Why This Eagles Trade Rumor Could Be Relevant To Patriots

The Eagles and Patriots are two teams going in very different directions. The former will be in a position to buy ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline, while the latter looks like a no-doubt seller.

Could those two paths collide over the next nine days?

Check out this Sunday morning report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini:

“Philly is looking to make some additions on defense after they suffered a handful of injuries in the defensive backfield, specifically targeting a safety.”

The Patriots have three players who could fit that bill: safeties Kyle Dugger, Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips — all of whom will hit free agency in March. But it’s Mills who might make the most sense for Philadelphia.

Mills spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles while filling a variety of roles as a hybrid defensive back. He then signed a free agent contract with New England in 2021, a move that made sense given Belichick’s fondness for positional versatility. But Mills spent the last two seasons primarily playing cornerback to varying degrees of effectiveness.

And then there’s this season. Mills publicly admitted to preferring safety over cornerback, and the Patriots have followed suit. But Mills’ playing time is way down — his snap-count percentage is down from 75 to 25 — and his frustration is transparent. The 29-year-old now seems like an obvious candidate to be moved before the trade deadline.

Whether the Eagles would be interested in a reunion remains to be seen. But on the surface, it makes a lot of sense.