The Philadelphia Eagles are trading for Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, according a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter.
The terms of the deal:
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RECEIVE — WR John Metchie III, 2026 sixth-round pick
HOUSTON TEXANS RECEIVE — TE Harrison Bryant, 2026 fifth-round pick
Funny enough, the pick swap is a reversal of the one that took place in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade back in March.
With that in mind, the Eagles effectively gave up CJGJ and Bryant to acquire Metchie and Kenyon Green.
Metchie, who turned 25 last month, played college football at Alabama (making him the ninth Crimson Tide player on Philly’s roster, including Jalen Hurts). He was then selected by the Texans with a second-round pick (No. 44 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Metchie missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with cancer (acute promyelocytic leukemia). After being cleared to play, he made his NFL regular season debut in Week 2 of the 2023 season.
Making just four starts in 33 games played (including playoffs) over the past two years, Metchie’s 80 career targets have resulted in 49 receptions for 519 yards (10.6 average) and one touchdown. For those who didn’t already do the math, that’s only 15.7 yards per game.
So, it’s not exactly like this is exactly a blockbuster acquisition for the Eagles. And the trade compensation reflects as much. Bryant was originally signed to compete for a role with the thought that the Eagles might trade or cut Dallas Goedert. He became more expendable when Goedert returned. Kylen Granson has outperformed him for the TE3 job.
Still, the Eagles must believe Metchie has some level of untapped upside.
The Eagles acquiring a receiver is interesting since they seemingly weren’t in need of more depth at that position. A.J. Brown (who’s dealing with a hamstring injury that the team hasn’t seem majorly concerned about), DeVonta Smith (Metchie’s former teammate at Alabama), and Jahan Dotson are established as the top three for 2025. Johnny Wilson has overcome a slow start to training camp. Undrafted rookie Darius Cooper has had a good camp and really shined in the first preseason game. Ainias Smith hasn’t lit the world on fire in camp but he has two touchdown catches through two preseason games.
Unless the Eagles keep seven wide receivers, which is possible but seems unlikely, Metchie’s arrival could be bad news for Cooper or Smith. The feeling here is the Eagles would unwise to expose Cooper to waivers. Smith seems more expendable, though he might have value as a primary punt returner.
It’ll be interesting to see how Metchie fits in. The Eagles only have three training camp practices and one preseason game remaining until they shift to preparing for Week 1.
Metchie pre-draft scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
NFL slot projection with good polish but a lack of noteworthy elements in his game. Metchie has decent size but average play speed. He’s proficient in more sophisticated routes but lacks explosiveness to separate and will have to prove he can become a more physical wideout to win contested catches at the pro level. He can play multiple receiver spots and has the ability to take what the scheme provides him. As long as his recovery from an ACL tear goes smoothly, Metchie has a chance to become a starting slot receiver with a relatively modest ceiling.
Watch his highlights videos:
Bonus: I joined Bo Wulf on the PHLY Eagles Podcast for the John Metchie III emergency reaction show. Check it out:
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