The Philadelphia Eagles’ phone is ringing, and Moro Ojomo is the name on the other end of the line. According to Albert Breer, teams have called Philly to gauge the trade market for the young defensive lineman. The Eagles are telling those teams they do not want to trade Ojomo and want to re-sign him instead. With the NFL trade deadline a week and a half away, Ojomo joins a growing list of Eagles trade candidates that also includes cornerback Riq Woolen, tight end Dallas Goedert, and wide receiver Hollywood Brown.

So is Philadelphia serious about keeping him, or is this just smart negotiating? I think it’s a little bit of both.

Do the Eagles really plan to extend Moro Ojomo?

Does Howie Roseman want to re-sign Ojomo? Sure, of course he does. Ojomo is a 25-year-old talented player who broke out last season with six sacks. Every GM in the league wants to keep a young, ascending defensive lineman on his roster.

But wanting something and actually making it happen are two different things. Look at the list of players the Eagles have to pay. Some of these guys may have played themselves out of Philly’s price range, and Ojomo fits that description. He’s going to command a big market when he hits free agency. Could the Eagles find a way to bring him back? It’s possible. Is it likely? Probably not.

Keep in mind, the timing matters too. Other defensive linemen are already on the move, including Jeffrey Simmons, and the position is going to be a hot topic over the next week and a half. When the market is that active, sellers have leverage. And if Roseman can get a mid-round pick for Ojomo, I’m telling you right now, he probably does it.

What would an Ojomo trade generate?

Here’s the thing. As good as Ojomo was last season, he doesn’t have a sack this year. To be fair, the entire Philadelphia defense has been awful as a collective unit, so it’s not all on him. He’s still a talented player, and he can probably heat up in the second half of the season. But it hasn’t been an easy go of it for him, and other front offices can see that tape just like we can.

So what’s the price? A third-round pick? A fourth? A fifth? Based on what Ojomo has put out there this season, I don’t see teams offering more than a mid-round pick, somewhere in that third- to fifth-round range. Is that enough for Roseman to pull the trigger? I think so, especially if the Eagles aren’t realistically going to re-sign him. Getting something back beats watching him walk for nothing.

Now, there is one alternative scenario, and I want to be clear that this is a massive what-if. I’m not saying there’s any substance to it or that it’s going to happen. But what if Roseman decided to flip the script and trade Jordan Davis or even Jalen Carter instead? Maximize the value, go into a full retool, and grab something like a first- and third-round pick for Carter and maybe a second for Davis. That’s the only way I could see Philly keeping Ojomo long term.

I don’t buy it, though. The Eagles just signed Davis and Carter before the season as building blocks for this defense. Those two aren’t going anywhere. If somebody on that defensive line gets moved, the writing is on the wall, and it’s Ojomo.

The rest of the Eagles’ trade board

Ojomo isn’t the only name to watch. I think Woolen is probably gone before the deadline.

The Goedert situation is the one that would sting. He’s been a staple of this offense for years, and he took a hometown discount two years in a row to stay in Philadelphia. If the Eagles do move him, I hope they send him to a contender, a team where he can chase another ring. That’s the least he’s earned after everything he’s done for this organization.

As for Ojomo, the Eagles can say all the right things publicly. But when a mid-round offer lands on Roseman’s desk, I’d bet on Howie taking the pick.