It’s generally considered best practice for NFL general managers to ignore all incoming calls from Howie Roseman — or any number from a Philadelphia area code, for that matter.
The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t the first to fall victim to a Howie Heist, but Monday night’s trade that shipped young cornerback Jakorian Bennett to Philly for reserve defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV has many across the NFL shaking their heads.
Bennett fits the Roseman prototype perfectly. He was somewhat of a depressed asset, after his 2024 season was cut short due to a torn labrum. The Raiders also ushered in a new regime this year, led by head coach Pete Carroll, bringing scheme fit projections into play.
For Las Vegas, the red flags should have been waving on Bennett, 24, who opposing quarterbacks completed just 45% of their passes against (with no touchdowns) last season, per Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports.
Bennett could be a game-changer for Eagles’ cornerback depth in 2025
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni met with the media Tuesday and called the Bennett acquisition a depth move.
“Competition brings out the best in all our guys,” Sirianni said.
What Bennett really brings to Philadelphia is flexibility. He’s an excellent candidate to be the team’s Isaiah Rodgers replacement, keeping Kelee Ringo honest while pushing veteran Adoree’ Jackson into more of a support role (which should suit Jackson and Philly’s young secondary well). His presence could also unlock Cooper DeJean for whatever Vic Fangio has in mind for the versatile defensive back at safety.
The Raiders likely saw some of the upside that Eagles fans have seen in Booker, who, per Pro Football Focus, played 179 defensive snaps last season but seemed to flash positively whenever he got on the field. He impressively posted one sack, two tackles for loss, one batted down pass, and four total pressures in those limited opportunities.
But the value-add here for Philly is hard to ignore. Roseman just flipped the fifth defensive tackle on his depth chart, turning the former undrafted free agent into Bennett, a player selected one pick before Ringo in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
It’s hard to make sense of this one for the Raiders, outside of the team concluding that Bennett isn’t a scheme fit for Carroll’s defense. That’s all well and good, but exposing your franchise to a potential Howie theft is a bold strategy. We’ll see how that works out for them.
