Eagles News: Philadelphia earns high grade for Jonathan Greenard trade

Q: What grade did the Eagles receive for the Jonathan Greenard trade?

The Eagles received an A- grade for the trade involving Jonathan Greenard.

Q: What is Jonathan Greenard's contract with the Eagles?

Jonathan Greenard signed a four-year, $100 million contract with the Eagles.

Q: How did Jonathan Greenard perform in previous seasons?

In the 2024 season, Greenard recorded 12 sacks and had a top 10 pass rush win rate, while in 2025, he had three sacks in 12 games due to injury.

Q: Why did the Vikings trade Jonathan Greenard?

The Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard due to a challenging salary cap situation and the need to make sustainable financial decisions.

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images ***Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …*** 2026 NFL draft trade grades: Sizing up deals for top picks – ESPN Eagles grade: A- … Vikings grade: C … The veteran edge rusher immediately fills a need for Philadelphia, which needed more pass-rushing juice from the outside. Greenard is coming off an injury-shortened 2025 campaign in which he recorded only three sacks in 12 games. But Greenard still delivered on a down-to-down basis last season, with a 23.3% pass rush win rate at edge that would have ranked fourth at the position had he played enough to qualify. And that followed a 2024 season in which Greenard recorded 12 sacks and ranked 10th in pass rush win rate at edge. He ranked in the top 10 in PRWR in 2023 with Houston, too. So, it’s fair to say that the Eagles are getting a legitimate top edge rusher and a major upgrade over to pair with Nolan Smith Jr. The trade compensation is real — two third-round picks is significant — but they are getting Greenard at what I consider a below-market contract, signing him to a new four-year, $100 million deal. For context, that’s almost exactly what got in free agency and is quite a bit less than former Eagle got from Carolina. I would rather have Greenard than either Oweh or Phillips. And the top of the edge rusher market — set this week by Jr. at $50 million per year — is double the APY Greenard just got. So, the Eagles filled a critical need with draft capital, but are getting a value price on the financials in exchange. That’s nice team-building work. After the Vikings made their Day 2 picks, executive V.P. of football operations Rob Brzezinski addressed the decision to trade Greenard. “This is not something we’re jumping around excitedly about, but we do feel like we [did] the best thing for the organization moving forward,” Brzezinski said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN — who described the mood as “somber.” So why not just give Greenard the four-year, $100 million deal he received from the Eagles? With Will Anderson recently moving the market at the position to $50 million per year, paying Greenard half that amount doesn’t seem to be a ridiculous amount. “We have just spent so much money the last several years that it’s not sustainable for us to move forward,” Brzezinski said. “Our salary cap situation has been very, very challenging.” The trade that we were all waiting to see happen finally happened and . . . well, it doesn’t look like terribly good value for the Minnesota Vikings, at least on the surface. The Vikings have traded edge rusher Jonathan Greenard to the . Greenard is a proven pass rusher and immediately improves the Eagles defense. Some have asked why not just pay Jaelan Phillips and keep the picks. We need to see the true contract details. Greenard is probably cheap enough that it made a difference. Greenard is more durable. Phillips has 28 sacks in five years. Greenard has 27.5 in the last three seasons. Greenard is more of an impact player. Phillips might become that. Definitely, then, Wicks and Greenard are part of this NFL Draft class, and they will be a huge part of the mix. Wicks, the Eagles have talked about previously. He’s a big-bodied guy who the Eagles believe fits right into what they want to do offensively. “He’s able to separate at the top of the route, and I think his toughness really shows up on tape,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “When you can create that type of separation, we obviously get really excited about that, really excited to add him to that room.” Greenard has the pass-rush pedigree, brings it on every snap, and is going to add heat off the edge. “Relentless player with physical tools,” Roseman said. “He can win multiple ways, he’s hard to block. I know when we played , we were worried about him at all times. Just a really player, obviously a captain on that football team, so we just felt like we had a really good D line, but we really wanted to elevate it to another level. Sheil is joined by Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation and Zach Berman of The Athletic to discuss the Eagles picks following Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. But first, the Eagles acquired LB Jonathan Greenard from the Minnesota Vikings. Sheil, Zach and BLG breakdown the trade then talk about the picks of Eli Stowers and Markel Bell. It remains to be seen if the Eagles will be as successful developing offensive linemen now that legendary assistant coach Jeff Stoutland is gone but they’re certainly still going to try. Bell could conceivably compete with to be the Eagles’ top backup option at left tackle behind … but he’s more likely to be a developmental project who might eventually become a full-time player. Philadelphia Eagles — Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt. Stowers was a high school quarterback, but grew into the John Mackey Award winner as the top tight end in college football a season