The New England Patriots are hardly the first team to lose a trade negotiation to general manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles. Philadelphia’s front office has become the NFL’s gold standard for going all-in on championship windows.
Now suddenly in the mix for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots could learn a thing or two from Roseman’s aggressiveness around the trade deadline.
Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal reported that the Patriots were in on Miami Dolphins pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, who was dealt to the Eagles on Monday in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.
Phillips was someone the Pats had interest in. Arden Key in Temn makes more sense in terms of the cost draft-comprnsation wise. https://t.co/tcajmB8f2n
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) November 3, 2025
How serious was New England about acquiring the explosive, 26-year-old edge defender? We’ll probably never really know; it’s possible the Dolphins preferred working with Roseman and the Eagles over dealing their 2021 No. 18 overall pick to a division rival.
But based on the information available, it’s fair to say the Patriots weren’t aggressive enough for a player they wanted, and the new regime should take that as a learning experience moving forward.
Jaelan Phillips was an elite trade deadline addition that the New England Patriots missed out on
There’s some risk associated with every big roster move, and Phillips certainly has some red flags on his resume.
While his talent is undeniable, Phillips tore his Achilles in 2023. He returned only to play four games in 2024 before tearing his ACL.
He’s proven that he’s healthy through nine games with the Dolphins this season, averaging 45 snaps per game, per Pro Football Focus, with 32 total pressures and three sacks.
It’s Phillips’ contract situation that truly made him a valuable commodity at this year's trade deadline, even for the high asking price of a third-round pick.
He’s currently playing on a fifth-year option, meaning he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. That makes him a potential half-year rental, yes, but he also now counts for the Eagles’ compensatory pick formula for free agency next year.
With the Dolphins agreeing to pay a portion of Phillips’ salary — Philly’s only on the hook for $1.5 million in cash for 2025 — this trade feels like a clear win-win situation. If Phillips fits well in the scheme, Philadelphia will have the opportunity to sign him to an extension. If he stays healthy and decides to test free agency next March, the Eagles could recoup a compensatory pick (likely in the fourth-round range) for renting his services for their upcoming playoff push.
Roseman plays the front office game at a high level by leveraging aggressiveness in the trade market with minimal risk on the back end. When you peel back the layers, spending a third-round pick for a player with Phillips’ contract situation and upside is low-risk, high-reward.
Again, the Patriots might have had to pay an “AFC East tax” to acquire Phillips; they had the draft capital to get a deal of this magnitude done, though, and currently lead the NFL in 2025 salary cap space by a wide margin, per Over the Cap.
Perhaps targeting a cheaper player like the Titans’ Arden Key, whom Giardi also mentioned, will be more palatable for New England’s new regime; even after their hot start, Mike Vrabel and crew are still quietly managing a longer-term roster rebuild.
But when you’re a 7-2 football team suddenly in the middle of a wide-open playoff race, fans would love to see the team act with a little more conviction.