Howie Roseman has never been one to sit around, and as the Eagles sit at 6-1 and headed towards another postseason berth, Philadelphia’s GM continues to add talent.
According to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, the Eagles are in fact trading for safety Kevin Byard, sending safety Terrell Edmunds, and two late round picks for the Pro Bowl safety, and hometown kid.
Confirmed the #Titans are in fact trading Kevin Byard to the Eagles. Tennessee gets Terrell Edmonds and a 5th/6th in exchange for the All Pro safety.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) October 23, 2023
Philadelphia will travel to Washington on Sunday, and Byard could be an immediate starter alongside rookie safety, Sydney Brown.
With the move set to be made official, here’s an instant analysis of the deal.
Byard is returning to Philadelphia
A true hometown return like D’Andre Siwft, Byard attented Martin Luther King High School in the East Germantown section of Philadelphia before moving to Atlanta, and eventually attending Middle Tennessee State University, the same school of fellow Eagles safety, Reed Blankenship.
Salary cap implications
The Titans signed Byard to a five-year, $70.5 million contract extension in 2019, making him one of the league’s highest paid safeties.
By trading Byard, the Titans save $4.0 million against the salary cap for 2023 but accrue $7.273 million in dead cap space.
Tennessee paid Byard $7 million of his $11M compensation for 2023 in a signing bonus as part of a revised deal back in July.
The final two years of the contract are void years for cap purposes.
Byard is Versatile
Byard is versatile and has been one of the NFL’s true tough guys since entering the league, playing in every game since being drafted and not missing a start since Week 10 of his rookie year.
Byard’s made at least one solo tackle in 116 of the 120 regular season games he’s played in a Titans uniform and made 44 tackles with an interception and two pass breakups in seven playoff games.
A true locker room leader, Byard was the Titans 2020 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award and in 2022 was awarded the Pro Football Writers Nashville chapter’s inaugural “Good Guy” award.
How the Eagles benefit
The two-time All-Pro safety and eight-year veteran will immediately upgrade the Eagles’ injury-riddled safety position. Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown are dynamic talents, but have struggled to stay on the field so far this season.
Byard has a favorable contract remaining (two years, $25.1 million) and rejoins A.J. Brown.
