Bye weeks for NFL teams are normally melancholy, with little to no news. But they also offer an opportunity to rest, evaluate where they are as contenders, and, most importantly, get healthy. For the 6-2 Philadelphia Eagles, it was anything but mundane.

General Manager Howie Roseman seems to have not taken an hour off, let alone the week. Instead, he made more deals than Monty Hall and Wayne Brady combined to improve a squad that already sits atop the NFC.

Thanks to several losses by their biggest foes in the conference in Week 9 — the Giants were defeated by the 49ers, the Commanders suffered a devastating loss to the Seahawks after their quarterback went down with an injury, and the Cowboys succumbed to the Cardinals by 10 points on Monday — the Birds are in a great position heading into the second half of the 2025 season.

Prior to the bye week, the front office stayed hard at work. First, they focused on strengthening the secondary, trading for nickel cornerbacks Michael Carter II from the struggling New York Jets and Jaire Alexander, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. In a trade deadline move, Philly also picked up outside linebacker and edge rusher Jaelen Phillips from Miami.

“We felt like the value of all three guys, knowing the players, having people here who had been and lived with these guys, really helped us get a sense of who these guys are,” Roseman told reporters. “Not only as players but as people, too, which is always important when you’re bringing in guys in the middle of the season.”

These acquisitions were much needed. With uncertainty and a revolving door at the CB2 position, Carter provides depth in the slot while the Eagles hope to get something out of the once highly touted Alexander. Phillips, though, is their big fish as a pass rusher.

It was expected that after the departure of Josh Sweat, the sack production would suffer, but not to the degree where a big trade was necessary. A jovial Phillips might as well have gone from the outhouse in South Florida to Rittenhouse Square. No offense to one of the four squares, but it’s quite a contrast given the lifestyle differences down there versus a chilly Philly.

“This is literally the greatest thing that’s happened to me in my whole life, probably,” Phillips said during his first interaction with the media. “It’s just awesome. I love the vibe, the environment here. Everybody’s been super welcoming.”

As for All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown, we can finally put to rest the exhausting, fabricated trade rumors that weren’t worth the time or space I’m even giving here. So, my apologies anyway — it was an embarrassment for sports journalism.

No matter who brought up the thought of trading Brown, it was also foolish and convenient to omit the massive salary cap implications and what things would look like for both parties. The most important thing about Brown right now is that he’s ready to go for Monday night.

“I didn’t know,” Brown said, addressing those so-called trade rumors. “I was only focused on my family and being present and getting healthy.”

Brown has been nursing a hamstring injury for much of the season. With quality wins already under their belt, the Eagles now start an important two-week stretch to try and distance themselves from NFC opponents vying for the top seed.

That begins in Green Bay, then next week back home versus Detroit. Both prime-time games give the Birds a great opportunity to solidify their eliteness and reaffirm themselves as the team to beat.

With the NFC East being non-competitive at this point, the conference is possibly there for the taking.

Head coach Nick Sirianni has an incredible record after byes, and as many of his players have told me, he is a stickler with the details of football. That hasn’t changed for him nor his squad, regardless of their success.

“The fundamentals of football are what make [or] break every single play,” Sirianni said this week. “I like where we are fundamentally, but we’ve got to continue to get better at that.”
https://www.phillytrib.com/sports/football/spivey-eagles-bolster-roster-during-bye-week/article_9d96ee52-5990-4f9d-b98a-796da35fa2da.html