Death, taxes and Eagles general manager Howie Roseman aggressively adding personnel at the trade deadline.
Roseman struck again Monday, eight days before the NFL's trade deadline, upgrading one of Philadelphia's few roster weaknesses by acquiring All-Pro safety Kevin Byard from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for safety Terrell Edmunds, a 2024 fifth-round draft pick and a 2024 sixth-round draft pick, as first reported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
"He's an excellent fit," an AFC scouting director told FanBuzz on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about another team. "Kevin's smart, instinctive, just a very good all-around player. Has ball-skills from deep middle and also against the run. He's a perfect fit for the Eagles, and on top of all that, a great locker room guy."
#Eagles HC Nick Sirianni was doing his press conference when the Kevin Byard trade news dropped:
(via @Eagles) pic.twitter.com/YoUMZU04CW https://t.co/WxjgY8rm7r
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 23, 2023
Byard's Philadelphia homecoming bolsters an Eagles secondary that enters Week 8 ranked just No. 15 in the NFL.
The 30-year-old is listed as Pro Football Focus' No. 36-ranked safety in the league, while producing 47 tackles so far this season as opposing quarterbacks produced a 97.5 passer rating when targeting him this season in Tennessee.
"Kevin's the definition of a ballhawk," an NFC executive told FanBuzz.
Byard is in the final year of his contract, so the remainder of this season could prove to be an audition for his long-term future in Philadelphia while also possibly playing a vital role in the Eagles making another lengthy playoff run.
After being chosen in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Byard has produced 674 total tackles throughout his career to go with 4.0 sacks and 27 interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.
Roseman is no stranger to blockbuster deals.
Byard's addition follows Roseman and the Eagles bolstering the wide receiver corps by signing veteran Julio Jones; and 18 months since Philadelphia pulled off a draft night heist, acquiring wide receiver A.J. Brown in a deal with the Tennessee Titans that has had a transcendent impact on quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offense.
"Howie is aggressive while most are conservative and afraid," the scouting director said. "Being afraid gets you fired."
