The Philadelphia Eagles stood pat on Tuesday at the expiration of the NFL trade deadline, which came and went at 4 p.m. ET.
It was a surprising display of inactivity on the final day from Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, seeing as it was a prime opportunity for the organization to address some key holes in the roster.
Over the past few weeks, a need for depth acquisitions at the wide receiver, defensive tackle, and cornerback spots became apparent.
Granted, the necessity to acquire a cornerback at the deadline was muted somewhat with the return of Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby, who performed well against the upstart Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Avonte Maddox and Cre’Veon Leblanc are also slated to return to the Eagles’ ranks, as well.
Still, the Eagles reportedly inquired about Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., though the asking price was believed to be very high. Roseman never made an offer and Harris was not dealt.
The Eagles did make a move on Monday to add some pass-rushing help along the defensive line, acquiring outside linebacker/defensive end Genard Avery from the Cleveland Browns.
The 24-year-old is expected to rotate with Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett to supply some relief if the defense is caught out for too long.
Avery posted 4.5 sacks in 18 games with Cleveland.
Philadelphia’s most important need that went unaddressed at the deadline was the presence of a quick wide receiver to pose a legitimate outside threat.
Carson Wentz’s offense has lagged at times without veteran pass-catcher DeSean Jackson, who has missed the past six games with an abdominal injury.
While he is slated to return to practice this week and possibly even suit up this weekend against the Chicago Bears, the Eagles were still on the market looking for another option for Wentz.
Robby Anderson of the New York Jets remained a prime target for the Eagles, who were interested in acquiring 26-year-old last season as well. The price for Anderson was believed to be a third-round draft pick.
The Eagles’ inactivity on deadline day was not a rarity.
In fact, just one trade went down on Tuesday — a rather anticlimactic turn of events given the number of rumors that flew around the football world throughout the past few weeks.
The Miami Dolphins acquired Aqib Talib from the Los Angeles Rams for a draft pick.
The team that was poised to be the most aggressive on deadline day was the New York Jets, who dangled a pair of stars on the trade market.
Per reports, the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans called former Eagles VP of player personnel and now Jets GM, Joe Douglas, asking about the availability of running back Le’Veon Bell.
After he was pulled off the market, a deal for Pro-Bowl safety Jamal Adams gained considerable steam with the Eagles NFC East-rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, as the lead suitor.
While a move temporarily looked likely, the Jets’ high asking price for the 24-year-old defensive back was not met.
