After trading D’Andre Swift to the Eagles on Saturday, Lions general manager Brad Holmes went on record as saying that the exchange was a "win-win for all parties involved."
And the Eagles feel the same way about their new acquisition, with general manager Howie Roseman saying that he's already looking forward to seeing what Swift can do playing for his hometown team.
"I'm really excited about the opportunity to get Swift, bring him back to Philly," Roseman said in his post-draft news conference, via team transcripts. "He's a guy that we've known for a long time. Even when he was in high school we were watching him. We knew what kind of player he was, watched him through college. Really excited for that opportunity here."
The Eagles were not necessarily in the market for a running back going into the 2023 NFL Draft, with Roseman saying they were happy with the "talented group" currently on the roster. But then the Lions drafted RB Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall. As Detroit already had signed David Montgomery and was now adding Gibbs, Swift became the odd man out.
Roseman figured it was a trade Philly couldn't pass up.
"When they took Gibbs 12th, we thought maybe it was an opportunity. They signed Montgomery in free agency and they took Gibbs, and we knew (Swift) was in the last year of his deal," he said. "It wasn't in our mind a position that we were actively looking to upgrade, but at the same time, we're always looking for opportunities to improve the team. When this came about, we just felt really good about the player, we felt really good about the person, and it adds another tremendous player and person to our locker room."
While Swift, who was born in Philadelphia, has displayed sparks of dual-threat abilities since he joined Detroit as a second-round pick in 2020, the 24-year-old has dealt with injuries every season, limiting his opportunities. With 2023 marking the last year of his rookie contract, the Lions were ready to look to the future and didn't see a place for him in it, choosing instead to send him to Philly in exchange for a swap of 2023 seventh-rounders along with a 2025 fourth-round pick.
While Swift's injury history could make him a gamble for the Eagles, they felt the upside of his big-play ability was worth exploring, especially considering they had first-hand experience being on the wrong side of one of his better performances in 2022. In the Lions-Eagles Week 1 matchup, Swift exploded for a career-high 144 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, including one run that went for 50 yards.
"It really started Week 1 when we played them," Roseman said. "You saw the explosiveness when we played them. He had a heck of a game. Every time he touched the ball you knew there was a chance he could take it the distance."
Swift will be competing for playing time against an already crowded rushing unit, which includes Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell, Rashaad Penny, Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon, and only time will tell whether he'll be able to take advantage of this fresh start with his hometown team.
