade would improve the unit following the likely departure of Josh Uche.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have once again restructured their way out of salary cap hell. While they probably can’t afford top-dollar free agents, they should be able to spring a trade for somebody like Josh Sweat. Armed with three compensatory fifth-round picks, New Orleans has the draft capital required to make a deal like this happen.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs re-signed Chris Jones, but they could use a veteran pass rusher to pair with the All-Pro. Felix Anudike-Uzomah didn’t do much of anything as a rookie, and the Chiefs could trade for Josh Sweat if they don’t feel good about the former first-round pick.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers need cap space, and they can get it by moving on from Khalil Mack and/or Joey Bosa. However, doing this means that they won’t have anyone capable of getting after the quarterback. The Chargers could get two birds with one stone if they go through with a Josh Sweat trade. Sweat isn’t as good as Mack or Bosa, but he’s a lot cheaper. The Eagles have a decent amount of cap space, so they might be willing to effectively swap Sweat with one of those more expensive pass rushers.
Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez – USA Today Sports
