Eagles' Bryce Huff trade is a big blow to Super Bowl title defense

Billy Heyen

Eagles' Bryce Huff trade is a big blow to Super Bowl title defense image

The Eagles surely didn't want to trade Bryce Huff.

He was a prized free agent signing a year ago, given a three-year, $51 million deal after a 10-sack season with the New York Jets.

But on Friday, Philadelphia reportedly finalized a deal to send Huff to the 49ers in a trade that can't be made official until June 1. The Eagles will get just a mid-round pick in return, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

It's not an ideal spot for the Eagles to find themselves in as they attempt to defend their Super Bowl title.

Sure, Huff was disappointing last year, with just 2.5 sacks as he dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness.

But it appeared the Eagles would need him more this year after Brandon Graham retired and Josh Sweat signed with the Cardinals.

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Nolan Smith was a given on the edge, but Huff likely was going to be another huge contributor.

The signings of Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari loom extra large now, because with no Huff, they're guaranteed to see more playing time.

Huff made his displeasure happy throughout the offseason, not attending voluntary workouts.

It seems like Huff must've just wanted a fresh start after a really trying season with the Eagles. A Super Bowl title apparently didn't clean out those wounds.

And now Huff is on an NFC rival as the Eagles try to solve their pass rush with different pieces.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle