3 Eagles Trade Targets After Week 2

Through two weeks of the Philadelphia Eagles' season, it has been a bit of a mixed bag. After opening the campaign with a dominant win over the Atlanta Falcons, the offense went flat and lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 17-11. 

The first two weeks have also given us a little insight into the Eagles roster. In a massive win, we saw the strengths they bring to the table, the potential of Jalen Hurts at quarterback and strong performances from the teams' running backs and receivers. 

Then the loss to the Niners showed where the team still needs to work. The defense still has some holes and will need to deal with the losses of Brandon Graham and Brandon Brooks on the defensive line and offensive lines, respectively. 

With three teams in the NFC East sitting at 1-1 the Eagles aren't losing ground early in the season. If the winning continues, the Eagles may feel as though they are one or two moves away from competing for the division.

If that's the case, they could be buyers come trade deadline time. Here are three names who could be available and would be worth keeping tabs on as the season progresses. 

LB Jaylon Smith

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The Eagles don't have to look far to find the first name on the list. Jaylon Smith has been a mainstay for the division rival Dallas Cowboys, but his role on the team is diminishing. 

With the arrival of Micah Parsons through the draft and Keanu Neal in free agency, Smith has become the odd man out in the Cowboys linebacker rotation. Smith is a 26-year-old who was a Pro Bowler in 2019. In other words, he's still in his athletic prime and has played at a high level in the NFL. 

In Philadelphia, he would be able to slot into the linebacker corps as a starter. The unit has struggled through the first two weeks of the season. Eric Wilson, Alex Singleton and Genard Avery have seen the most action at linebacker, but none have been all that impactful. 

Eric Wilson has a forced fumble, but the crew doesn't have a single tackle for loss, sack, pass defended or interception. 

Smith would add an element of athleticism that the linebacker group is missing right now. 

Edge Clelin Ferrell

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There's no replacing a player like Brandon Graham. The 12-year-veteran has spent his entire career in Philadelphia and his leadership is irreplaceable. However, with Graham done for the season after tearing his Achilles, there are snaps available in the defensive end rotation. 

The Eagles still have some able-bodied pass-rushers. Josh Sweat is one of the most underrated quarterback hunters in the league, Derek Barnett is healthy and Ryan Kerrigan can still produce even though he's 33 years old and recovering from a thumb injury. 

It still wouldn't be a bad idea for the Eagles to add another player to the rotation, though. 

Clelin Ferrell has failed to live up to the expectations of being the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft, but he could still be playing a bigger role than he has in Las Vegas. 

After finishing second on the Raiders in pressures last season with 21, he has registered just 12 snaps this season and was a healthy scratch in Week 1. 

Ferrell isn't a lights-out pass-rusher, but he's a strong run defender and could be rejuvenated by the change of scenery while helping make up for the loss of Graham. 

WR Michael Thomas

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This is not an indictment on the crop of Eagles receivers. Through two weeks, the trio of DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor and Quez Watkins looks like a promising group that can grow and develop with their second-year quarterback. 

But one of the benefits of having a starting quarterback on a rookie salary is that you can take some risks on high-dollar players. Bringing in a player like Michael Thomas, who has the potential to be an elite receiver, is a move the Eagles could afford that could pay off huge dividends for Hurts and the Eagles. 

Thomas was one of the league's most productive receivers over the first four years of his career, but an ankle injury slowed him last year. He only had 40 catches for 438 yards and no touchdowns in seven games in 2020. 

According to reports from Larry Holder of The Athletic and others, there has been tension between the star receiver and his team concerning his decision to have surgery on the ankle in June that has now sidelined him for the beginning of the 2021 season. 

If that relationship is truly fractured to the point of no return, Thomas could be the biggest name on the trade block when the deadline approaches. 

The Eagles have the money to make a deal happen, they just have to be willing to be the highest bidder. It would be an aggressive move to be sure but one that would help ensure that Hurts has everything he needs to prove he's the franchise quarterback moving forward.