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The Eagles are set to enjoy a bye on Sunday after playing five games in 28 days. But even with the Birds resting up through the weekend, the fast-approaching Nov. 4 trade deadline and the team’s 6-2 start have kept Philadelphia at the center of league-wide discussion. General manager Howie Roseman already got a head start on the deadline madness, acquiring Jets cornerback Michael Carter II on Wednesday. But many in the national media are of the belief that Carter won’t be the only midseason addition to an Eagles team looking to make it back to the Super Bowl. Here’s a look at the conversation around the Eagles during Week 9 … Hendrickson on the table? This offseason, the Eagles lost defensive tackle Milton Williams and edge rusher Josh Sweat to free agency. Philadelphia signed Za’Darius Smith after Week 1, but he abruptly retired earlier this month, forcing the team to sign defensive end Brandon Graham out of retirement two weeks ago. But many believe the Birds are looking for more. “Cincinnati should unquestionably trade [Trey] Hendrickson. This season is lost, and he has only one season remaining on his deal,” ESPN’s Benjamin Solak wrote. “For the Eagles, additional pass-rush juice is a must-find at the deadline if their defense is to return to Super Bowl form.” The Bengals’ four-time Pro Bowler is one of the top players rumored to be on the move. Hendrickson’s main strength throughout his career has been getting to the quarterback. Last season, the four-time Pro Bowler led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, the same amount he registered in 2023. » READ MORE: Eagles’ trade deadline targets, bye week concerns, best locker room humans and other AMA highlights Since the Eagles led the NFL with 70 sacks in 2022, getting to the opposing quarterback has not been a strength. Philadelphia ranked 20th league wide in sacks in 2023 and 15th last season with 43 and 40, respectively. This year, the Eagles rank 21st in sacks and are on pace to finish the season with only 34. Hendrickson’s Bengals host the Bears on Sunday, and the edge rusher is listed on the injury report as doubtful. Many believe that the designation has to do with Cincinnati not wanting expose its biggest trade piece to a potential injury. “With the trade deadline right around the corner, it’s hard to ignore the potential implications. Hendrickson has been floating in trade rumors this season, and if the Bengals lose in Week 9, a Hendrickson trade would be a lot more justifiable for Cincinnati,” Matt Sullivan of The Sporting News wrote. » READ MORE: Five trade targets for depleted Eagles edge rusher corps, from Trey Hendrickson to Jermaine Johnson Steichen praise Just like the flower Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni showed his team in 2021, the roots of the Jamestown, N.Y., native’s coaching tree are starting to take hold. Both former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon left the Eagles following their Super Bowl appearance in 2023 and have started to build their own resumes as head coaches. Steichen became the coach of the Indianapolis Colts. This season, he’s led his team to a 7-1 record, their best eight-game start since 2009, after an 8-9 record last season. Unfortunately for Steichen, the NFL doesn’t hand out the Coach of the Year award at midseason. But the third-year head coach already has a growing list of advocates. CBS conducted a poll of 14 of its football writers to determine who would win the NFL’s year-end awards if they were given out at midseason. Eleven of the voters picked Steichen, while three picked Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. » READ MORE: The 10 most haunting Philly sports moments since 2000, from Ronde Barber’s pick-six to Ben Simmons’ pass “It appears that Steichen’s impact on [Daniel] Jones has given him a sizable lead at this point over Vrabel,” Bryan DeArdo wrote. Eagles fans may recall Jones, who spent six up-and-down seasons with the New York Giants after being drafted sixth overall in 2019. The Duke alum lost his starting job in the middle of last season and was released by New York. Jones then signed with Indianapolis in the offseason, and everything has seemed to click. Under Steichen, Jones ranks fourth in the league in passing yards (2,062) and completion percentage (71.2%) and seventh in total touchdowns with 17. Having the favorite for offensive player of the year and South Jersey native Jonathan Taylor at running back doesn’t hurt either. Reactions to the Carter trade On Wednesday, the Eagles sent wide receiver John Metchie and a 2027 sixth-round draft selection to the New York Jets in exchange for cornerback Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh-round selection. After being traded to Philly from the Houston Texans in mid-August, Metchie caught just four passes in seven games for the Eagles this season. Meanwhile, Carter had served as the Jets’ primary nickelback this season. The 26-year-old has faced his fair share of injuries in New York, missing four games last season due to back pain and three games this season because of a concussion. » READ MORE: Five things to know about new Eagles cornerback Michael Carter II And yet, in order to facilitate the move to Philadelphia, Carter waived his $5 million injury guarantee for next season. “The Eagles needed to improve the secondary, and this trade will trigger a chain reaction in hopes of doing just that,” Tyler Sullivan of CBS wrote. “Specifically, Philadelphia struggled at the outside corner position opposite Quinyon Mitchell, with the likes of Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo not suitably filling the role. Carter himself doesn’t help on the outside as he’s made his bones in the slot. What his arrival does, however, is free up Cooper DeJean to kick outside from the slot.” ESPN’s Seth Walder was slightly more pessimistic about the swap from Philadelphia’s perspective, noting that while Carter does grant the Eagles additional cornerback flexibility, his quality of play has declined. “From 2021-2024, Carter allowed 1.1 yards per coverage snap, just a shade above average for a slot corner,” Walder said. “His play was perhaps more impressive than the number suggested given he likely received extra targets due to the quality of [Sauce] Gardner and [D.J.] Reed. But that number ballooned to 2.3 yards allowed per coverage snap this season, albeit in a small sample.”
