Eagles Trade for Bills DE Eli Harold

Just because we're in the midst of preseason doesn't mean that the NFL is immune to trades.

Per Dov Kleiman, the Buffalo Bills have traded defensive end Eli Harold to the Philadelphia Eagles for offensive lineman Ryan Bates.

The move can be seen as a win-win for both organizations. The Eagles added a veteran presence on their world-beating defensive line in Harold. The 25-year-old was a third-round pick of the 49ers in 2015 out of Virginia. He has started 25 of the 61 games he has appeared in since entering the league.

In 2018, Harold endured his best season, tallying a career-high four sacks with the Lions as a reserve and hybrid DE/Linebacker. Philly now has DE's on their roster so we can expect Harold to be sprinkled in as a rotational player throughout the season.

As for Bates, the Bills were desperate for OL help. Following their first preseason game on Thursday, the franchise has Conor McDermott on the shelf in concussion protocol and Russel Bodine sidelined with an oblique injury. Additionally, Mitch Morse is still being evaluated for concussion-like symptoms and Ty Nsekhe was held out of Friday's practice.

Bates, a 22-year-old undrafted rookie out of Penn State now has a real shot to prove that he's an NFL-worthy tackle.