Eagles Named Top Trade Partner for Browns $100 Million Playmaker
To say cornerback Adoree’ Jackson had a rough debut with the Philadelphia Eagles is putting it mildly.
Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, Jackson was targeted seven times, allowing five catches for 103 yards. He was beaten badly on a 32-yard strike from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb, drew a flag for pass interference and repeatedly let receivers turn short gains into chunk plays by giving up the sideline.
Bleeding Green Nation’s Shamus Clancy raised an interesting possibility at corner for the Eagles and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio if things don’t go well in Cleveland: Denzel Ward.
“It’s too early in the year to see what teams may want to part with quality players before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, but if anyone’s going to be active working the phone, it’s going to be Howie Roseman,” Clancy wrote on September 11, adding:
“Is everyone hoping the Browns suck like usual and they send Denzel Ward here for a third-round pick?”
A Look Back at Ward’s Career With the Cleveland Browns
A former No. 4 overall pick for the Browns in 2018, Ward has been named to four Pro Bowls, including back-to-back trips in 2023-2024.
In 2024, he led the NFL in passes defensed (19, a career high), also finishing with 49 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 16 games.
He has amassed 96 passes defended and 17 interceptions over his eight-year career, playing in 96 games (93 starts). At 28, he’s still in his prime, and his sticky coverage has made him one of the league’s most well-respected corners.
The Browns likely don’t want to part with him, but if their season turns into a dumpster fire — which it very well could, considering their current QB situation — trading Ward is a definitel possibility.
Adoree’ Jackson Had Rough Outing Week 1
Despite his bad game against the Cowboys, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni isn’t throwing Jackson to the wolves.
“Obviously, we gave up the three scoring drives early on in the game, and it’s– this is the greatest team sport there is, so to say, ‘Hey, this happened because of this player,’ it’s not realistic in the game of football,” Sirianni said when asked about Jackson’s bad game.
“I thought he had moments where he had good challenges and obviously he gave up a couple plays also. It’s never, ‘Hey, this happened because of this.’ Never in this game, never in this sport, but again, like everybody in that football game, you had some positives, you had some negatives.”
Should the Philadelphia Eagles Try to Trade for Cleveland Browns CB Denzel Ward?
Nick Cammett/Getty ImagesShould the Philadelphia Eagles attempt to trade for CB Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns?
The numbers would have to work for both teams in a trade for Ward, who signed a five-year $100.5 million extension that runs through 2027. He has a $14 million cap hit in 2025, but that number balloons to $32 million in 2026 and $30 million in 2027. Those numbers can change, of course, as Roseman is a master of the salary cap.
Ward’s concussion history should also be part of the evaluation and discussion. He has suffered at least six documented concussions since entering the league, and that’s beyond serious. He’s fine at the start of the 2025 season, but any conversation about a trade would have to include his medicals.
Bottom line: the Eagles already have a championship-caliber defense. Add Ward, and the secondary gets a lot more scary. If Roseman wants one more blue-chip player for Fangio, Ward could be it.
Alarming ‘Concern’ Looms Large for Broncos QB Bo Nix Heading Into Colts Game
Bo Nix must “clean up” a few of the “wrinkles” in his game, and fast, if the Denver Broncos are going to reach their ceiling this season, according to The Denver Post’s Troy Renck. But Week 1 showed that the second-year quarterback is a work in progress.
Nix is coming off a history-making, 10-win season in which he led the Broncos to their first playoff berth since 2015.
Still, Renck believes Nix should “stop chasing perfection and focus on precision.”
Bo Nix ‘Alarm’ Primed to Go Off
Renck posed questions about whether it was time to sound the “Bo Nix alarm” or “worry” over the Broncos’ QB’s quiet summer and, even worse, subpar track record in September games, saying the No. 12 pick of the 2024 draft “looked like a baby giraffe on roller skates.”
Now, “Nix isn’t exactly inspiring confidence.”
Renck noted that it was only the first week of the season, but the Broncos’ Week 2 matchup could prove far more telling than originally expected.
“We have not reached the ‘everyone freak out stage.’ Not yet. But with games on the horizon against the Chargers and Bengals, it will be time to worry if Nix plays poorly this week,” Renck wrote on September 10.
“My concern is one that surfaced over the summer. He never caught fire in June, failed to wow in training camp, save for a few scrimmage series against the 49ers and Cardinals, and remained uneven in two preseason games. His play has been a mirror of the offense. There are glimpses of improvement that are quickly overshadowed by long bouts of ineffectiveness.”
Nix completed 62.5% of his passes for 176 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions against the Tennessee Titans.
Renck urged him to be “smarter” and “better prepared,” citing confidence in the QB’s work ethic.
Bo Nix Adds to ‘Precarious’ Situation for Colts
Nix could be in position for a soft landing as the Broncos take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 on the road.
“Pretty precarious situation at cornerback for the Colts. No. 1 corner Charvarius Ward is in concussion protocol and backup Jaylon Jones will ‘be out for a while’ with a hamstring injury, according to coach Shane Steichen,” ESPN’s Stephen Holder reported in a post on X on September 10.
“Next in line would be Mekhi Blackmon, who the Colts got in a trade with Minnesota last month. Also in the mix would be undrafted free agent Johnathan Edwards, who had a strong camp and came out of nowhere to make the final roster.”
As of September 11, the Colts’ CB situation remained murky at best.
If Nix and the Broncos’ offense want to jumpstart their offense, a matchup against a depleted Colts secondary could be just what hte doctor ordered.
Bo Nix Gets ‘Great News’ About Evan Engram
Nix needs his playmakers even if the Broncos face a Colts team missing multiple players on defense, and the Broncos’ second injury report of the week offered “great news” in that regard, according to DNVR’s Zac Stevens.
Tight end Evan Engram left the Broncos’ Week 1 win over the Titans with a calf injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday, offering the first positive sign.
On Thursday, Engram upgraded to full participation.
Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers’ return from a one-day absence, and linebacker Alex Singleton’s full participation despite a fractured thumb are also encouraging, as is tight end Nate Adkins getting in a limited session.
The dour note is that linebacker Dre Greenlaw remains sidelined with a quad injury. Still, Nix’s Broncos are trending in the right direction health-wise heading into the Colts game.
