July 28, 2026
Last week we noted that Howie Roseman has made 24 trades since he reassumed his GM duties in 2016, and we guessed on three players around the league who might make sense as depth pieces to add to the roster. Here we'll propose five players currently on the Eagles' roster who are expendable to some degree and who might make sense for other teams.
Spoiler: These are mostly back-of-the-roster guys. There are no Jalen Carters below.
The Eagles made a reasonable enough gamble on Ringo early on Day 3 in the 2023 draft, betting on his size (6'2) and speed (4.36 40), and then allowing him to develop behind the scenes for a couple years. But in 2025 it was time for Ringo to show that he was ready to become a starter alongside Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and he was given every opportunity to do so... but it just didn't happen.
He had an underwhelming training camp, and he was roasted in the preseason games, opening the door for Adoree' Jackson to beat him out for the starting job.
Ringo appeared in 17 games, and actually started three of them, playing 311 snaps. He was entirely too grabby in coverage, committing five pass interference penalties, one illegal contact penalty, and one defensive holding penalty.
Ringo does bring special teams value as a gunner. Because of his size and strength, he is difficult to jam, and he can typically outrun jammers down the field. But the Eagles have the best starting cornerback trio in the NFL in Mitchell, DeJean, and Riq Woolen; plus some proven depth in Jonathan Jones and Michael Carter.
As we have noted this offseason, there have been instances in the past of big Eagles cornerbacks struggling early in their careers and then becoming viable starters elsewhere. Recent examples include Rasul Douglas and Josh Jobe. Ringo just turned 24 in June, which means that he is still younger than a bunch of guys who just got drafted in April. He might be a better fit in a defense that employs a lot of Cover-3 looks, where his size and speed could be better utilized and his other negative traits could be hidden a little more easily.
Projected cost: Some other back-of-the-roster depth guy at a position of need.
Last year during training camp, the Eagles traded Darian Kinnard to the Packers for a sixth-round pick. At the time, Kinnard had been in the league for three years and had only played in three games, with one start in a meaningless Week 18 game.
So, I guess my point is, teams can become desperate for playable offensive linemen at the end of camp.
The Eagles have the best starting OT duo in the NFL in Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. They also have a solid swing tackle in Fred Johnson, and a third-round pick they like in Markel Bell. They are pretty well set at tackle.
If Williams has a decent enough showing in the preseason games, maybe he can attract a Day 3 pick in return.
Projected cost: Sixth-round pick.
Cooper had a great camp and an encouraging preseason showing as an undrafted rookie receiver out of Tarleton State last season. He made the 53-man roster and managed to stay on it the entire season, appearing in 13 games.
He made 9 receptions for 92 yards on 11 targets, while playing something of a "dirty work" role in the Eagles' offense after Johnny Wilson was lost for the season with an injury.
Although the Eagles' starting receivers may not be as strong on paper as they were a year ago when A.J. Brown was on the roster, they do have better depth with the additions of first-round pick Makai Lemon, trade acquisition Dontayvion Wicks, and free agent signing Hollywood Brown. Wilson is also back, and he had a good spring.
Cooper could make more sense for a non-contending team willing to use a roster spot on a young prospect with traits that can be developed.
Projected cost: Some other back-of-the-roster depth guy at a position of need.
Disclaimer: The Tanner McKee trade bait horse has been beaten to death already this offseason, but, you know, we kind of have to include him here, right? Good? Great, moving on...
McKee has quietly gone about his business as a backup quarterback for the Eagles for three full years, diligently preparing as if he's the starter. And when he has gotten his opportunities — with the exception of one game last season during which he played with the second-team offensive line and backups at the skill positions — he has mostly looked the part of a player who could earn a starting job at some point, even if with another team.
McKee's trade hype has cooled this offseason, partly because teams around the league have settled on quarterbacks to get them through the season, and partly because there are other backups with starting potential around the league — like Mac Jones (49ers) or Davis Mills (Texans) — who have similar value to McKee, even if a team out there were to suffer some kind of quarterback injury.
Still, the Eagles seemed willing to part with McKee if the right price came around. But, spoiler, that price isn't likely to come around. The Eagles probably need McKee since he's very clearly better than QB3 Andy Dalton, and Jalen Hurts has missed a few games.
Projected cost: Conditional third-round pick (that can become more if playing time benchmarks are hit).
Personally, I don't like what I saw from Dalton in spring practices or when I watched his one start last season. But, man, there are some ugly QB2 situations on contending teams. For example:
• Bills: Kyle Allen
• Patriots: Tommy DeVito
• Jaguars: Nick Mullens
• Buccaneers: Jake Browning
• Bears: Tyson Bagent
I mean, Nick Mullens? Tommy DeVito?! How are they QB2s on contending teams? That's malpractice.
Anyway, if those guys make their teams nervous throughout training camp, perhaps they might feel that they'd be comfortable with a highly experienced Dalton instead.
Projected cost: Sixth-round pick.
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