Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen is at the center of one of the more intriguing — and realistic — trade proposals to come around in quite some time.
With Philly’s need for a WR3 behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith well documented, Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice came up with a player-for-player trade idea: The Eagles could send Steen to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for third-year wide receiver Alec Pierce.
“Pierce was a Colts second-round pick in 2022, who got drafted highly because of his impressive blend of size and athleticism,” Kempski wrote on August 21.
Kempski also noted that Pierce’s “role was similar to Quez Watkins‘ role last season, except Pierce made more of the plays that came his way.”
This is a proposal that would make sense for both teams. Let’s break it down.
Would the Philadelphia Eagles Consider Trading OL Tyler Steen?
A third-round pick for the Eagles in the 2023 draft, Steen played in 11 games (one start) last year. He saw the field minimally, playing just 71 snaps on offense.
At the beginning of training camp, the starting right guard position was Steen’s to lose. He suffered an ankle injury early on in camp, though, and that allowed free agent acquisition Mekhi Becton to make an impression. With one game left in the preseason, it’s clear Becton has usurped Steen as the team’s starter.
Could that make Steen more expendable?
“Steen lost his battle with Mekhi Becton for the starting RG job, and the Eagles have other depth pieces along the interior of their offensive line to choose from in Trevor Keegan, Dylan McMahon, Brett Toth, Nick Gates, and Darian Kinnard,” Kempski surmised, before noting why the Colts might want to add Steen specifically.
“Their weak link is Will Fries, at RG,” Kempski wrote about Indy. “Steen may or may not be an immediate upgrade over Fries, but he probably has more upside, and Fries is in the final year of his contract. Pierce might now be the WR4 with the selection of Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 draft.”
Would a Trade for Colts WR Alec Pierce Give the Eagles a Boost?
In a word? Absolutely.
The 6-foot-3, 211-pound Pierce is an impressive combination of athleticism, size and speed. A second-round selection out of the University of Cincinnati for the Colts in 2022, Pierce is still just 24. Adding a playmaker with his physical gifts would give quarterback Jalen Hurts another viable target.
Pierce played in 16 games as a rookie (12 starts) and caught 41 passes for 593 yards and 2 touchdowns. He followed that up with 32 catches for 514 yards and 2 TDs in 17 games (16 starts) in 2023. He has averaged 15.2 yards per catch over his first two seasons, which is a very solid number.
Pierce’s stats are what you’d expect for a WR3 contender, but he has had wildly inconsistent quarterback play, which hasn’t helped him.
When he was a rookie in 2022, the Colts had Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger and the recently retired Nick Foles throwing him passes. Last season, Colts starting QB Anthony Richardson missed the bulk of the regular season with an injury, and Gardner Minshew filled in. Hurts would unquestionably be the best signal-caller Pierce has worked with.
Swapping Steen for Pierce could help both teams — and potentially both players, as well. It’s only an idea, but it’s one the Eagles might want to explore.
