The Philadelphia Eagles entered the bye week with a kick in their step following a dismantling of the New York Giants, but questions still loomed. Fast forward a week, and this team looks more dangerous than ever.
As expected, Howie Roseman was aggressive at the Trade deadline, first going out of his way to acquire two cornerbacks in the way of Michael Carter and Jaire Alexander.
With concerns over the CB2 spot and a pressing need for depth on the back-end, adding a versatile corner in Carter, who could play the slot should the team feel the need to temporarily move DeJean over the top, was certainly a strong move.
But if they don't want to do that, the acquisition of Jaire Alexander for a bargain price gives them a low-cost corner with Pro-Bowl upside, who, if healthy, could easily get back to that once elite status.
The Eagles didn't go out of their way to find stars at the deadline, but instead optionality. We know Vic Fangio's defense relies on versatility and masking different coverages.
Bringing in players who can not only thrive in that scheme, but do so at a cheap price, was a good way to enrich their chances of retaining the Lombardi Trophy, without going full 'Rams' and targeting every star player imaginable as they did a few years ago, ultimately leading to long-term stagnation once those big contracts kicked in.
The strength of this Eagles defense is its youth, and while both Carter and Alexander are regarded closer to veterans than they are rookies, their presence still allows the younger players opportunities to learn and grow, while the new signings can plug holes where needed or if the next generation simply isn't up to scratch yet.
On the defensive front, things only got better. The Eagles were able to poach EDGE Jaelan Phillips from the Dolphins, someone who has 3 sacks and 7 QB hits to his name this season, for another relatively affordable price.
Phillips joins an EDGE group that was running on bare bones prior to his arrival, but coming out of the bye, will be fully restocked. Nolan Smith is nearing his return and is back at practice, Brandon Graham is on the way to fill a rotational role, and Phillips adds some starting production that was otherwise lacking in a group that consisted of just Jalyx Hunt and Patrick Johnson the last time the Eagles took the field.
It's a hard balance for any NFL GM - towing the line between going all-in on a single season without over-leveraging and hurting the teams' long-term prospects. Through Howie Roseman's diligent salary cap approach, Philadelphia come out of the bye with a big win behind them, the injury picture looking much friendlier, and with three key additions who could have substantial roles to play down the stretch.
