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Realistic Jalen Carter trade packages the Vikings, Raiders and 49ers could overwhelm Philly with

The Philadelphia Eagles may not want to trade Jalen Carter, but these three trade packages could make them seriously think about it.
ByWynston Wilcox|
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Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • Blockbuster trade proposals could tempt the Eagles to deal DT Jalen Carter to the Vikings, Raiders, or 49ers.
  • Minnesota offers draft picks, Las Vegas swaps Maxx Crosby, and San Francisco pitches a deal centered on Mykel Williams.
  • These deals could solve Philly's future cap squeeze while instantly turning the acquiring teams into dominant defensive contenders.

Jalen Carter has been a popular name in the trade rumor mill in the NFL. It’s understandable. He’s due for a big rookie extension, and the Eagles are in a situation where paying him might be more costly to them than beneficial. That’s not to say they don’t want to retain him long-term, but if they can get a good return for him, it’s worth exploring, right? The San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings all have reason to look at Carter in a potential blockbuster deal. Here’s what it would cost each team to land the elite interior defensive lineman. 

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings don’t really have any player they could give up in a deal that wouldn’t gash this roster, so they’ll have to resort to draft capital, which could be a hefty price to pay. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are at odds a bit, but he doesn’t have a potential out in his contract until 2028, according to Spotrac. That means a move for J.J. McCarthy just wouldn’t make too much sense right now. The Vikings don’t really have receiver depth either, so they’re stuck with giving up draft capital to land Carter. 

That said, he’s a beast and would instantly make this defensive line better. They went the young route, releasing Javon Hargrave and then trading Jonathan Allen to the Cincinnati Bengals. They drafted Domonique Orange and Caleb Banks as their future, but adding Carter would ensure they stay in championship contention. When you want stars on your team, it’s costly, but the Vikings can’t ignore how big of an addition Carter would be. 

Las Vegas Raiders

This is one of the more intriguing pitches on this list for a couple of reasons. The Las Vegas Raiders could benefit from an elite defensive lineman that’s young enough to build around. At the same time, it also solves their Maxx Crosby problem. Not that the Raiders are necessarily eager to trade Crosby, but they put him on the market this offseason, got a deal and it flopped. They haven’t been aggressive in trading him, but they could have the perfect opportunity to capitalize on his value while getting a solid return in Carter. 

The Raiders were aggressive this offseason in building this roster, drafting Fernando Mendoza and plugging quite a few holes on both sides of the ball. The Raiders could benefit from adding Carter while also getting draft capital in return to continue turning this roster into a playoff-contending one. In an earlier mock trade with the Eagles, FanSided’s Austen Bundy pitched a deal that involved a first-round pick, a second-round pick and Nolan Smith Jr. for Crosby. 

While they may not get as much in return for Carter because he’s that good, they could still get a good haul for Crosby and help them turn their attention to a younger roster with potential.

San Francisco 49ers

This was a tough one to put together. The ultimate question is how much do the San Francisco 49ers value Mykel Williams? He played just nine games as a rookie after a torn ACL ended his rookie campaign early. He recorded just 11 tackles and one sack. The problem here with the 49ers is I’m not sure if Alfred Collins has enough value to make it worth it. While adding Carter would give them a lot of depth on their defensive line, they’d be down a pass rusher. They could get away with it with Nick Bosa coming back from injury as well, but is it worth it to them? That’s the question they’re going to have to ask. But Philadelphia needs pass rush help badly, which is why Williams or Bosa would have to be part of the deal. With Carter and Williams being similar in age, that’s why I went that route. 

The 49ers can’t be afraid to make big moves when you look at the rest of this division. They have to play the defending Super Bowl champions twice and deal with Myles Garrett and the Los Angeles Rams twice per year. They can’t get left behind by not bolstering their team in any way they can. Adding Carter is just that, but it also means they’re sacrificing a major piece of their future. 

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