• Shoring up the secondary: The Philadelphia Eagles trade 2024 fifth- and sixth-round draft picks and safety Terrell Edmunds in exchange for All-Pro safety Kevin Byard.
• An upgrade in Philadelphia: The eight-year pro has earned a 67.3 PFF grade through six games, and his 61.2 PFF coverage grade is on track for a career low. However, that overall grade betters every Eagles safety not named Reed Blankenship, and we know that he has the ability to be better than this.
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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The Philadelphia Eagles made a move to improve on defense on Monday, trading with the Tennessee Titans for safety Kevin Byard, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
In return, the Titans received a 2024 fifth-round draft pick, a 2024 sixth-round pick and safety Terrell Edmunds.
What it means for the Philadelphia Eagles
While Byard isn’t having his best season, his presence as a deep safety will immediately improve the Eagles defense.
The eight-year pro has earned a 67.3 PFF overall grade through six games this season, and his 61.2 PFF coverage grade is on track for a career low. However, that overall grade betters every Eagles safety not named Reed Blankenship, and we know that he has the ability to be better than this.
Since joining the NFL in 2016, Byard has earned a 70.0-plus coverage grade in all but two seasons before 2023. He is a proven playmaker, with 28 interceptions and 30 pass breakups throughout his career.
This season, Byard has spent 218 snaps as a box safety or in the slot and 171 snaps at free safety. Edmunds, whom he replaces, played 107 snaps as a box safety or in the slot and 189 at free safety, so Byard can perhaps expect to spend a little bit more time deeper in the defensive backfield in Philadelphia.
The other thing the Eagles are getting in Byard is a sure tackler. He has missed less than 7% of his tackle attempts every season since his second year in the league and has missed just two through six weeks of the 2023 season.
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What it means for the Tennessee Titans
It’s less about this specific move for the Titans and more about what it potentially signifies. If they are willing to trade a key part of their defense, this would suggest that they are open for business as we head toward the trade deadline.
Could Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins, Ryan Tannehill, Denico Autry or anyone else be on the move before the Oct. 31 deadline? PFF’s Brad Spielberger had a suggested trade that would send Autry to the Cleveland Browns for fifth- and sixth-round draft picks over the next two drafts in an article published Monday, Oct. 23.
Trading key players would also likely cost the Titans some wins between now and the end of the season, which would give them a higher pick in the first round of the draft next April.
If the season ended today, they would be picking ninth, and they are tied for the ninth-worst win total over/under at 7.5 wins as things stand. That would likely keep them out of the race for quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye but would have them in range for a major upgrade at left tackle in the form of Notre Dame’s Joe Alt.
If the Titans are ready to look to the future, it also means that they should see what they have in Malik Willis and Will Levis at quarterback.
Willis earned a 51.9 PFF grade as a rookie and a 48.5 game grade across 18 snaps against the Baltimore Ravens in London. Levis struggled in his only action this preseason, earning a 46.4 PFF grade against the Chicago Bears.
In starting Willis or Levis, the Titans would get a better idea of whether either player can start in 2024. And if neither proves capable, there’s every chance they lose enough games to draft high enough to land one of the class' top quarterbacks.
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