April 11, 2014
As I posted on my NFL Rumors page, Tim McManus of Philly Mag wrote that there’s a potential Dolphins-Eagles trade in the works that would involve Dion Jordan, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
In this proposed deal, Miami would trade Jordan to Philadelphia for defensive end Brandon Graham and the 22nd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Here are grades for both teams if this swap were to happen:
Eagles potentially acquire DE/OLB Dion Jordan from Dolphins for Brandon Graham, No. 22 Pick
Both Jordan and Graham are on the block because they’re tied to the old regimes in both cities. Jeff Ireland moved up for Jordan, but he was fired this offseason. Andy Reid drafted Graham to play in his 4-3 defense, but he was also axed.
The thing is, neither player makes much sense for the team’s current scheme. Graham was lost in Philadelphia’s new 3-4 despite playing well the previous season. Jordan, meanwhile, was never much of a 4-3 prospect, so Ireland goofed (shocker). Jordan should have always been a 3-4 rush linebacker or a LEO in a Seattle- or Jacksonville-type system; instead, he was barely on the field in his rookie campaign and flashed zero pass-rushing ability.
A trade like this would benefit both Jordan and Graham. Chip Kelly would be able to use Jordan like he did in Oregon; the second-year player would drop into coverage more often, which is his strength. However, after watching Jordan struggle to get any sort of pressure on opposing signal-callers this past season, I would be extremely hesitant to part with the 22nd-overall pick. Graham and a second-round selection would definitely be fine, but this proposed deal has Philadelphia surrendering too much.
The argument could be made that the Eagles are giving up the 22nd-overall pick this May for the No. 3 choice last spring. The thing is, last year’s draft was so much weaker than this year’s. If Jordan were in this class, he would probably be slotted in the 8-15 range.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, would be the clear winners in this deal. Getting the No. 22 choice would allow them to pick up another starter (Jordan is not projected to be in the opening lineup), while Graham would give them an upgrade over the Oregon product. Yes, Graham would be an improvement over Jordan, but only in a 4-3 scheme, such as Miami’s. Jordan has shown that he has pass-rushing issues. Graham doesn’t have those as long as he can be a defensive end in the 4-3.
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Grade for Eagles – C+
Grade for Dolphins – B+
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