The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots have something else in common besides being this year's Super Bowl representatives: They are the two most active teams in the NFL when it comes to trades.
Since executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman regained control of personnel in 2016, the Eagles have executed 20 trades in all, including a pair this week that brought defensive end Michael Bennett in from the Seattle Seahawks and sent wide receiver Torrey Smith to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Daryl Worley. Only the Patriots have executed more deals over that span with 21.
While it would be a mistake to blindly link their success with their willingness to wheel and deal -- the Cleveland Browns rank third with 16 trades -- it is fair to say these two organizations are ahead of the curve when it comes to using this avenue to their advantage while others stick more to the traditional roads of the draft and free agency.
No doubt, the Eagles would not be where they are if they hadn't made a double-move to jump from No. 13 to No. 2 in the 2016 draft to select quarterback Carson Wentz -- a blueprint that some feel the Buffalo Bills are currently following.
And the path to Super Bowl LII was easier to manage as a result acquiring cornerback Ronald Darby in August (allowing Patrick Robinson to move inside, where he became one of the best slot corners in football) and running back Jay Ajayi in late October at the trade deadline. Similarly, the Patriots geared up for their run by giving up a first-round pick for wide receiver Brandin Cooks last March.
The Eagles view trades -- particularly deadline deals -- like front offices in the NBA and MLB do, where contenders should be able to acquire current value in exchange for future value with teams who are probably a season away. But the NFL has been slow to adopt this mindset, making it an upstream swim for clubs trying to execute player trades.
But, the committed -- like the Eagles, Patriots and Seahawks -- have found a way.
Fresh off the Eagles' first Super Bowl championship, Roseman entered the offseason with the belief that if they kept things status quo and didn't try to get better, "we’re going to get our ass kicked." On the first day of the new league year, two Eagles trades were officially announced -- one that brought Bennett in and another that sent Smith elsewhere. The Patriots, meanwhile, made two deals with the Browns -- one for DL Danny Shelton and another for CB Jason McCourty.
With another league year underway, it's clear that the most trade-happy teams are staying active. The only question is whether more will follow their lead.