Just when you think that the NFL will never let Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman fleece another team, Roseman fleeces another team, and 31 GMs around the league are once again left to wonder, “How did he get away with it… again?”
This time, Roseman went back to the source of perhaps his greatest trade — the April, 2022 deal that landed the Eagles receiver A.J. Brown — in the Tennessee Titans. This time, Roseman didn’t have to part with first- and third-round picks as he did for his No. 1 receiver. All he had to do was to give up 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks, and safety Terrell Edmunds, for safety Kevin Byard. The eight-year veteran out of Middle Tennessee State is a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro, and this season, he’s allowed 15 catches on 21 targets for 181 yards, 72 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 97.5.
It’s an important transaction for the Eagles, who just came off their 31-17 Sunday night win over the Miami Dolphins. Micah Parsons, who of course plays quite well for the Eagles’ NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys, thought it was a great move.
Micah Parsons reacts to the Kevin Byard trade 👀 pic.twitter.com/ozxjZO5ySx
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 23, 2023
Byard left this heartfelt message to Titans fans on his way out of Tennessee. Now that he’s on his way to Philly, what does that mean for him, and for the Eagles’ defense?
💙, KB pic.twitter.com/cHEm3bBgwF
— Kevin Byard (@KevinByard) October 23, 2023
Byard is an outstanding run defender.
At age 30, Byard might not have the deep range he used to, but he’s still an outstanding run defender. When you’re in a defense that plays a lot of 5-1-5 (five-man fronts with nickel coverage) as the Eagles are, that’s important for your safeties. Byard’s 13 stops this season ranks fourth in the league among safeties, and he’s got the frame (5-foot-11, 212) and the technique to shut down run plays.
We can start with this forced fumble against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, when Byard stopped a potential touchdown in Cover-3…
…and if you’re trying to stretch it outside, as Justice Hill of the Baltimore Ravens did in Week 6, you’d better be aware of No. 31’s presence.
He doesn't give up big plays in the passing game.
Even when a pass is completed in Byard’s area, opposing offenses don’t generally get too much out of it. Against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2, the Titans were in Cover-2, and Justin Herbert hit receiver Mike Williams underneath on a quick in-cut as Byard dropped back into coverage. Williams got nothing after the catch, though.
Byard did allow this four-yard catch to tight end Mark Andrews against the Ravens in Week 6… but nothing more than that.
Byard can also come down from the deep third to blow up a swing pass, as he did against receiver Elijah Moore of the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.
Byard is a smart player who can help a young secondary.
In the week leading up to Super Bowl LIV, I was able to sit down with Byard to discuss the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense, which was about to beat the San Francisco 49ers. I was highly impressed with his full-scale analysis of a team he’d faced in Week 10 of that season, and also of his expanding role in his own defense.
“In today’s football, it’s tough to be a guy who can only play in the box or can only play in the post,” he told me back then. “The more versatile you can be for your team, the longer you’ll be able to play. Every offseason, I figure out what I can work on, and I especially feel I can be better in my man coverage. Every time we play a great tight end, I want to be able to tell my coaches, ‘Hey, I want to cover this guy.’ Being able to cover tight ends in man coverage, or even receivers in the slot when they come out with four-receiver sets, playing in the post, playing deep in two-high sets, things like that — my versatility [comes from] a lot of hard work in the offseason.”
Sounds like a perfect fit for an Eagles defense that’s injury-light in the secondary, and in need of intelligent aggression from the box to the deep third.
