The Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a player-for-player trade on Monday evening.
EAGLES RECEIVE: CB Jakorian Bennett
RAIDERS RECEIVE: DT Thomas Booker
Interesting deal here by Howie Roseman. Much to unpack.
Who is Jakorian Bennett?
The soon-to-be 25-year-old (August 23) is a 5’11”, 200 pound cornerback who was selected by the Raiders with a fourth-round pick (No. 104 overall, one spot directly ahead of Kelee Ringo at No. 105) in the 2023 NFL Draft. Making 11 starts in 24 games played over the last two years, Bennett has logged 11 passes defensed and zero interceptions. According to Pro Football Reference, Benentt allowed an undesirable 102.5 passer rating while targeted as a rookie but significantly improved to 67.7 in 2024. Making Bennett’s improvement more impressive is that he played through a shoulder injury that eventually caused him to miss seven games. Bennett is under contract through 2026.
Is Bennett any good?
There’s reason to be optimistic!
Why did the Raiders give up on Bennett?
Bennett was drafted when Josh McDaniels was the Raiders’ head coach and Dave Ziegler was their general manager. The Raiders now have Pete Carroll as their head coach and John Spytek as their general manager. Bennett seemingly fell out of favor with the new regime.
Why did the Eagles trade for Bennett?
One can wonder if the Eagles aren’t feeling great about how the starting cornerback competition between Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson is going. There hasn’t been major separation between those two; Vic Fangio admitted as much on Monday morning by describing the battle as “close.”
Then again, it’s not like Bennett is a sure-fire starter. And he’s behind the eight ball in terms of learning Fangio’s defense. Speaking about the Bennett trade on Tuesday morning, Nick Sirianni said the deal was “just a way to add some depth at corner.”
Never say never … but it seems like Bennett won’t be starting in Week 1. He could eventually start if Ringo and/or Jackson struggle. Or he might just be the top backup on the outside, like Isaiah Rodgers was for the Eagles last year. Bennett could also contend to start in 2026, depending on how this year goes.
Why did the Eagles trade Thomas Booker?
The following is from my practice notes that were posted about five hours before the trade took place:
“Thomas Booker and Gabe Hall each had deflections at the line of scrimmage. I wonder if the Eagles might keep six defensive tackles: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Ty Robinson, Booker, and Hall.”
Booker was deemed too good to cut but not good enough to be a must-keep player that blocks the playing time of younger guys such as Robinson and Hall.
Hall’s had an encouraging summer after originally signing with the Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent last year. He’s got a good frame (6’6”, 295 pounds) and his development is noticeable.
The Raiders apparently wanted some defensive tackle depth. It’s also worth noting that they employ several former Eagles executives in their front office: general manager John Spytek, vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt, and senior personnel executive Anthony Patch.
Grade the trade
The feeling here is that this is a worthwhile deal for the Eagles. Booker is a good player and a well-liked presence in the locker room. But he’s a free agent after this season and the Eagles were deep at defensive tackle. More depth at cornerback was needed and Bennett could push for a role as a key backup if he isn’t able to be a starter this season. The Eagles are buying low on a young, inexpensive player with upside who’s under team control for two more seasons. Hard not to like taking a chance on him.
Grade: B+
What say you? Vote in the poll below. Also, scroll down to the comments to weigh in.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Apologies for the interruption to your Philadelphia Eagles coverage here at Bleeding Green Nation. SB Nation sites, including BGN, were scheduled to go dark from 5:00 PM Eastern on Monday, August 4 until 9:00 AM Eastern on Tuesday, August 5 as we migrated everything from our old system to our new home at WordPress. Technical issues delayed BGN from being available for WAY longer than originally anticipated. Making matters even more annoying, BGN went live again while I was out at the Phillies game on Tuesday evening, delaying me even further. I appreciate your understanding and patience while we play catch up.]
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