'We may have just given them a free pick' — Eagles behind-the-scenes video shows brilliance of Chiefs' trade for Josh Simmons
The Kansas City Chiefs played the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft masterfully, and a new behind-the-scenes look into the Philadelphia Eagles' war room gives some more insight into how it all went down. In Episode No. 2 of the Eagles' "Unscripted" behind-the-scenes series, Chiefs fans got an in-depth look at the trade that helped Kansas […]
The Kansas City Chiefs played the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft masterfully, and a new behind-the-scenes look into the Philadelphia Eagles' war room gives some more insight into how it all went down.
In Episode No. 2 of the Eagles' "Unscripted" behind-the-scenes series, Chiefs fans got an in-depth look at the trade that helped Kansas City trade back one spot to land Josh Simmons in Round 1, but also the 164th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs seemingly took advantage of Eagles GM Howie Roseman's attempts to move up in Round 1, which started with the Los Angeles Chargers coming on the clock at pick No. 22. They spoke with a handful of different teams throughout the draft. Still, none came to an amicable agreement on a trade-up until Kansas City.
"You're not going into a trade hoping that you just beat someone on the trade," Roseman said. "You're trying to get value and do things that are right for your team and your organization. And hopefully the other team is feeling the same way. It's got to be a fit, it's got to work for both sides."
Multiple teams opted against a trade with the Eagles, like the Los Angeles Rams, who secured a much, much better deal from the Atlanta Falcons to move down. After seeing the trade compensation, Roseman said, "I understand why people aren't taking our deals. "
As the teams ahead of them began to dwindle, it became clear that getting something done to move up for Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell would be difficult. However, Roseman's trade philosophy might have made a deal with Kansas City easier.
"It's no problem that a trade is good for the other side as well," Roseman explained. "Because that means we can continue to trade with that team."
When he called Brett Veach at pick No. 31, Roseman asked if he'd like to "flip" picks. Veach heard the Eagles' initial offer, which included pick No. 168 but not pick No. 164. Veach said they were fielding other calls and that he'd call Roseman back.
"We may have just given them a free pick," Roseman said.
When Veach called back, he had to get some information from Roseman and convince him to sweeten the deal so that he would agree to the trade.
"I'm giving you a free pick, you can do whatever you want after it," Roseman said. "I'm not trading it. If you want to trade it, you can, and I'm telling you what side (of the ball) I'm picking."
"I don't know, I don't know (Brett) Veach," Roseman continued. "I don't know. This may be our first trade. Yeah, I'm going defense. I'll do 164. Alright, we're good? Alright, we're good. Hey, great, we're on the clock."
It's unclear if the Chiefs were or weren't speaking with other teams about pick No. 31. Still, they managed to get the player that everyone expected them to target in Round 1, while also securing the draft capital that allowed them to move up to select LB Jeffrey Bassa in Round 5.
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