Eagles Trade for John Metchie: What Does It Mean?
There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman making trades in August. The Eagles have reportedly traded TE Harrison Bryant and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for WR John Metchie III and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Sunday’s reported deal marks the seventh time that Roseman has traded for a player on their rookie contract during the month of August since 2021. While many were expecting the Eagles to make a move for help on defense, Roseman continues to zig while everyone else zags.
Despite strong preseason performances from Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson and Darius Cooper, Roseman clearly isn’t satisfied with the WR room in the City of Brotherly Love. The addition of Metchie brings even more competition to an already heated battle for the final roster spots on Philadelphia’s depth chart at WR.
While Dotson, Wilson and Metchie are all likely locks to make the final 53-man roster, this move certainly makes things interesting for a player like second-year WR Ainias Smith. In 540 career passing play snaps in the NFL, Metchie has played in the slot on 276 of those snaps (51.1%).
Smith has primarily played in the slot for the Eagles, as he’s lined up in the slot on 137 of 158 career passing play snaps in the NFL (86.7%). Therefore, it’s notable that Roseman has added a player that has primarily played in the slot, especially this late in August.
Given that Wilson played just eight snaps against the Cleveland Browns in Philadelphia’s second preseason game, he seems like a lock to make the team’s final 53-man roster. The same obviously goes for Dotson, who didn’t play at all against the Browns.
Therefore, it seems like both Smith and Cooper should be on notice following the addition of Metchie. In 2024, the Eagles only kept five wide receivers on the initial 53-man roster. If that’s the case once again this year, both Smith and Cooper could be on the outside looking in.
While Smith looks significantly faster than he did as a rookie, he hasn’t necessarily separated himself from the pack. Especially if Dotson can contribute as a punt returner, which is what he was reportedly spotted doing during practice. If Smith isn’t Philadelphia’s primary returner and can only play in the slot, that significantly limits his appeal to the Eagles.
As far as what Metchie brings to Philadelphia, Roseman likely views him as another highly-drafted player with untapped potential. Metchie missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Due to spending all of 2022 on the NFI list, Metchie will also be a restricted free agent in 2026.
Metchie was lost in the shuffle of Houston’s stacked WR room in each of the last two seasons. Yet he took a significant step forward in 2024, as he increased his yards per route run from just 0.94 to 1.07, according to Pro Football Focus. Metchie also hauled in seven of 12 contested catch targets (58.3%), which is a rate that A.J. Brown has only topped twice in his six-year career.
It’s also worth noting that Metchie has a close relationship with DeVonta Smith, as the two played together for several years at Alabama. Metchie is now the eighth former member of the Crimson Tide on the Eagles, which breaks the tie with Georgia for the most players from a college on Philadelphia’s roster.
While Dotson had trouble getting acclimated to Philadelphia’s offense after joining last August, Metchie could have an easier transition due to his existing relationships on the team. Although there is one notable question that Metchie will have to answer in Philadelphia: Can he play on special teams?
In two seasons with the Texans, Metchie played just 29 total snaps on special teams. For example, Wilson played 128 total snaps on special teams for the Eagles as a rookie. If Metchie wants to be active on game day, he might have to prove that he can contribute on special teams in the City of Brotherly Love.
Regardless of Metchie’s role in Philadelphia, it’s clear that Roseman saw an opportunity to improve the roster. He enjoys taking low risk chances on players with high draft pedigree, which is exactly what this move was. Now we’ll wait and see what type of impact Metchie will have for the Eagles in 2025.