Eagles Trade for D'Andre Swift, Bring Home Philly Kid: 'Vision and Character!'
PHILADELPHIA – Howie Roseman was happy with his running back room.
The Philadelphia Eagles general manager told ESPN on Saturday that he didn’t enter the three-day, 2023 NFL Draft with running back on his mind. He ended up with one, anyway, after acquiring D’Andre Swift from the Detroit Lions in a huge trade on Saturday as the fourth round unfolded.
“We didn’t go in the draft feeling like this is a position we had to have, but we felt like this player was somebody who could really add to our culture and add to our team,” Roseman said.
Roseman said he watched Swift excel in high school, which was a short drive away from the Eagles’ South Philly facility to St. Joseph’s Prep, where he developed into one of the nation’s top runners.
From the Prep, as it’s known in Philadelphia, he went to the University of Georgia, where he eventually became a second-round pick, No. 35 overall, of the Lions in 2020.
“A lot of credit to Brad Holmes, the GM of the Lions, working through this with us and finding a solution there that we could both live with,” said Roseman. “A Philly kid, St. Joe’s Prep, a kid that we know playing in high school, obviously followed him in college, tremendous player, tremendous person, excited to get him to Philly.”
Roseman sent a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft (No. 219) to Detroit. In addition to getting Swift, the Eagles also got the Lions’ seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, No. 249.
Swift has battled injuries through his three NFL seasons, but he’s similar in that way to Rashaad Penny, a free-agent addition to the Eagles’ backfield this offseason. Penny, too, has struggled with injury.
Penny signed a one-year prove-it deal.
Swift has one year left on his rookie deal, so he will have to find a way to stay on the field and be productive, which he usually is when he plays. Against the Eagles in last year’s season-opener, he had a career-high 144 yards and a touchdown.
He is also a very good receiver, catching 156 passes in three years for 1,198 yards and seven touchdowns.
“He’s got big-play ability as a runner and a receiver,” Roseman said. “We saw it first-hand when we were in Detroit the first game of the season. He’s got vision and obviously tremendous character adds to that.”
In addition to Penny, Swift joins a backfield that also has Kenny Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Trey Sermon.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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