Should the Eagles trade for D’Andre Swift?

The talented Detroit Lions running back may be on the move this weekend.

The Eagles filled a number of needs on Thursday night during the first round of the NFL Draft, selecting defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith to infuse some youth into their pass rush. However, as we enter the second and third rounds of the draft on Friday night, the Birds could be on the lookout for another running back.

If there are none that they like in the draft, one potential option for Howie Roseman to consider is Detroit Lions tailback D’Andre Swift who, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, is on the trading block now that Detroit drafted Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round.

The 5-foot-9 and 208-pound running back is a graduate of St. Joe’s Prep in Philly and played his college ball at Georgia (!), two things that would make him very appealing to this fan base regardless of his talent level. But, as luck would have it, he IS a talented back to boot.

Last season, Swift rushed for 542 yards on 99 carries (5.5 ypc) and scored five touchdowns. Over his three-year career, he has run for 1,680 yards on 364 carries (4.6 ypc) and found the endzone 18 times. He is also a potent threat out of the backfield, catching 48 passes for 389 yards (8.1 ypc) on three scores last year, while hauling in 156 balls for 1,198 yards (7.7 ypc) and seven TDs on his career. He has six career fumbles, but he has improved his ball security each season and last year he only had one fumble…which he recovered himself.

The Eagles already signed RB Rashaad Penny from Seattle this offseason and return Kenny Gainwell and Boston Scott, but with the amount the Birds run the ball, there are plenty of carries to go around. Swift’s pass catching abilities also make him an attractive option to teams around the league. There are some concerns about Swift’s injury history, with Eagles legend Duce Staley (who was Detroit’s RB coach at the time) even challenging Swift to play through minor injuries ahead of last season. Swift is also entering the last year of his rookie contract with a base salary worth $1.77 million.

Philadelphia doesn’t have a TON of draft capital to offer this year, but they have a bunch of picks next year that might be attractive to Detroit as the Lions continue to build up their roster to be a contender in the NFC North.