The Philadelphia Eagles decided to Trade three-year wideout Jordan Matthews to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for cornerback Ronald Darby. The Bills traded for Matthews immediately after parting ways with Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams. Matthews has had a good career so far for the Eagles by catching over 285 passes in only three seasons. However, one of the areas that Philly wants to make sure they all bases covered is at the cornerback position.
The Eagles defense has struggled to find its' way since the death of legendary defensive coordinator Jim Johnson several years ago.
They've developed a habit over the years of beating down the field for big plays through the air. Now that the team seems to have settled all of its' offensive issues with the pieces added during the offseason, they want to make sure they do the same on defense as the regular season starts in less than a month. Ronald Darby's ability to make tackles and record INTs is something Philly hasn't seen since Asante Samuel was a member. So, Darby may just be the perfect fit.
Since the Bills parted ways with their wideout from the last three seasons, Sammy Watkins, picking up Matthews was certainly a good move. He may not possess the same speed of Watkins, but his numbers are practically identical. He's also shown in Philly that he is consistent and works hard to stay in good health.
Matthews has posted over 65 catches in all three seasons and has never racked up less than a total of 800 yards receiving yet.
Why Philly made the deal despite the success of Matthews
In the team's first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Philly showed everyone that they have depth at the wide receiver position now.
Alshon Jeffery and Torey Smith are expected to have huge seasons catching balls from Carson Wentz. Nelson Agholar has received a great deal of praise from the Eagles players and staff members and is believed to finally have a breakout season. Also, first-year wideout Mack Hollins showed some explosiveness when he caught the only touchdown of the game for Philly from Wentz.
So, as valuable as Matthews has been, the loss doesn't hurt the Eagles as much, considering what they have to replace him.
What to expect from the Buffalo Bills
The Bills are hoping to end their 17-year playoff drought this season. They have arguably the best player in the league on their roster in LeSean McCoy thanks to Philly a few years ago. Now, they have a dedicated receiver in Matthews that can help a young QB like Tyrod Taylor's numbers improve throughout the year. More importantly, they get a guy who seems to have high durability.
