Eagles trade proposal sends Dolphins 43.5-sack pass rusher to Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles’ pass rush has seen plenty of movement over the past week.
First, defensive end Za’Darius Smith abruptly retired in the middle of the season. Then, in another surprising move, Brandon Graham announced he was coming out of retirement.
Graham agreed to terms with the Eagles on a prorated one-year, $4.9 million deal that will pay him $2.44 million for the rest of the season, according to
“I didn’t want to retire in the beginning,” the 15-year veteran said, per Zach Berman.
While Philadelphia essentially swapped one veteran for another, the pass rush could still use additional help if the team hopes to make another Super Bowl run.
One trade proposal from The Athletic’s Mike Jones and Jeff Howe suggested that the Eagles send the Miami Dolphins a 2026 third-round pick for edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
“The Eagles have needed pass-rushing help since they lost Josh Sweat in free agency, and that need intensified after Za’Darius Smith’s retirement announcement,” Jones wrote. “Chubb, who missed last season while recovering from ACL repair surgery, is off to a strong start this season, recording four sacks. Pair him with a front that includes stud linemen such as Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter and reunite him with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and Chubb should make an instant impact.”
The Dolphins could easily find themselves in fire-sale mode. Miami sits at 1-6, with each loss seemingly worse than the last and head coach Mike McDaniel’s seat getting hotter.
However, as Howe noted, Miami did go on a run last year after a slow start and may not want to rid themselves of their
“If the Dolphins go full tank, it would probably signify the end of the regime in some capacity,” Howe wrote. “But they started 2-6 in 2024 before finishing 8-9, so Mike McDaniel has seen recent evidence of his team getting hot in the second half. And if he’s still on the job by the trade deadline, I can’t imagine McDaniel being keen on the idea of giving away one of his most talented defensive players.”
Chubb, who leads the Dolphins in sacks with four, has one more than Eagles leader Moro Ojomo. Philadelphia ranks near the bottom of the league with just 11 total sacks this season.
Brock Bowers Has Message for Geno Smith Amid Disappointing Raiders Start
It has been a season full of disappointment for the Las Vegas Raiders, but the two players who may be the most disappointed in their seasons are quarterback
The Raiders are 2-5 and are coming off a game where the offense got shut out and didn’t get to 100 yards of total offense. There have been many calls for the team to bench Smith in favor of Kenny Pickett or
It seems unlikely that the Raiders will make a move quite yet, and Smith should get some reinforcements with Bowers expected to return from injury. While things haven’t been going well, Bowers still thinks very highly of Smith and thinks the offense can figure things out.
“He’s a great guy. He’s a great guy. He’s a great locker room guy, too,” Bowers told Heavy Sports in a recent interview. “Really brings everyone together. And he’s a great quarterback and everything. I mean, had some unlucky breaks, obviously, early in the year. But I mean, that’s straightened out. We’re getting back on track.”
Greg Olson Talks Smith
Smith has been a very good quarterback for the previous three seasons. Some even saw him as a top-10 quarterback. Through seven games with the Raiders, there’s an argument that he’s been one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson has been working closely with Smith and believes that he’ll figure things out.
“He [Geno Smith] understands again; he has played for a long time. He understands the formula for winning football,” Olson said of Smith,
“He understands where we are in terms of the turnover margin, and he is a big part of it; we are all a big part of it. He has played through tough times, and he has been through adversity before at the quarterback position. He is going to battle back. And we have all the confidence in the world in him that he will battle back.”
Raiders Not Setting Smith Up for Success?
Smith hasn’t been playing well, but the Raiders also aren’t giving him much help. Bowers has been hurt, the wide receiver corps is struggling and the offensive line play has been poor. Plus, the Raiders’ offensive game plans haven’t been consistent.
Olson thinks the Raiders’ coaching staff needs to do a better job if the players are going to succeed.
“We gotta have a better job of putting our players in position to be successful,” Olson said. “It was kind of a snowball effect. We could not find the timing, the intent, and the purpose of plays, and getting in the right plays or getting bad plays, that is all. We will learn from it and grow and get better.
“The most important thing is maintaining focus on your job. Every position stays focused on that, then we get a chance to come together.”
