This Eagles-Jaguars trade would immediately make Philly the favorites in the NFC East

The Philadelphia Eagles have a 5-2 record heading into Week 9 of the 2024 season, but the road hasn't been as easy as that record would suggest. Much like they did last year, the Eagles have shown plenty of concerning signs through their first seven games, from an occasionally predictable offense to a shockingly soft defense.

The edges of the defensive front may be Philadelphia's single biggest weakness. Although Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith and Josh Sweat have generated plenty of pressure over the past few weeks, they've had the luxury of facing some of the most porous offensive lines in the league.

The Eagles haven't gotten the sort of production they hoped for out of defensive end Bryce Huff, who was signed in free agency after recording 10 sacks as an outside linebacker with the New York Jets last season. Huff has been a poor fit in the Eagles' defensive scheme, and he has only managed to notch 1.5 sacks through seven games.

Philadelphia managed to secure their third consecutive victory in a tough road game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, but Eagles general manager Howie Roseman could still opt to address some of the defensive weaknesses before the trade deadline on November 5. And a big splash along the line could be just what this team needs to stamp themselves true NFC contenders.

Josh Hines-Allen is an unrealistic trade candidate for the Eagles

Zach Ciavolella of Philly Sports Network suggested that the Eagles could solve their pass rushing woes by acquiring Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen.

Hines-Allen was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he has slowly blossomed into an elite pass rusher. The two-time Pro Bowler finished the 2023 season with 17.5 sacks, 66 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 33 quarterback hits. Despite his recent success, Hines-Allen has only managed to notch 3 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in eight games on the struggling Jacksonville defense this season.

Hines-Allen would certainly be a splashy addition to the Eagles defense, but he's not a realistic trade option. It's entirely possible that Jacksonville would be open to shedding some salary after falling to a 2-6 record, but Hines-Allen isn't a viable trade candidate after signing a five-year, $141.2 million contract in April.

Under the new deal, it wouldn't make much sense for the Jaguars to trade their best pass rusher. He only has a $11.1 million salary cap hit in 2024, and Jacksonville would take a massive dead money charge of $76.5 million by trading him away, per Spotrac.

Ultimately, the Jaguars would only save $4.7 million in salary cap space this season, and they would be restricted by $55.6 million in dead cap for the 2025 season. Philadelphia would have to put together quite a convincing offer to make Jacksonville take on those financial penalties.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the closest look they'll get at Hines-Allen this season will be when he's attempting to chase down Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in their Week 9 matchup on Sunday.