Philadelphia Eagles acquire star running back with likely Super Bowl run looming

30 April 2023 , 19:29

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The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly traded for D'Andre Swift

Philadelphia Eagles have acquired D'Andre Swift after the Detroit Lions decided to trade the star running back following their capture of Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

According to The Athletic, the Eagles obtained Swift and the Lions’ seventh-round pick (No 249) in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick (No 219) this year. The move will be a homecoming for Swift, who is from Philadelphia and went to high school less than 10 miles from the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field.

Ahead of the trade, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said: “Yeah, I mean, D'Andre, he's still on our roster. He's still part of our team. He's still under contract with us. He's a dynamic football player. So, [the Gibbs pick] hasn't really changed the math there yet, but, you know, it is early.”

And on Saturday afternoon, Holmes added: “It's my job to keep laser focus on the present, but probably even more importantly, keep laser focus on the future, and that's what went into a lot of the decision with having to make the trade with D'Andre Swift to Philly.

“He was in the last year of his contract. If I could go back to last year, I felt really good about us being able to bring back Jamaal Williams. I felt confident [during] the season, and I felt good with our conversations with his camp, and it didn't happen. So you have to be prepared for all those things.

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“We don't draft scared. We don't kind of play scared. The thing with Jahmyr Gibbs is that's the guy that we loved.”

D'Andre Swift is a Philadelphia native and will reportedly head home in a lucrative trade package

The Eagles were in outstanding form last season as they finished top of the NFC after winning 14 of their 17 matches. The franchise went on to defeat San Francisco 49ers in the Conference Championship to set up a Super Bowl showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.

But the Chiefs had too much for the Philadelphia franchise in an epic encounter and secured a narrow 38-35 victory to deny the Eagles a second Super Bowl. The Eagles will be looking to put that disappointment behind them, however, when the new NFL season gets underway in September and are among the favourites to win the LVIII Super Bowl.

And as Holmes turned his attention to Swift’s departure once again, he added: “At the end of the day, him being able to go back to his hometown on a really, really good team that was just in the Super Bowl, I think it was a win-win for all parties involved.”

Tom Parsons