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NFL midseason trades have a checkered history.
For every Marshawn Lynch, there’s at least one version of last year’s Amari Cooper deal.
Dealing for a player at the deadline is no guarantee he’ll help you down the stretch. But two games in, the Eagles’ trade for edge rusher Jaelan Phillips seems to have transformed an already talented group. After sputtering through the first half of the season, Philly’s defense once again looks like the unit that won this team a Super Bowl last year — and Phillips has been a big reason why.
Over the past two weeks, Phillips leads all defenders with 13 total pressures, with a win rate that ranks top 10 at the position during that stretch. It’s a small sample, but what do your eyes tell you? Let’s take a look together at the video above.
Not only are Phillips’ individual performances off the charts, he’s improving those around him, too.
Front fours are more fragile position groups than they might seem at first glance. You can have a talented player or two, maybe even with a superstar thrown in there, and it might not matter without the right complementary pieces.
Take the first nine weeks of the season, when the Eagles ranked just 22nd in pressure rate when rushing four, despite the presence of Jalen Carter and underrated counterpart Moro Ojomo.
With teams comfortable leaving Philly’s edge rushers one-on-one, it was easy to devote extra attention to Carter and slow down a pass rush that had dominated throughout last year’s playoffs.
Trading for Phillips, as well as getting Nolan Smith back from injury, has created a spark that has reignited this Philly pass rush, turning it back into a group that’s ruining games for opposing offenses.
It’s still early, but it sure looks like Philly’s swing for Phillips could be a home run. When healthy, he’s always been a player with the type of gear that could swing a season. After arriving in Philadelphia, Phillips said the trade was the “greatest thing” to ever happen to him. It’s not hard to see why.
For more in-depth film breakdowns, subscribe to The Athletic YouTube channel or The Athletic Football Show channel. Derrik Klassen, Robert Mays and Chase Daniel are providing weekly breakdowns throughout the season, ranging from quarterback analysis and X’s and O’s breakdowns of key moments in tight games to bigger-picture looks at how teams have reshaped their identities mid-season.