Eagles absolutely should not be looking to trade Dallas Goedert

The Eagles have said goodbye to a lot of people so far this offseason.

Josh Sweat. Milton Williams. CJGJ. Darius Slay. Isaiah Rodgers. Oren Burks. Avonte Maddox. Kenny Pickett.

Yes, even Kenny Pickett.

Most of those departures were understandable, if hard to swallow. Most of them were contained to the defensive side of the ball, where Nick Sirianni and Vic Fangio are relying on younger players already in-house or the upcoming draft to fill the void.

When it comes to tight end Dallas Goedert, the Eagles should stand pat.

With the defense taking hits in free agency this spring, it will be incumbent on the offense to continue churning out the yards and points in their title defense season. Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith and Saquon Barkley, along with the existing offensive line, make for a pretty fine core, but removing Goedert from the equation would be a major risk, one the team should make.

It’s understandable why some would see Goedert as a prime post-June 1 trade candidate.

He’s 30, and players typically degrade as they age. He’s also struggled to stay on the field, missing seven games a season ago and at least three games every season since his rookie year in 2018. There is also the matter of his contract while, not onerous, will likely need to be restructured if he is to stay in Philadelphia in 2025. His cap hit for this season is a little over $11.8 million. If they deal him after June 1, they clear about $4 million in cap space. While not a boatload of money, it isn’t nothin’.

Goedert also has no guaranteed money left, with the team on the hook to pay him $15 million this year. That’s a lot of money for a 30-year-old tight end who has trouble staying healthy.

When he’s on the field, Goedert can ball. He’s caught anywhere from 42 to 59 balls every season since 2019, piling up anywhere from nearly 500 yards to 830 in those seasons. He’s also Hurt’s most trusted over-the-middle receiver and one of the first receivers he looks to on important third downs. It’s hard to overstate how reliable Goedert has been, not only as a pass catcher, but as a pass and run-blocker, too.

But there does not seem to be a replacement in the pipeline. Grant Calcaterra generally does a nice job in Goedert’s absence, and perhaps some last-season circus grabs from the back-up tight end has engendered a little more confidence from Hurts moving forward. He hauled in 24 of 30 targets in 13 games last year for 298 yards and a 12.4 yards per catch. Of his 24 catchers, 15 went for third downs. But is it starter-worthy on a championship team? Calcaterra also cannot provide the kind of blocking that Goedert does.

The Eagles have added a couple journeymen to the mix in free agency in case Goedert is dealt. In his first three seasons in Cleveland, Harrison Bryant but up Calcaterra-like numbers, but over the last two years has totaled just 22 catches for 167 yards. Kylen Granson caught 31 and 30 balls in 2022 and ‘23, respectively, but hauled in 14 balls for 182 yards in six games in 2024.

It’s almost a certainty the Eagles will draft a tight end early in this draft, perhaps even with their first round pick, although more than likely it’ll be on Day 2. Whoever it is, a rookie would benefit greatly from playing on the same roster as Goedert in 2025, with the reins being handed over to that draft pick in ‘26 and beyond.

The Eagles have already gone through a significant roster overhaul on defense. I know the money is what the money is, and it sounds like some kind of contract “extension” will have to be made in order to guarantee some money to Goedert in ‘25 if he stays. On paper, trading him makes sense, especially if they do get the fourth round pick they’re hoping for.

But if you want to repeat as Super Bowl champions, Howie Roseman and the front office need to find a way to keep him. It’s just that simple.