Staring at a 2-5 record and with a guarantee to be below .500 when the Nov. 10 trade deadline arrives, the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in an unexpected position after high expectations set in the offseason haven’t been met.
Unlike in previous seasons where the Eagles were clear sellers, Roseman actually has some assets that could fetch a solid return this time around, including defensive tackle Moro Ojomo.
However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Ojomo may not be on the trade block.
Here’s what Breer had to say on the situation:
“The Eagles have gotten calls on DT Moro Ojomo, a rising star in a contract year. And that makes sense, given that the team has already paid Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis at his position. Still, the team has told others that Ojomo is not available, and has at least given off the vibe that it’ll try to re-sign him, despite having Carter and Davis already on big deals. That said, other contract-year players like Hollywood Brown, Tariq Woolen and Dallas Goedert could be had. A Saquon Barkley trade seems less likely, especially with Barkley banged up.”
It is somewhat head-scratching that Roseman would not dangle Ojomo to other teams to see if he can entice a true contender to add Ojomo. He has the most value out of the other potential free agents listed above after showcasing his ability to get to the quarterback last season, posting a career-high six sacks.
He also is playing on his final year of his rookie deal and with the large extensions given to Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, Ojomo doesn’t appear to be a piece of the defensive line puzzle for the Eagles moving forward.
Although he may be one of the Eagles’ most valuable defensive linemen, the financial realities and limitations are real. The team already allocated a lot of money paying Carter and Davis. Roseman has to prepare to cut a hefty check to Quinyon Mitchell, who expects to be one of the highest-paid corners in the league with a new deal. Cooper DeJean, although struggling, seemingly will also be in line to get a new deal done with the team.
While projected to have a similar career arc as Milton Williams, who parlayed a strong final season in Philadelphia to the tune of $104 million over four years with New England, Ojomo’s production this season has not matched what a player who is looking to cash in on a big payday like Williams looks like.
The former seventh-round pick has played in all seven games recording 18 tackles, two tackles for loss, and has generated 16 total pressures. He does not have a sack this season and if you put stock into PFF grades, Ojomo’s 53.9 overall PFF defensive grade ranks 83rd among 126 qualified interior defensive linemen while his 53.9 pass-rush grade is 110th out of 126 qualified interior defensive linemen.
While the numbers aren’t popping on paper, the appeal lies in Ojomo’s traits rather than his statistics. At 25, and with a six sacks a season ago, teams could view him as a player whose best football is still ahead of him.
“It’s been good,” the defensive coordinator said of Ojomo’s play after last week. “He’s active, gives great effort. He’s quick, fast. He’s gotten dinged a couple of times, which has affected his play. He got a little something this past game, but he’s playing good.”
For Roseman, he could potentially play this situation two ways.
One, he keeps Ojomo as part of a defensive line that is trying to get on track and generate more pressure alongside Carter and Davis and let him play out the final year of his contract. Then as many expect, let him sign a lucrative contract with another team and receive a third-round comp pick, the expected compensation if he hits free agency.
Or, Roseman can dictate the price to needy contenders now, seeking a third-round pick and additional draft compensation.
Ojomo will go down as another strong draft pick for Roseman during his hot stretch of building strong draft classes. A seventh-round pick, the lineman has certainly outplayed his draft slot and then some, becoming one of the best defenders on the team.
In the NFL, you can’t pay everyone and Roseman and the Eagles might know that better than any other team in recent years, potentially seeing another homegrown talent take his services elsewhere.
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