By: Zach Berman, Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini
The New York Jets agreed to a trade sending cornerback Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie and a 2027 sixth-round pick, a league source said Wednesday.
Carter missed the Jets' last game with a concussion but he was expected to be cleared in time for the Jets' next game. Both the Jets and Eagles have a bye this week. Carter has played in five games for the Jets this year and has 14 tackles and two pass deflections.
The Eagles acquired Metchie in a trade with the Houston Texans this offseason but he didn't wind up playing much for Philadelphia. The former second-round pick had four catches for 18 yards in seven games, only playing 31 offensive snaps and 30 snaps on special teams.
Carter gives the Eagles a veteran nickel cornerback -- and that history in the slot might be the most interesting part of the trade. Cooper DeJean is one of the Eagles' best players, and he plays on the outside in base defense and in the slot when the Eagles play nickel. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said as recently as Tuesday that the Eagles considered keeping DeJean outside full-time, but he's too valuable in the slot and the Eagles also don't have an alternative.
"We considered it," Fangio said Tuesday. "But when you have one of the better players at a certain position, and it's an important position where you get involved more, you hate to take a really good player at one position to maybe not be as good of a player or impactful of a player at another position. But it's definitely something that we've talked about."
DeJean might still be too valuable in the slot to move to the outside, but Carter at least gives them another option. Carter has played 85 percent of his career snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. DeJean could represent a better improvement on the outside than any player the Eagles might acquire at the deadline.
The Eagles added Metchie during the preseason, but the former Alabama could never work his way up the depth chart. He's behind A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, and even undrafted rookie Darius Cooper. The Eagles also found offensive snaps for returner Xavier Gipson. Metchie struggled as a kickoff returner for the Eagles, so he didn't have much of a special teams role. He'll have more of an opportunity with the Jets, and the Eagles move down a draft round in 2027 to have more flexibility in the secondary.
It's also worth noting former Jets general manager Joe Douglas, who drafted Carter and gave him a contract extension, now works for the Eagles. -- Zach Berman, Eagles staff writer