The Philadelphia Eagles just can't stop making moves. Days after edging the rival Dallas Cowboys, then signing Pro Bowl pass rusher Za'Darius Smith, the reigning Super Bowl champions added more depth on the other side of the ball Monday, acquiring Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby via trade.
The Eagles sent a 2026 fifth-round draft pick and 2026 sixth-rounder to the Jaguars in exchange for Bigsby. The deal surfaced a day after Bigsby logged just five carries for 12 yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. It also came after Philadelphia saw new No. 2 back Will Shipley suffer a rib injury in the season-opening win against Dallas.
Bigsby, 24, finished the previous NFL season as the Jaguars' top-used ball carrier, pulling touches from former first-rounder Travis Etienne Jr. But Etienne was the headliner of Jacksonville's offense on Sunday, eclipsing 140 rushing yards against Carolina. Now that Bigsby has a new home in Philadelphia, and the Jaguars have two more draft picks at their disposal for next offseason, which side appears to be the instant winner of the trade?
Eagles: B-
Two draft picks for a new No. 2/3 running back sounds a bit steep on the surface, even if both picks are Day 3 selections. After all, the Eagles already pay top dollar for Saquon Barkley, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. But Week 1 showed Philly is (wisely) intent on lessening Barkley's workload after a monster 2024 campaign, feeding valuable situational reps to Shipley against the Cowboys.
Even after Shipley returns from injury, Bigsby arguably offers even greater upside as a change-of-pace option and special teamer, clearing 750 yards and scoring seven touchdowns as Etienne's relief last year. Better yet, he's under contract through 2026 at a very reasonable rate. Did the Eagles absolutely need to make this trade? Probably not. AJ Dillon is also in tow as physical depth. Still, added juice off the bench is rarely a bad thing.
Jaguars: B
Getting a couple of picks for a guy who registered as a near-non-factor in Week 1 -- and may have faded into irrelevance in the future of the backfield -- is a credit to new general manager James Gladstone. Especially after the club spent draft capital to move up for Travis Hunter in this year's draft. Etienne was the team's more premium investment, and if he keeps playing like he did Sunday, well, it made sense to center the run game on his talent.
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