The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in a blockbuster trade on Monday morning. It's a great deal on the surface, as Pittsburgh upgrades its defensive secondary and adds another talented pass-catcher next to Aaron Rodgers. It also opens up a window of opportunity for Pittsburgh's cross-state rivals, the Super Bowl champion Eagles.
We've seen Omar Khan and Howie Roseman collaborate before. Just last summer, the Philadelphia Eagles swung a trade for future Super Bowl champ Kenny Pickett. Now the Eagles can take advantage of Pittsburgh's sudden overflow at tight end. With Smith and Pat Freiermuth locked in a timeshare, former third-round pick Darnell Washington could be out of luck (and reps). The Steelers appear more than willing to throw in the towel on Washington's development.
The Eagles recently re-signed Dallas Goedert to a one-year contract, but the tight end position remains unsettled long term. Might trading for Washington and putting him in the Kevin Patullo-Nick Sirianni system for a couple years be worth the investment? Washington is under contract through 2026 at a nothing price, so it's a compelling upside proposition.
Eagles should call Steelers about Darnell Washington trade
Through two NFL seasons, Washington has been lightly featured in the Steelers' passing attack. He has never missed a game, but Washington only has 26 catches on 35 targets total, averaging 10.0 yards per reception. He caught his first (and so far, only) touchdown this past season.
That said, Washington is extremely impactful as a blocker in the run game. He's 6-foot-7 and 246 pounds, which gives him better measurements than a lot of linemen. Washington can get in a stance, move his feet, and open up gaps for his running back with sheer brute force. The Eagles, a team that runs more prolifically than any other, would surely love to get Washington on the field and in front of Saquon Barkley.
More importantly, however, Philadelphia gives Washington a chance to take the next step developmentally. He wasn't drafted in the third round just to block. Washington averaged 17.2 yards per catch at Georgia. He's a supermassive target over the middle of the field, capable of winning 50-50 balls and muscling his way to yards after the catch. With the Eagles, Washington would have a much clearer path to consistent reps as a pass-catcher, not just a run blocker.
Washington would still be TE2 behind Dallas Goedert, probably resembling the dynamic he shared with Pat Freiermuth in Pittsburgh. But that's just for this upcoming season. Goedert's reworked contract expires at the end of 2025. His future is murky at best. Washington is locked up through at least 2026 and could explode into a more substantial role if Goedert bolts in free agency.
The defining feature of Howie Roseman's tenure as Eagles GM has been his ability to unearth value on the margins. Trading for a third-string tight end with 261 career receiving yards to his name does not sound like all that big of a splash on the surface. But factor in Washington's unique physical tools and substantial upside — not to mention the strong track record of UGA products in Philly — and it feels like a potential home run. At worst, he's another great situational blocker to insulate Barkley.