Eagles Make Multiple Moves Along OL: What Does It All Mean?
Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman is clearly addicted to making trades in the month of August. After trading for QB Sam Howell earlier in the day, Roseman made two deals along the OL to complete the daily trifecta on Sunday.
The first move was a reunion of sorts, as the Eagles traded a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for OL Fred Johnson. The 28-year-old swing tackle spent the last three seasons in Philadelphia before signing a one-year deal with the Jaguars in free agency.
While the Eagles initially planned to have veteran Kendall Lamm fill the void at swing tackle created by Johnson’s departure, that obviously didn’t work out. Lamm struggled during the preseason and it became clear that Philadelphia couldn’t enter Week 1 with him as their top option at swing tackle.
Johnson’s arrival gives the Eagles a proven swing tackle with plenty of experience in Philadelphia’s offensive scheme. He started six games for the Eagles last season, filling in for both Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson at times.
After bringing back Johnson, there seems to be a clear hierarchy among Philadelphia’s OL:
Starters: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson
Backups on Game Day: Fred Johnson (OT), Matt Pryor (G), Drew Kendall (C)
Another underrated aspect of Johnson’s return to Philadelphia is his presence at the team’s facilities. Johnson was a fixture on the team’s social media accounts and seemed to bring positive energy to Philadelphia’s locker room. We often overlook the importance of how players fit off the field and that certainly won’t be a question with Johnson.
After trading for Johnson, Roseman wasn’t done making moves. He continued to shuffle up the trenches in Philadelphia by trading OL Darian Kinnard to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Kinnard appeared to be a near-lock to make the final roster, as he had worked his way up the depth chart in Philadelphia since arriving in 2024. Yet following the team’s reunion with Johnson, Kinnard was apparently the odd man out.
The trade will likely allow the Eagles to keep all three of their rookie OL on the final 53-man roster. While Kendall is in line to serve as Philadelphia’s backup center, the immediate roles for Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams aren’t exactly clear as they still need time to develop.
Another possibility is that Williams will be placed on IR with some type of “injury.” That would then allow him to remain in Philadelphia and develop while not occupying a spot on the 53-man roster.
If that were to happen, Brett Toth would likely make the final 53-man roster due to his versatility. Otherwise, I view Toth as an ideal candidate to be released (given his vested veteran status) and then signed to Philadelphia’s practice squad.
One concerning aspect of trading Kinnard to the Packers is his current Super Bowl winning streak. Kinnard was with the Kansas City Chiefs for back-to-back Super Bowl victories. Then he signed with the Eagles and they won the Super Bowl. Does that mean that the Packers are up next?
While it’s difficult to keep up with Philadelphia’s flurry of moves, it’s hard to argue against what Roseman accomplished today. The Eagles upgraded their depth at two of the most important positions in football. Now it’s time to wait and see what other moves Roseman will make.