Lions trade target Riq Woolen: What an Eagles insider says about his availability and price and how it could be cheaper than we thought
An Eagles beat writer believes Woolen would be one of Philadelphia’s most movable players if the team starts selling and says the price could fall in the middle rounds.
The Detroit Lions have been linked to plenty of cornerback trade targets ahead of the NFL trade deadline, and so far the answers have mostly been discouraging. Zyon McCollum and Kristian Fulton both sound like they could be had at the right price. Neither feels simple.
The Philadelphia Eagles might be a different story. Riq Woolen is a player I’ve been getting asked about a lot. So I talked to Ryan “RB” Brown, our Eagles beat writer here at A to Z Sports, who also runs the RB Philly Take channel on YouTube, about whether Woolen is actually available.
Is Riq Woolen available?
For starters, the contract makes this conversation possible. Woolen is playing on a one-year deal in Philadelphia.
“He is only on a one-year deal, $12 million, $6 million of it is a signing bonus,” RB said. “Definitely an attainable contract if the Eagles do decide to trade guys and be sellers. I would expect him to be one of the guys moved just based on the contract.”
That leads to the bigger question. Things are going sideways for the Eagles. Lane Johnson retired, Saquon Barkley is dealing with injuries, Jalen Hurts has a blood clot issue, and Cam Jurgens just got traded. Add in all the void years and guaranteed money tied up in contracts, and Philadelphia looks like a team that could hold a fire sale.
RB said he thinks that’s “partially” true. The Eagles want to lock up players such as Quinyon Mitchell and potentially Cooper DeJean long term, and the NFC East is weak enough that they still have a chance. On the other hand, Philadelphia has been stacking capital for the 2027 and 2028 drafts with the A.J. Brown and Jurgens trades.
“That’s the beauty of Howie Roseman,” RB said. “He really looks at the now and the future simultaneously.”
He named Woolen and Moro Ojomo as players on one-year deals or entering contract years whom the Eagles would likely be comfortable moving.
What would it cost the Lions?
Our trade simulator puts Woolen’s price at something like a second-round pick. That feels high to me, especially after the down year he had in Seattle last season. RB landed lower.
“I’d probably put it around like a fourth or a fifth,” RB said.
But he also pointed out that nobody expected Roseman to move Jurgens and land a future second-round pick. So if Detroit makes an offer Roseman can’t refuse, he’ll take it.
“My own value though would probably be a mid-round pick for Riq Woolen, who’s had an up-and-down year,” he said. “He has not been like the number one or number two or number three problem, but the Eagles team as a whole has just not performed.”
Lions fans are going to want me to ask about Mitchell. I already knew the answer.
“When I look at Eagles defensive players right now, I would say he and Jalen Carter are probably the two untouchables,” RB said. “I don’t see any way that either of those guys get moved. I think those are long-term franchise cornerstones. Quinyon’s too good. They’re going to pay him a lot of money.”
It just makes sense. Mitchell is a pillar player in the same way Aidan Hutchinson is for the Lions. DeJean probably belongs in that same category, and Detroit doesn’t need a slot corner right now anyway.
Don’t expect a deal this week
Plenty of Lions fans want something done before the bye week wraps up. RB doesn’t see Philadelphia moving that fast, mainly because the Eagles need a clearer picture on Hurts.
“These next four weeks are actually the most pivotal because they have three division games coming up after this Carolina game,” he said. “It would be hard for me to see a deal getting done this week unless the Lions came with an offer that Howie can’t refuse. He’ll do business with anybody.”
I agree. I don’t think the Lions will get anything done until a couple of days before the deadline, which is how most teams operate. When they do, Woolen should be near the top of their list because of his ability in man coverage, something Detroit loves to play.
So far, he’s the only target who wasn’t a flat-out no or a “trade your firstborn” price. Five weeks ago, the Eagles would have been the most concrete no of anybody. Now they might be sellers.
It’s a weird season. The Rams were supposed to be great and aren’t. The Raiders are somehow winning games. Maybe by December everything settles down and the Eagles are just fine. We’ll see.
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