The Eagles’ top-ranked defense lost another pivotal piece Tuesday when general manager Howie Roseman traded safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans.
The deal was first reported by the NFL Network and confirmed by a league source.
In exchange for Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick, the Eagles received offensive guard Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
The addition of the 6-foot-4, 325-pound Green likely means the end in Philadelphia for free-agent offensive lineman Mekhi Becton, who made the move from left tackle to right guard and gave the Eagles one of the most massive offensive lines in the league.
Green, the 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Texans, has struggled since arriving in the NFL and will likely compete with Tyler Steen and Trevor Keegan for a starting job in training camp.
The Gardner-Johnson Eagles’ saga, assuming it’s over, will go down as one of the most fascinating in franchise history. He spent the 2022 season with the team after being traded by the New Orleans Saints and finished with a league-leading six interceptions in 12 games for a team that reached the Super Bowl.
Strapped by the salary cap, the Eagles allowed Gardner-Johnson to leave as a free agent after the season. He signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions.
The Eagles, after falling apart as a defense during the second half of the 2023 season, brought Gardner-Johnson back last offseason, giving him a three-year deal worth $27 million that included $10 million in guaranteed salary.
He is due $8.5 million and $11.5 million over the next two seasons.
Gardner-Johnson’s return obviously paid dividends for the Eagles. He matched his career high with six interceptions again and also contributed a force fumble for the league’s No. 1 defense. The Eagles also had the top-ranked pass defense after finishing 31st in that department in 2023.
With cornerbacks Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers also scrubbed from the roster, the Eagles have lost three key members of their secondary. The top candidate to replace Slay is Kelee Ringo, who started four games as a rookie in 2023.
The replacement for Gardner-Johnson is not as clear, but the obvious favorite is Sydney Brown, who was projecting to be the No. 1 cornerback during his rookie season before suffering a torn ACL in the final game of the 2023 regular season against the Giants.
Brown’s second season was delayed five games as he recovered from the injury and he did not start any games in 2024 after starting six as a rookie.
Tristin McCollum, an undrafted free agent in 2023, started two games in 2024 and was the top reserve off the bench. Just before the start of the postseason, the Eagles signed Lewis Cine, a former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings.
Cine was a star at Georiga, but he has as struggled to get on the field because of injuries since coming to the NFL.
Andre’ Sam spent the 2024 season on the practice squad and got into one game after signing with the team as an undrafted rookie.
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Bob Brookover can be reached at [email protected]
