On Monday morning, before the Browns traded defensive end Myles Garrett to the Rams, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer flagged the Rams, Cowboys, and Eagles as potential destinations.
Multiple reports have indicated that the Browns wanted defensive tackle Jalen Carter from the Eagles, but that the Eagles weren’t interested in that.
Via Jeff Kerr of SI.com, the Eagles offered Nolan Smith or Jalyx Hunt instead.
The Eagles’ insistence on keeping Carter is a bit confusing, given that the forward-looking Eagles have yet to sign Carter to a second contract. In March, after the Eagles signed defensive tackle Jordan Davis to a new deal, it was leaked that they have gotten calls about Carter, which often is part of a strategy aimed at getting more.
The challenge for the Eagles as to Carter is his fifth-year option salary of $27.1 million in 2027. Given that number, he may be looking for a market-level deal well in excess of $30 million in new-money average.
For 2026, Carter is due to make only $3.723 million in the fourth year of his first-round rookie deal. He shouldn’t set foot on a practice field until he gets his second deal. The team’s refusal to include him in a trade package for Garrett should only strengthen Carter’s resolve in that regard.
