Eagles Thoughts: Why Jonathan Greenard trade was offseason splash

The NFL Draft and rookie minicamp are behind the Philadelphia Eagles. They’re in the middle of the offseason program, though they’re not on the field for an organized team activity until later in the month. The schedule should be released before then. A.J. Brown is expected to be traded after.This is a quieter period on the team’s calendar — but it doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about them every day. Here are some Eagles thoughts …1. The Eagles’ trade for Jonathan Greenard is the headlining move of the offseason, but because it occurred during the third round of the NFL Draft late on a Friday night, it didn’t receive the fanfare it might have received if it had happened at the start of free agency or during an April lull. Greenard is the type of top-of-the-depth-chart edge rusher the Eagles badly needed — and that they prioritized this offseason, from trying to retain Jaelan Phillips to pursuing Trey Hendrickson. Greenard has become one of the top edge rushers in the NFL, and the Eagles are buying the dip on sack production because the other metrics remained promising. His pressure rate was the highest of his career, and his quarterback hit rate was not far off his 2024 total (4.2 percent in 2025 compared to 4.4 percent in 2024). He also remained effective against the run. He’s one of the franchise’s highest-paid players, a clear sign that the Eagles view him as a front-line player. And the guarantees in the contract are paid for the years that Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith are locked up, and before extensions for one or both would commence.