The Eagles and Ravens executed a rare Saturday deal days before the NFL trade deadline.
Two-time Pro Bowl Cornerback Jaire Alexander will be playing for his third team in the past year after Baltimore sent him and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for a sixth-round pick next year.
Alexander will get a fresh start after a brief tumultuous stint with the Ravens, who signed the former Packers standout to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, including $2 million in incentives.
The Eagles and Ravens have been two of the most active teams ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Here are the grades for the latest trade involving these two teams.
Eagles
Philadelphia (6–2) has revamped its secondary, adding Alexander a few days after executing a trade with the Jets for Michael Carter II.
Alexander will likely be a depth piece for the defending Super Bowl champions, giving defensive coordinator Vic Fangio more flexibility with the rotation in the secondary. Fangio has mentioned the idea of moving second-year standout Cooper DeJean from inside to an outside corner spot to pair him with Quinyon Mitchell, which now appears more likely with the addition of Carter, who has thrived as a slot cornerback.
But it’s unknown where Alexander will fit with the sudden depth in the back end of the Eagles’ defense—a good problem to have for a passing defense that has been up and down most of this season. Perhaps he could eat into the snaps of the struggling Adoree’ Jackson, but Alexander failed to make a role for himself in Baltimore. The 28-year-old only played in two games with the Ravens and was a healthy scratch the past three games.
With the Eagles on a bye week, Alexander’s first game with his new team will likely be on Nov. 10 in Green Bay, where the 2018 first-round pick played the first seven seasons of his career.
Grade: B-
Ravens
Baltimore (3–5) didn’t have much of a need for Alexander after the recent personnel changes drastically improved the secondary in the past two games.
Safety Alohi Gilman has given this team a spark after arriving in a trade with the Chargers earlier this month. Baltimore sent edge rusher Odafe Oweh to Los Angeles. Also, Baltimore gained a 2026 fifth-round pick from Los Angeles and relinquished a future seventh-round pick.
It didn’t work out with Alexander, but the Ravens at least improved a Day 3 draft pick for the short and rocky relationship with the former All-Pro cornerback. Somehow the Ravens improved their secondary without having to give up much draft capital and in a way came out on the better end with the fifth rounder from L.A.
This Baltimore defense probably won’t look back now with a healthy Kyle Hamilton and a much-improved defense that has been pivotal during this two-game winning streak.
Grade: A
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaire Alexander Trade Grades: Eagles Add Depth, but Fit Questions Linger.