If Philadelphia Is Considering A Reset, Should Denver Pounce?

It was quite a whirlwind 18 hours for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The first blow came on Tuesday evening when six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson, also a future Hall of Famer, announced his retirement after 14 seasons, citing mental-health issues.

That didn't stop Eagles' GM Howie Roseman from pulling the trigger on a second shocker 18 hours later when he traded All-Pro center Cam Jurgens, who is currently in the concussion protocol and not able to play until Week 6 at the earliest, to the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of draft picks.

So, with the Eagles stumbling along at 2-2 and with upcoming games against the 3-1 Jacksonville Jaguars (in London), improving 2-2 Carolina Panthers and offensively dangerous Dallas Cowboys (2-3), they look like nothing more than a fringe playoff outfit at this point.

Does this mean that GM Howie Roseman, one of the NFL's most aggressive front-office operators, might actually be eyeing a reset for his squad? The Johnson and Jurgens moves, along with Roseman's track record, could seem to indicate that.

At least one outlet gives credence to the theory and suggests that Denver Broncos' GM George Paton should be dialing a number in the 215 area code, if not ASAP, at least before the NFL's trade deadline on Nov. 10.

Writing for predominantlyorange.com on Oct. 7, Lou Scataglia argues that a trade with the Eagles could help the Broncos elevate their inside linebacker play.

"Frankly, it seems like General Manager Howie Roseman sees the writing on the wall and is kickstarting this potential rebuild, as this current era of Eagles football, which helped them win a Super Bowl in 2024, is now about over," Scataglia writes. "For the Broncos, they could benefit from this if the Eagles are willing to listen to trade offers....Simply put, the Broncos have a bad group of linebackers at the moment, and if the Eagles are indeed trending toward being sellers at the deadline, the front office needs to do whatever it takes...." to improve the inside linebacker position.

A look at the numbers proves the point. After four games and a 2-2 start the Broncos' defense ranks a middling 18th in points allowed and takeaway/giveaway ratio and a concerning 28th in yards allowed. The unit that recorded 68 sacks last season, just four shy of the all-time record 72 by the 1984 Chicago Bears, has just eight QB takedowns so far.

Individually, inside linebacker Alex Singleton has been his usual self, leading the team with 47 total tackles (22 solo, 25 assists), but the other starting inside linebacker, Justin Strnad, has just 19 tackles (10 and 9), fifth-best on the unit.

A specific name that Scataglia mentions as a possible target for Paton is 29-year-old linebacker Zack Baun. Baun entered the league in 2020 as a third-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns before he was traded to the New Orleans Saints, who were coached at the time by, yes, Sean Payton.

Baun started 14 of 62 games for the Saints from 2020-23 before he signed as a free agent with the Eagles prior to the 2024 season. To say he blossomed in Philly with a move to inside linebacker would be an understatement.

In 2024, he recorded 151 tackles and earned First Team All-Pro recognition while finishing fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting and helping the Eagles to the Super Bowl title. He added 123 tackles in 2025, good for a Pro Bowl nod, and has 25 tackles in three games this season (six more than Strnad has in four games).

He sat out Philly's Week 4 contest against the Los Angeles Rams with a concussion, but was listed as a limited participant in practice on Thursday as he hopes to suit up in London against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Additionally, his contract has two more years to run, but with base salaries of less than $1.4 million a season and manageable signing and option bonuses, it is relatively salary cap-friendly.

"Zack Baun would be a perfect fit for the Broncos' defense" Scataglia concludes. "He'd be able to elevate the defense from day one. He's great in coverage, can play downhill well against the run, and can also get into the backfield and create negative plays."