Trade season never stops for Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles, and that continued with a trio of deals on Sunday after the preseason finished up. First, Philly made a deal to acquire quarterback Sam Howell from the Minnesota Vikings.
On Sunday evening, it was the offensive line that got reshuffled in the City of Brotherly Live. First, the Eagles agreed to re-acquire offensive tackle Fred Johnson from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a seventh-round pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
“Another Eagles trade: Jaguars are sending OT Fred Johnson back to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, per sources,” Schefter reported on X, formerly Twitter. “Johnson now returns to the team he played for from 2022-‘24.”
It only took Roseman about an hour to make even more room for Johnson, as he sent offensive lineman Darian Kinnard to the Green Bay Packers for some more draft capital to restock the cupboard. Now, Johnson will enter the season as a firm backup and should provide scheme familiarity and quality depth for one of the best front lines in football.
Johnson started his career with the Cincinnati Bengals before spending a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then spending the last two seasons in Philadelphia. He was a member of the team that won the Super Bowl last season, so he will surely be happy to be back in Philadelphia.
On Monday morning, the returning Eagle showcased his excitement in a very energetic post on social media.
“RUN IT BIKKKKEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! #Flyeaglesfly,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
For his career, Johnson has appeared in 62 games and made 14 starts in six seasons. He started six games in relief for the Eagles last season while primarily playing on special teams in the others, so he does have some pedigree and experience to go with the continuity that he brings back to the team.
The Eagles may need to dip into the depth early on in the season in 2025 after star guard Landon Dickerson injured his knee during a public practice before the final preseason game. Dickerson avoided the worst-case scenario and shouldn't miss too much time during the regular season, but he is not a certainty to be out there for the Eagles' Week 1 clash against the Dallas Cowboys. Someone like Johnson could come in handy eating some snaps if Nick Sirianni is forced to do some re-shuffling for the opener.
