Proposed Eagles, Colts trade sends $5M starter to Philly as CJGJ replacement - suong

The Philadelphia Eagles have been in cost-cutting mode to start the 2025 league year, and that should surprise no one who’s been paying attention to the team’s real-cash spending over the past two years.

What was surprising was the team’s decision to cut bait with a veteran leader on defense who was due an extremely reasonable $8.5 million salary this season.

Philly’s boldest move of the offseason so far was trading starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans. The Eagles got back a swap of Day 3 draft picks and struggling guard Kenyon Green, so the move was largely about cutting salary both in 2025 and 2026.

The Eagles have yet to make a corresponding move to replace CJGJ, leading many NFL analysts to predict the team going safety early in April’s draft. As previously mentioned, GM Howie Roseman is always active in the trade market,  and Joe Giglio of the 94WIP Midday Show in Philadelphia sees a potential deal materializing this offseason with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Giglio predicts Philly will trade draft compensation to the Colts for starting safety Nick Cross, who is due about $3.2 million in 2025 on his expiring rookie contract. Here was Giglio’s take on the proposed move:

Why it could happen: The Eagles need a Chauncey Gardner-Johnson replacement. Cross finally lived up to the billing of a third-round pick last season, intercepting three passes while registering 146 tackles. Indianapolis is remaking their secondary, including allocating big cap resources toward free agent corners and safeties. If an extension for Cross isn't in the cards, it wouldn't be surprising to see him on the move before his walk year.

Adding a veteran safety like Cross would make sense for the Eagles, who could use some competition in training camp for young players like Sydney Brown and Tristin McCollum. Brown is definitely poised for more opportunity going forward, potentially as the starter alongside Reed Blankenship, but he’s only played 421 total defensive snaps in his two-year NFL career due to injuries.

Adding help in the draft is another option, but acquiring a more proven player at the position would make even more sense. The Eagles have a nice track record of players balling out in contract years, and they have a wealth of future draft capital to facilitate a trade.

This is a hypothetical that’s easy to see coming to fruition in some shape or form. If the Eagles do enter training camp without a proven veteran at safety, look for Brown to grab the reins as one of Philly’s many young stars poised to sink-or-swim in 2025.