Trade Deadline- Robert Quinn

The trade deadline is Monday November 1^st.  The Eagles moves at the trade deadline under Howie Roseman have not been earthshattering (like Carolina recently trading Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers for 4 draft picks, 1 each in rounds 2-5).  Roseman is all about value, so in a trade like that he would almost certainly be receiving the draft capital.  The question was would Roseman make a statement to his players that the Front Office is behind the teams attempt to march to the playoffs, and possibly further?  He did that in 2017 when a 4^th round pick was moved to get Running Back Jay Ajayi (a successful  move for the Super Bowl run).  He did it again in 2019 when  3^rd round pick was moved to get wide receiver Golden Tate (largely unsuccessful). 

One could argue Roseman already made that move when he grabbed slot corner (now safety) CJ Gardner Johnson off the Saints roster for a pair of late round picks.  Now he has added a “week approaching the deadline move” by getting Defensive End Robert Quinn from the Chicago Bears for a 4^th round pick.  Quinn is a 32-year-old defensive end for the Chicago Bears who has a very good resume.  We will review the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in this move in BUG (The Bad, the Ugly and the Good) sequence:

The Bad:

Age: Quinn is certainly well closer to the end of his career than the start.  He is 32 and will turn 33 next May before the 2023 season.

Draft Capital: The Eagles give up their 2023 4^th rounder.  They had already given up their 5^th rounder (for starting safety Chauncey-Gardner Johnson) and 6^th rounder (for backup slot corner Josiah Scott) next year.  This lack of mid-to-late round 2023 draft capital is disconcerting.  The Eagles have only their 1^st, 2^nd,  3^rd and 7^th round picks, although they also having an additional 7^th (from the Vikings as part of 2 picks for Jaelen Reagor) and 1^st (in a blockbuster trade with the Saints leading into the 2022 draft).  Still, no picks between the 3^rd and 7^th rounds (currently) is a void in the middle of 2023’s draft weekend.

2022: Just 8 tackles and one sack so far in 7 games with the Bears. This is a dramatic and concerning drop-off from his 2^nd team all Pro 2021 performance (18.5 sacks).  Some attribute his reduced performance to playing too many snaps in Chicago, or practically leading the NFL in having to face double teams, or the new system he was playing in this year.  Nevertheless, it is a legitimate and serious concern.

2020: Quinn had a reduced performance in 2020 as well, but this was directly attributable to a “drop foot injury.” While he played thru it (he appeared in 15 games), it effected his play. 

BG: Brandon Graham is being bothered by a minor Achilles problem.  Remembering that was the injury that put him out last year, the Quinn move is insurance to protect the Eagle depth short term from injury issues… Quinn may be rushed in this week to preserve BG and make sure he remains healthy. 

Future salary: The Eagles can cut ties with Quinn after the season.  His 12.5mil+ salaries in 2023 and 2024 warranted significant performance this year to carry forward, so Quinn and the Eagles agreed he’d become a free agent after this year.  Given the many defensive players in the final year of their contract (plus a possible Jalen Hurts salary negotiation), Eagle cap management for 2023 and 2024 will be quite a challenge.  Quinn’s future salary did not help.  Perhaps the Eagles will try to renegotiate with him like many of their other players.  It will all depend upon Quinn’s performance.

Undersized: At 250 Quinn sometimes is challenged to set the edge.  While not quite as small as Hassan Reddick, he is smaller than both Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat.  He does not bolster an overall smaller than average sized edge group.  Per Bears blogger Lester Wiltfong Jr from Windy City Gridiron, “He’s not the biggest guy, so he can get overwhelmed by size and strength at times. He’s not the stoutest in setting the edge either.”

Vs. Run: Historically, Quinn is a terrific pass rusher, but below average vs. the run.  The Eagles would be well served to limit his snaps to anticipated pass plays, and less frequently have him serve as a run defender. 

Remaining Moves: No doubt Howie’s creativity will allow him to do what he chooses, but by spending the 4^th rounder here they have committed a portion of their Draft capital budget here, so are less likely (although not unlikely, knowing Howie) to have any other significant move as the trade deadline approaches.  While Defensive End was a depth area of weakness aptly addressed by Quinn, the only position perhaps even more warranted for a move was Safety, where a 3^rd safety behind Marcus Epps and Chauncey-Gardner Johnson is a critical need.

 

The Ugly:

Kerrigan Lesson: Some have legitimately compared this move to the Eagles acquisition of Ryan Kerrigan before the 2021 season.  Kerrigan had a successful career as a defensive end with Washington, but he seemed to fall off his final year there, much like it appears Quinn has in 2022 with the Bears (just 1 sack this year).  Kerrigan was a virtual non-entity on the field during the 2021 regular season, making little difference as a playmaker on game days.

PFF 2022: Total Pro Football Focus rating, including coverage, run defense and pass rush, Quinn ranks 110^th of 114 2022 Edge Rushers per Pro Football Focus after 7 games.  Just as a pass rusher (where new teammates Reddick, Graham and Sweat rank 7^th, 9^th and 38^th respectively amongst the 114) he ranked 83^rd.

Tarron Jackson: Jackson was cut to make room for Quinn.  The Eagles will try to get Jackson added to their practice squad. 

Salary dump: The Bears paid to move Quinn.  This is not a good sign, and potentially indicates the Bears aggressively wanted to move on from Quinn while maximizing the draft capital returned, which was only a (late) 4^th round pick from the Eagles.

Playing Time: While the ability to reduce core pass rusher snaps amongst other Eagle pass rushers can be viewed positively (preserving their in game and in season health/performance), in some scenarios other Eagle players could be unhappy with reduced snaps. 

 

The Good:

Status- When comparing Quinn to Commander defensive end Ryan Kerrigan turned Eagle in 2021, Kerrigan had already become a backup in Washington.  Quinn was still a starter taking (perhaps too) many snaps for the Bears this year.  As for his intro to Philly, per Nick Sirianni “We’re working on getting him up to speed. He’s a smart guy that’s been in a lot of different systems… We’re hopeful he’s playing on Sunday (vs the Steelers on Oct 30)… His addition adds another good player to the system, amongst a group of guys that can already get after the passer… add another guy, and that’s just more fresh legs coming after the QB…”

Done Lately: While folks point to his lone sack in 2022 as a sign of decline, last season Quinn had 2 excellent pass rush partners in Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks that were no longer with the Bears in 2022.  Per Nick Siriani: “Sometimes sacks come in waves, but we still see the juice in his legs, his ability to put the tackle in a threatening spot and create pressure. We’re excited to have him.” NFL analyst Tommy Lawlor (iggles blitz.com) stated “I don’t see a player who looks washed, as (Ryan) Kerrigan (of the Washington Commanders who came to Philly at his end in 2021) turned out to be. I saw Quinn make multiple hustle plays on Monday night (vs. New England October 24). I saw him get double-teamed several times.” 

Double Teams: Speaking of those double teams, opposing offenses double team players they’re concerned about.  Quinn is double teamed on just under a third of his snaps, 4^th in the NFL for Edge rushers. Ben Solak of “The Ringer” published an interesting graphic showing how Quinn is double teamed more than any NFL edge rusher except Myles Garrett, his Bears teammate Za’Darius Smith or Detroit top pick Aidan Hutchinson.  The graph (also below) accentuates Quinn’s ability to achieve an average pass rush win rate even given the extreme attention double team attention he has received:

As Mark Schofield of SB Nation notes “Josh Sweat is 4^th in the NFL in PRWR (Pass Rush Win Rate) and Brandon Graham would be 2^nd if he qualified (just a few too few snaps).  Hassan Reddick is an almost superb 11^th.”  Quinn is a not too shabby 28^th in his current situation in Chicago.  “In Philadelphia, Quinn gets to join an already imposing defensive front, and will create headaches for opposing offensive coordinators. Perhaps he continues to see double-team blocks at the same rate… Or, maybe Quinn himself gets more 1-on-1 opps… The result? 1-on-1 chances for Quinn, and as we have seen, he remains a dangerous presence off the edge in those moments.”

Familiarity- Quinn has played in the Vic Fangio defense prior to 2022, so the Eagles scheme is quite familiar to him. Quinn has been attempting to adapt to a new system in Chicago that may help explain his lack of productivity.  He will now return to a system he’s had recent great success in (18.5 sacks in 2021).

Reputation: Per Former Eagle defensive end Chris Long, “You saw what Robert Quinn’s capable of.  I’ve seen it in person… You saw it last year where he damn near led the league in sacks in Chicago and didn’t get credit for it… He can still really bend.”  Per Eagle Right Tackle Lane Johnson: “He’s a great player, I’m excited to get him.  You can’t have enough great pass rushers… Him and Sweat on one side, Hassan and BG on the other, and the guys up the middle, it’s going to be a tough task to block those guys.”  Per Eagle Center Jason Kelce: “Robert’s a really, really good player. He’s been a double digit sack guy pretty much his whole career… He’s a very tough matchup.” Per Bears blogger Lester Wiltfong Jr from Windy City Gridiron interviewed by Eagles blogger Brandon Lee Gowton for Bleeding Green Nation, “His first step quickness and bend are still elite, and his cross-chop move has been money for him during his career.”

Turnovers: The Eagles are emphasizing defensive turnovers as 1 of 2 critical areas (along with stopping explosive plays).  Per Tom Lawlor at IgglesBlitz, “from 2013-2021 Quinn had at least 2 forced fumbles / year (4 in 2021).“

Upgrade: Robert Quinn is coming in to replace the #4 edge rusher here behind Hassan Reddick, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham.  That role was initially held by Derrick Barnett, who has been out for the year with an injury since week 1.  Tarron Jackson filled in that role but was usurped by 2^nd year player Patrick Johnson.  Quinn now slots in ahead of Johnson, who will now fall to the #5 position as an overall edge (and Johnson is a direct backup to Hassan Reddick in his unique SAM LB spot).  Quinn is an unquestioned upgrade over both Barnett (an underrated veteran lost for the year) and Johnson (a rising player who nevertheless does not play on Sunday’ with the reputation, skills and proven past veteran capability of Robert Quinn). Per Bears blogger Lester Wiltfong Jr from Windy City Gridiron interviewed by Bleeding Green Nations Brandon Lee Gowton, “The Eagles are getting a player with plenty in the tank, and if he’s used situationally as a pass rusher he should really thrive.”