ago. Handling the blocking part of the position in the NFL is the big question mark, but looking at the Philadelphia offense for 2026, you can imagine a 12 personnel package with , Makai Lemon, Stowers, and as the in-line TE option. It could work. Grade: B , EDGE, Penn State: Dennis-Sutton was a five-star recruit (28th nationally by 247 Sports, 7th by Rivals.com) who is an exceptional run defender, but overshadowed as a pass rusher by former teammate . He did have 17 sacks and 5 forced fumbles over his final two seasons at Penn State, and he had a surprisingly great Combine workout. […] A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU: The Eagles are turnover obsessed, and Haulcy had 8 INTs the last two seasons. Vanderbilt often took him off the field in obvious run situations and even instances when he needed to work upfield to block defensive backs weren’t always a smooth experience. For that reason, it’s fair to ask how exactly the Eagles view the one-dimensional nature of Stowers’ game, to which Roseman said the following … “We’re trying to find out what the guy can do really well,” Roseman said. “If you focus only on what guys can’t do, you’re going to have some negatives for some of the top players in the draft. When you find guys that have unique skill sets, we have a lot of confidence in our coaches and our staffs to develop players. Especially when they have high football IQ and high character and we know they’re tough, it’s exciting.” The mention of the “coaches and staff” is an important one here. Roseman’s bet on Stowers is more than just an infatuation with the player, it’s a belief that the Eagles will find a way to get the most out of the 23-year-old with the “unusual” traits the organization covets. For both players drafted Friday, the word that was used in the draft room was “unusual.” Stowers offered unprecedented athleticism at the position. Bell offered size you rarely find. Roseman could draft for the next few years and might not find a tight end with that athletic profile or an offensive tackle with that size, and those are realities that the general manager values when making the evaluation. “You have to have unique characteristics to play at a high level in the NFL,” Roseman said. “When we studied both those guys, the word ‘unusual’ comes up a lot. … And with that comes the character. … We know these guys aren’t finished products, but really excited about what the ceiling could be for both of those guys.” That’s what made these Roseman-type picks. He swings for the ceiling. In a way, it made the Lemon pick somewhat of an outlier. The Eagles were drawn to the player, the production and the play personality when they made that pick. It’s not to say these two players Friday weren’t productive — Stowers was named the top tight end in the country! — but these were traits-based picks. The upside is the draw. Player development will be critical in both these cases, but in a decade-plus covering Roseman, I’ve learned that he’s looking for “tools in the body.” Find attributes that cannot be taught. That’s what the Eagles did Friday. Eli Stowers still remembers walking into Tim Beck’s office at New Mexico State trying to find a role. “Coach, I’m willing to do anything to help the team,” Stowers remembers telling him. That was the beginning of a journey that led Stowers to Friday night, when he became the second tight end selected in the 2026 NFL Draft behind just Kenyon Sadiq, who went at No. 16 overall in Round 1. While the Eagles took him at No. 54 overall, Stowers is still relatively new to the position. Stowers was highly recruited high school quarterback out of Denton, Texas, before ending up at Texas A&M. The plan was for Stowers to play quarterback in college, but while he was in College Station, Stowers suffered a torn labrum that needed surgery. That was the beginning of the end of his career as a quarterback. “I couldn’t throw the ball the same after the shoulder injury,” Stowers said on Friday night. Multiple teams showed interest to visit with Bell before draft night, a testament to how seriously the league took his physical profile. He is raw, yes. He is a work in progress, certainly. But he is also a six-foot-nine, 346-pound human being with the wingspan of a small aircraft and a foundation Mario Cristobal’s staff built from the ground up. You can’t teach size. The Eagles have a developed offensive line led by , , , Jordan Mailata, and so Bell will have a hard time competing for early work but should be a developmental project. Oh, and I projected this pick exactly! The right coaching staff will see a starting-caliber NFL tackle in three years. Congrats, Markel, and make proud with the Eagles. With the 92nd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the selected Jaishawn Barham and edge player from Michigan. The Cowboys are doubling down on pass rush/linebacker. Here’s the kicker, which might (keyword: might) add some sting for Commanders fans. pursued a trade for Greenard last month, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. After a day of speculation as to whether the would trade up, the Giants ultimately decided to stick and pick at 37th overall. They selected cornerback Colton Hood, a player who was widely expected to be drafted in the first round. Hood was so highly thought of by NFL teams that he was invited to attend the draft in the green room, which is usually an indication that they’re considered first round talents. It was a real surprise that Hood not only slipped out of the first round, but even fell past the first four picks of the second round. … **Social Media Information:** BGN Facebook Page: BGN Twitter: BGN BlueSky: BGN Instagram: BGN Manager: Follow Brandon Lee Gowton on **** | **** | **** BGN Radio Twitter: