At a time when some believe the Eagles are in a soft tank, their subtle effort to secure better round-by-round draft position in 2027 won’t include getting an extra draft pick or two for running back Saquon Barkley.
NFL Network reports that the Eagles won’t trade Barkley before the November 10 deadline.
It’s clear, unequivocal. The Eagles aren’t playing the “no plans” game, like the Raiders are with Maxx Crosby. The Eagles, based on the report, are moving forward with Barkley.
Of course, the emergence of the report nine days before the deadline could be an indication that the Eagles have realized there’s no offer forthcoming that would get them to accept taking a $26 million dead-money charge for Barkley in 2027.
The Eagles have already traded a veteran player, when Cam Jurgens was shipped to the Ravens in the aftermath of Lane Johnson’s surprise retirement. That doesn’t mean that the Eagles will have a Colts-style fire sale — especially as to any contracts that, if traded, would pour jet fuel on the cap situation next year.
Given the cap consequences, it would make much more sense to trade Barkley after June 1 of 2027. Like they did when trading receiver A.J. Brown after June 1 of 2026.
That move followed months of reports and claims and assertions that they wouldn’t be trading Brown. So, yes, it will make plenty of sense to pay attention to any and all chatter that may emerge in the offseason, leading up to a potential June 1 move if the Eagles believe that 2027 could shape up to be another soft-tank season, too.