Puzzle Piece: The Eagles already have a successful pass rush.  Quinn will fit into a rotation as opposed to starting.  The Edge players are starters Hassan Reddick and Josh Sweat, and key reserve Brandon Graham. To a lesser extent 2^nd year players Patrick Johnson and Tarron Jackson have filled in for injured (for the year) Derrick Barnett.  Quinn will consume most of the snaps previously given to Johnson and Jackson (15 per game), and probably take just a few additional (2-4) snaps from each of the 3 aforementioned key rotational players.  Quinn  will thus become a 4^th piece to the Eagles Pass Rush puzzle solution, but unlike in Chicago, he will not be expected to be “the answer,” receiving anywhere from 20-30 snaps per game.

Fresh at games end:  In his newly defined role, Quinn will face many fewer (if any) double teams, and will play fewer snaps.  This will allow him to go full bore for the game, and will help keep Graham, Sweat and Reddick a bit fresher at games end as he “steals” a few snaps from them as well.

Fresh for the Playoffs:  Quinn’s role will not only enable he and his teammates to be fresh at games end, but they will also similarly be fresher at the end of the season once a playoff push is expected.  In the 17-game marathon of a season followed by the murderous playoff schedule, this will be a critical positive element for the heavily worked Eagle Edge pass rush.   

NASCAR: This term is frequently used when teams align an additional edge rusher in the middle of the D-Line for extra pass rush speed during 3^rd or 4^th down.  Quinn can play this role, or free up Brandon Graham to do so (It was Graham in this role that led to the strip sack of Tom Brady near games end in the Super Bowl).

Culture: Quinn is being accepted with open arms by his teammates.  Note the video from recent teammate Roquan Smith learning Quinn was leaving.  The new number 98 was, per Philadelphia Inquirer writer EJ Smith, “greeted by veteran pass rusher Brandon Graham…” Quinn remarked warmly “To have the old guy of the team walk up to me it makes you feel appreciated…. It makes you feel welcome.  I appreciate that… I’ve told everyone I want to come in and do my part... I don’t want to mess anything up, just trying to add whatever I can to make things better.”  Per Bears blogger Lester Wiltfong Jr from Windy City Gridiron interviewed by Bleeding Green Nations Brandon Lee Gowton, “He’s a good teammate, he was voted a team captain, and he never had any off-field issues in Chicago. The young defensive ends on the Bears all spoke highly about him as a mentor, and rookie Dominique Robinson learned Quinn’s cross-chop move from him. I thought he was refreshing in his press conferences with his honesty and candor.”

2022 Cap: No 2022 cap impact.  The Bears effectively “bought” a 4^th round pick from the Eagles by also agreeing to pay for Quinn’s 2022 salary.

Compensation:  While referenced as a 4^th round pick, which is true, this will likely be a very late 4^th round pick, more in line with the value of a high 5^th rounder than the average 4^th rounder.  And if Quinn moves on in 2023 as a free agent, the Birds could receive compensatory pick compensation (anything from a 5^th to a 7^th rounder).

Depth: The Eagles go 5-deep at Defensive Tackle, boasting a rotation that includes Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams and Marlon Tuipulotu (a legitimate but young NFL player, Marvin Wilson is another good D-Tackle on the Eagles practice squad). Tarron Jackson was receiving playing time at edge.  This move makes the Eagles truly 5 deep at edge, slotting Quinn in as the #4 edge and pushing a legitimate Patrick Johnson (backing up Hasson Reddick) to #5.  This depth is most important when dealing with injuries.  And per Nick Sirianni: “Yeah, we look to have good fresh legs and waves coming at the quarterbacks creating pressure.”

Resume: 101 sacks (6^th amongst active players, 55^th amongst all players), 107 tackles for loss, 32 forced fumbles & 173 QB hits in 11 seasons before 2022.  A 3-time Pro bowler, 2^nd team all pro (2021), & 1^st team all-pro (2013, when he was 4^th for Defensive player of the year).  5 times in 11 years with double digit sacks.  Impressive.

ROI: The Bears are paying for the remainder of his 2022 salary (12.8 mil).  He had cap hits of 13.9 mil in 2023 and 12.9 mil in 2024, but this is a no risk (veteran minimum) financial move since the Eagles and Quinn mutually agreed to void his final 2 years per Bleeding Green Nation, so he will be a free agent after the 2022 season.  This decision no doubt enables the Birds to still resign Quinn, or to receive a compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere. 

Supe: Not chicken soup, Super Bowl Supe.  The Front Office with this move is reinforcing the players telling them we’re behind you this year, we’re with you, we’re going for it!

Lesson Learned: Per above, whether it be ROI, valuation, reputation… The Eagles have gotten a low risk, high reward player for a low 4^th round pick that could easily get them a 5^th round compensatory pick in return.  Howie Roseman again is the master dealer at the NFL poker table.