In a day where Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has been suspended six games by the NFL, the biggest news of the day may come from the Buffalo Bills who are having a fire sale, trading CB Ronald Darby to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third round draft pick.
In lieu of the Matthews trade, there has been a wide range of reactions across the NFL.
This is the most wonderful news I've heard in months.
— Stephen Lee (@Stephen_Lee20) August 11, 2017
Ronald Darby is the perfect fit for this team. #FlyEaglesFly #NOLES
You can't find a better fit for this team. 23, up and coming, cheap and good https://t.co/uTXYmkZ5YP
— John Barchard (@JohnBarchard) August 11, 2017
Again, J-Matt wasn't in their future plans. They're hurting in the secondary, especially since Brooks got hurt. THIN at CB. This makes sense https://t.co/oZs6m9kjcd
— EROCK (@TheMightyEROCK) August 11, 2017
Oh, I'm sorry, I also missed where the Bills traded away their best cornerback.
— Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) August 11, 2017
This isn't the first time the Eagles have traded with the Bills for a young defensive player. In 2015 the Eagles traded for linebacker Kiko Alonso, sending running back Lesean McCoy to Buffalo. With the strange Jordan Matthews situation — he sat out most of OTAs with an unknown injury — a trade was bound to happen.
In the aftermath of Matthews’ departure, Nelson Agholor seems like the candidate most likely to benefit from the trade. It’s long been speculated that Agholor was a better fit for the slot, even before he was drafted. Agholor’s shiftiness and quickness makes him a better fit as a slot receiver in this scheme, as he can do more in space than what Matthews could from an athletic standpoint.
Focusing on the player the Eagles received, Ronald Darby, it appears that a lot of people around the league were high on him. As Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders remarked, he’s viewed as Buffalo’s best cornerback. Darby will have a shot to immediately step in as the best cornerback on the Eagles roster, with Patrick Robinson having a bad camp and rookie Rasul Douglas showing rookie inconsistencies.