Eagles pull off blockbuster trade to bolster pass rush originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles are 6-0 but they’re not resting. They’re loading up for a Super Bowl run.
A few days before next Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Eagles have pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Bears for Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Quinn, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia. The trade was first reported by ESPN and NFL Network.
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The Eagles gave up a 2023 fourth-round pick in the trade, a source said. They still have six picks in 2023, including two first-rounders.
To make room on the 53-man roster, the Eagles released second-year DE Tarron Jackson.
Quinn, 32, is off to a slow start this season with just 1 sack and 3 quarterback hits in 7 games. But he’s one year removed from an 18 1/2 sack season in 2021 that sent him to his third-career Pro Bowl.
“I think it’s another great player on this team,” quarterback and captain Jalen Hurts said. “He has a history of being a great defensive end and edge rusher. I think he’ll help us out in a number of ways. Adds a lot of depth. I’m excited to meet him. I’m excited to meet him tomorrow when he comes.”
While the Eagles had to give up a draft pick to acquire Quinn, it doesn’t look like his big salary got in the way. Here’s some important detail from NFL Network:
After this season, Quinn has two more seasons left on his current contract with base salaries of $13.9 million and $12.9 million in 2023 and 2024 but that money isn’t guaranteed. So if Quinn is a just rental player, the Eagles gave up a fourth-round pick for a piece that might help them reach the Super Bowl. And if they want to keep him beyond 2022, they’ll have the opportunity to restructure his deal.
Quinn has been in the NFL since 2011 (he was the 14th overall pick by the Rams) and has 102 career sacks. In addition to his Pro Bowl appearance last year, Quinn was also a Pro Bowler in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, he was an All-Pro and had a career-high 19 sacks. He has reached double digit sacks five times in his first 11 seasons in the NFL. This is Year 12 for him.
While Quinn's production has been down in 2022 -- and his production has been up and down throughout his career -- he's been double-teamed a lot. And he's still been impressive. Here's some evidence of that:
Adding Quinn to a defensive line that already had Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Jordan Davis and more might be downright scary for opposing offenses. Quinn will help replace Derek Barnett, who went down with an ACL tear in Week 1.
Since Barnett’s injury, the Eagles have needed a shorter rotation. The back end of their edge player depth chart had been filled by Jackson and Patrick Johnson. If nothing else, Quinn will be a nice upgrade for those guys. And if he starts looking like the 2021 version of himself? Watch out.
Sometimes you wonder how a new personality will mesh in a winning locker room, but that is not likely to be a problem with Quinn, who was a team captain in Chicago and clearly respected by his teammates.
How does Hurts think the Eagles will help Quinn acclimate?
“Same old, same old,” Hurts said. I think the weather changes but we don’t, in terms of our goals and what we want to accomplish. I think we have a very tight-knit group, I think we have a very family-oriented group and I think we’ll welcome him in.”
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More: 5 things you need to know about Eagles' big trade acquisition Quinn
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