Howie Roseman explains why the Eagles traded Albert Okwuegbunam – NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles didn’t even want to deal with the wire waiver process.

They wanted Albert Okogbonam.

So rather than wait and hope, they closed out a trade for the former Broncos on Tuesday. The Eagles acquired Albert Oh and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Broncos for a 2025 sixth-round pick. That’s one way to cross the line.

What did the eagles of Okwegbonam (Ok-woo-i-po-nom) like so much?

“Yeah, the first thing you talk about Albert, you talk about physical ability,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. He’s 6-5. He’s about 260 pounds. He runs 4.4. He’s got a huge wingspan. He has good lower body flexibility for a big guy.

“We’ve had a chance to watch him together, and obviously the coach (Nick Siriani) has tremendous success in that position and some guys who look like that. So, bring him over here. He’s 25. We have some people in the building who were with Denver when they Recruit him and give him a chance.

Okwuegbunam, 25, was a fourth-round draft pick (118th overall) out of Missouri in 2020 and his incredible size and speed are undeniable. At the 2020 Combine, Okwuegbunam ran 4.49 at 6-5 and 258 pounds.

That 4.49 is the fastest 40-time tight end at the Combine since Evan Engram’s 4.42 in 2017 and Engram did it at 234 pounds.

In his first three years in the NFL with the Broncos, Okwuegbunam played in 26 games with 7 starts. He caught a total of 54 passes for 546 yards and four touchdowns. His best season came in 2021, when he went 33/330/2.

Although Okwuegbunam didn’t want to join the Broncos’ roster, he put together a solid final push. In Denver’s final preseason game, a 41-0 victory over the Rams, Okwuegbunam caught 7 of 8 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown.

“I think the coach noticed that there weren’t a lot of tight ends with 100 yards receiving games in the preseason, and that was because he has a unique scouting ability, he has flexibility in the lower body, he has speed, he has length,” he said. Roseman: “He has all the tools in his body.”

“Again, this is the beginning, and now he’s here. I know he’ll be trained and we’ll get the most out of him when he gets here.

In Philadelphia, Okwuegbunam will be coached by longtime head coach Jason Michael. While the Eagles traded for Albert Oh, they’ve also kept their three other cornerbacks — Dallas Goodert, Jack Stoll, and Grant Calcaterra — on the roster, at least for the time being.

Roseman said the trade was not about their tight end space, but about Okogbonam and his potential.

“For us, any time we have an opportunity to add an attacking player who we think can help us and our team, we look at that,” Roseman said. “That’s why we brought him in.”

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