Grading the trade: Eagles give away potential starter but reveal part of their NFL draft plan in the process

Howie Roseman is giving hints for the rest of their offseason plan.

Adam Holt — NFL News Writer
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Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21) on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

It has been a busy offseason for Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Philly had to finagle with some contracts to free up cap space, and they lost some notable pieces on defense to free agency.

At the same time, Roseman and the Eagles coaching staff continues to mold both sides of the ball when it comes to their depth chart. A veteran defensive back is headed to a new team in the NFC, according to the latest report.

Eagles trade away veteran safety Sydney Brown

The Eagles have traded safety Sydney Brown, along with picks 122 and 215 in this year’s draft, to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for picks 114 and 197. It is a cheap deal for Atlanta, but Brown was inconsistent last season for the Eagles.

Brown dealt with multiple injuries in 2025 and ended up playing just 249 total snaps for the Birds.

That being said, due to Reed Blankenship’s departure earlier in the offseason, Brown was a potential starting option as the Eagles roster currently sits for next season. This deal does open the door for the Eagles to focus a bit more on safety for the rest of the offseason, though, which is a good thing in totality.

Sydney Brown trade GRADE: B-

It is also worth noting that the Eagles inked two safeties to a one-year deal following this trade. J.T. Gray is a special teams player who won’t play an impactful defensive role, and they would probably prefer that Marcus Epps be depth rather than a starter in 2026.

Eagles should pick a safety early in 2026 NFL Draft

This sort of trade means the Birds should be aggressive on the safety position during the 2026 NFL Draft. Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, as well as Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman, are both projected first-round picks.

Luckily for them, it is a talented safety class this year – with both upside at the top and depth on days two and three.

While I am not sure if Roseman attacks that need in the first round, I think they need to draft a safety with one of their first three picks if they do not add a proven commodity at the position, via either free agency or a trade, before late April.

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