Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, you can’t help but shake your head a little. Some teams badly needed to make a move, and they didn’t. The only team that really pushed its chips in was the Philadelphia Eagles. They went out and added three defensive pieces, and former team president Joe Banner was quick to applaud Howie Roseman for it.

Banner has always been big on front-office discipline, and he seemed genuinely surprised at how easily the Eagles were able to get their deals done. “I don’t understand why there was no competing team that would offer the same third-round pick, which was almost certainly going to be higher than the Eagles,” Banner said.

“They have a team-building philosophy that they’re committed to. The whole league knew Jaelen was available. San Francisco didn’t think it was worth a third-round pick. Dallas didn’t think he was worth a third-round pick. The Eagles are just consistently smart,” Banner added.

It’s true. Nobody around the league could have missed that Miami was open to moving Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb for the right price. Once that got out, the assumption was that a handful of contenders would get in the mix. Instead, the Eagles barely broke a sweat to land him.

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And it made sense for them. Phillips was playing on his fifth-year option, earning $13.25 million this season. Any team trading for him would only be responsible for roughly $5.8 million the rest of the way. Apparently, only Philadelphia thought that was worth doing.

Banner praised the way the Eagles were prepared for this exact situation. “The Eagles’ philosophy…they already had accumulated an extra third-round pick in case they needed the flexibility. And if they didn’t have one, they would’ve just taken their first round pick, traded back four spots,” he said.

In the end, Howie Roseman turned one of the league’s quieter deadlines into a masterclass in value.

Phillips for a third-rounder. Jaire Alexander for a sixth, while somehow getting a seventh back. Michael Carter II for John Metchie and a future sixth, and again, another seventh coming with him. Three defensive reinforcements for what amounts to pocket change in draft capital.

But no matter the cost, will these trades make the Eagles genuinely better?

How effective can Howie Roseman’s trades be?

Let’s call it how it is. Eagles didn’t just land a miracle fix for their defensive problems. They didn’t get the kind of player who walks in and changes everything overnight. What they did get, though, is depth and flexibility.

Two things DC Vic Fangio values just as much as star power. And in the long run, that might prove more valuable than chasing a big name for the headlines.

We already know what Jaelan Phillips brings. The Dolphins probably don’t let him walk if not for the front-office shakeup after Chris Grier’s firing. That move opened a small window, and the Eagles were the only team that climbed through it. Phillips is sitting at three sacks already, tied for second on the roster behind Moro Ojomo.

If he stays healthy, there’s every reason to think he could end the year leading this team in sacks.

Michael Carter II gives Vic Fangio a lot of flexibility on defense. He can cover receivers in the slot, drop back into coverage, or move around to help Cooper DeJean play outside across from Quinyon Mitchell. His versatility makes it easier for the defense to adjust, and he has the potential to become a key playmaker.

Jaire Alexander’s move to Baltimore is a bit surprising. He joined on a one-year deal meant to show he still has it, but so far, he hasn’t made much impact, even with injuries in the Ravens’ secondary.

Still, bringing in an experienced player on a short contract doesn’t hurt. And in a defense that’s still figuring things out, his presence could quietly become more valuable than it seems.