The Philadelphia Eagles do not have a single tight end under contract for 2026, meaning it might be smart to have a loaded competition this season to see who could become the starter for next year and beyond.
It's also worth considering the tight end market this offseason and how a recent trade might have made an intriguing asset available.
The Pittsburgh Steelers added Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith in a deal that also included Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey. The Steelers now have Smith, rising star Pat Freiermuth and versatile 6-7 tight end Darnell Washington vying for targets.
Josh Davis, who hosts "The Philly Special" on YouTube, believes Roseman could take advantage of this Steelers surplus by trading for Washington to add to Philly's crop of tight ends. The Eagles have plenty of resources they could be willing to offer in a trade, so a phone call inquiring about Washington's price could at least be in the cards.
“At 6-7, (264) pounds, Washington would help solidify that third spot while also potentially being groomed into more of a long-term player,” Davis said. "So looking at Washington’s contract, if Howie were to make a move for him, it’s an incredibly small cap hit of $1.7 million, plus he’d be locked up through 2026. We saw a similar, multiple-year move from Howie last season when it came to Jahan Dotson, and we’ve also seen him go for athletic freaks like Albert O [Albert Okwuegbunam] to try and make something work in the past at tight end.”
Philadelphia has over $30 million in cap space this season and a haul of 13 draft picks for next year that many people think will get dished out in trades this season.
Washington provides things not a lot of tight ends across the league can in terms of size, strength and athleticism, so it's smart to think logically about Pittsburgh giving that up in the first place.
“Now, on the flip side of the argument is Pittsburgh may not even be willing to move on from him,” Davis said. "Who knows?”
The Eagles tight end room is currently led by Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra. Kylen Granson, Harrison Bryant, E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu and Nick Muse fill out the training camp roster.
If there is an opportunity to add another, the more the merrier.
