The final big offseason question mark for the Philadelphia Eagles has been answered, with struggling EDGE Bryce Huff reportedly agreeing to a restructured contract to facilitate an eventual trade to the San Francisco 49ers.
While not the outcome anyone expected when the Eagles signed the ascending pass rusher to a three-year deal worth over $51 million in 2024, it was necessary, as Huff failed to make an impact on the field early and then vanished during Philly’s run to a Super Bowl title.
Now that we have our long-awaited resolution, here are the biggest winners and losers from Huff’s reported move to San Francisco:
Winner: Azeez Ojulari
Whether Huff stuck on Philly’s roster or not in 2025, the starting EDGE defenders are well established entering training camp. Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt are poised to take first-team reps on each side of the defensive line.
The Huff trade creates clear opportunity for Ojulari, who to this point is Philly’s most notable free agent signing from outside the organization. Ojulari appears locked into the No. 3 spot and should have plenty of opportunities to get on the field, unless the Eagles make some type of blockbuster move that knocks him down the depth chart.
Loser: Howie Roseman
Roseman can do no wrong in Philly, and he’s earned that right. He’s the NFL’s best GM by a country mile, and he’s got the Eagles set up to win multiple Super Bowls over the next decade thanks to his brilliant moves in the draft.
While he’ll be lauded for creating some 2025 cap space, on top of draft compensation, in moving Huff to San Francisco, let’s call a spade a spade. The Huff signing will end up being one of the worst in franchise history, and Philly’s EDGE group has taken a serious step backwards from the 2024 group led by Josh Sweat.
More moves could be coming, as the Eagles will soon have two open roster spots (one for Huff, and one for the retired Brandon Graham), but this Huff trade is simply Roseman waving the white flag and squeezing whatever he can out of it. It’s definitely not a win.
Winners: Bryce Huff (and Robert Saleh)
Huff was bad last year, there’s no denying that. He was paid to essentially replace Haason Reddick as a three-down EDGE defender and failed miserably in Vic Fangio’s scheme.
But is it Huff’s fault that he excelled in Saleh’s “stop the run on the way to the quarterback” style of 4-3 defense, as Graham recently put it, and struggled to transition to a new team and system?
Huff was an undrafted player for the New York Jets who had a monster 2023 season in a contract year — he led the NFL in pass-rush win rate at 21.8% — but he worked mostly as a situational pass rusher and had limited responsibilities against the run. It’s hard to blame him for getting a bag from Philadelphia and struggling to adjust to assignments he wasn’t asked to do in New York.
Huff obviously did himself no favors on the field but, again, this blunder is more on Roseman and Philly’s scouts. The reunion with Saleh in San Francisco could be just what the doctor ordered.
Winner: Patrick Johnson
Speaking of undrafted players, Johnson was a former UFA with Philly who’s now back with the team after playing 12 games for the Giants last season.
Johnson would have been a long shot to make the initial 53-man roster with Huff in the fold, and he probably still is. But if the team decides to stand pat and go young at EDGE this season, Huff’s exit could open up a roster spot for Johnson, who spent his first three years as a pro with Philly and adds special teams chops.
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