Running back D’Andre Swift was traded by the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles eight months ago in exchange for fourth and seventh round selections. Both clubs have performed well subsequently, finishing 11-5, but which one “won” the trade?
The reason Philadelphia emerged victorious in the trade
The Eagles rushed for the fourth-most yards in 2022 thanks to Miles Sanders’ first 1,000-yard campaign. It’s conceivable that Sanders would still be in Philadelphia if the Carolina Panthers hadn’t made him an offseason offer of a four-year, $25 million contract.
Swift was a great fit for the Eagles for a fourth- and seventh-round draft pick because of his $1.7 million contract for 2023, which fit considerably better under the team’s salary ceiling. With just one game remaining, Swift has already broken all of his career records while playing behind a potent offensive line.
Swift had 78 more carries (229 total) and 432 more yards (1,049 total) than he did in 2021. He currently ranks fourth among running backs in terms of yardage, but if he sits against the Giants on Sunday, that number might drop.
Why Detroit won the trade
The Lions already used Philadelphia’s seventh-round pick to draft North Carolina’s Antoine Green in 2023. So far Green has one catch for two yards in two games played, so Detroit will have to do better with the Eagles’ fourth-round pick in 2025.
When the Lions signed former Bears running back David Montgomery to their roster, most assumed Swift would be moved. When they took Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, people wondered where Swift would land.
Detroit rushed for 380 yards per game in 2022, fifth-best in the league and one spot behind Philadelphia who averaged 389.1 yards per game. This year, the team ran for 395.7 yards per game, five spots ahead of the Eagles, third-most in the league and a sign of things to come in 2024.
Gibbs is not far behind Montgomery with 915 yards and nine touchdowns, but Montgomery leads Detroit with 975 yards and twelve touchdowns. Compared to all other top-10 backs besides Christian McCaffrey, who also averages 5.4 yards per carry, his 5.4-yard per carry average is superior.
Gibbs appears to be a superior running back when considering only talent, as opposed to Montgomery or Swift. Additionally, Gibbs provides more value than Swift, who can anticipate a compensation in the $5 million area for 2024, with an average base salary of $1.03 million for the next three years.
Adding it all up, Detroit now has Gibbs and Montgomery, the seventh and fifteenth-ranked rushers, respectively. Additionally, they are the first owners of the NFC North since 1993. This does not require a redo.
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