When news broke that Howie Roseman traded John Michie II and a sixth-round pick to the New York Jets to reunite Joe Douglas with former fifth-round pick Michael Carter II – plus a seventh-round pick – it got Philadelphia Eagles fans hyped.

Sure, Roseman has a less-than-stellar track record of mid-season trades, and Carter II isn't Tariq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks, but he was once considered an elite slot cornerback who has simply been dealt a bad hand from an injury standpoint. At his best, he can really play, which, considering the Eagles' other options at CB3, instantly had fans giving the move positive marks online.

Taking to social media to break down the deal, ex-Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho largely echoed the fan sentiment, explaining why Carter II could be an excellent fix for Philadelphia moving forward.

“All right, Eagles fans, just got a crash course watching film on Michael Carter II. Here's what you need to know. When he's healthy, he's a really, really, really good nickel cornerback. What that will do is that will move Cooper DeJean likely to the outside,” Acho said.

“Now the dilemma is this: 2024 Michael Carter II he took a nosedive as it pertains to his talent level. He graded, for what it's worth, 88 out of 89 eligible cornerbacks as it pertains to past defense grade, minimum of 80 coverage snaps. When the dude is healthy, he can play. I like him a lot in man coverage, just finished watching his tape against the Bengals game. Albeit he only got 13 snaps in that game, several special team snaps as well, because he recently got replaced.

Article Continues Below

“When he's healthy, he can cover. But the biggest thing is the Eagles' weakness on defense right now is outside cornerback. You move Cooper Dejean to outside cornerback, outside Quinyon Mitchell, then you move Michael Carter II into that slot cornerback position, and you should be set.”

Will Carter II actually work out as a member of the Eagles? Will he play up to DeJean's usual standards in the slot, hold up on the outside when the situation requires it, and ultimately give the Eagles the sort of lockdown secondary they boasted in 2024? Only time will tell, but in Acho's opinion, if Carter II can stay healthy, there's a chance.

“Let's not get our hopes too much up because the 2023 season, of which he dominated, by which he got paid the highest amount ever at the nickelback position, three years, $30 million,” Acho noted. “We're years away from that. Does he still have that talent within him? Absolutely. But he's had a back injury, a shoulder injury, and a concussion. If he can stay healthy, he'll be a dude. Eagles' defense will turn a weakness into a strength. But the biggest thing is, can he stay healthy? We'll see.”