The Eagles have traded cornerback Eric Rowe, their second-round pick last year, to the Patriots for offensive lineman Josh Kline and a conditional draft pick, a league source confirmed Tuesday.
There was no immediate announcement from the Eagles. The trade was originally reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The league source said the Eagles get the Patriots' 2018 fourth-round pick, but it could become a third-round pick based on Rowe's playing time and performance.
A source said the trade was mainly about unloading Rowe for a pick, that Kline doesn't fit into the Eagles' long-term plans and that they're already in discussions to trade him.
Rowe, the 47th player taken in last year’s draft, started the last five games last year after Nolan Carroll went on injured reserve. He had five pass deflections and one interception during that span.
But he was in new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s doghouse from Day 1 and was never close to getting the opportunity to regain his starting spot.
The Eagles are high on rookie seventh-round pick Jalen Mills, who made the 53-man roster, and also undrafted rookie C.J. Smith, a former Carson Wentz teammate at North Dakota State, who is on their practice squad.
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Other corners on the team are Carroll and former Bills Ron Brooks and Leodis McKelvin, who were with Schwartz in Buffalo.
Kline, a former undrafted free agent out of Kent State, has started 18 games for the Patriots over the last three years, including 13 games last year.
He adds depth on the inside of the offensive line in the event that Lane Johnson is indeed suspended and projected starting left guard Allen Barbre moves out to right tackle.
Other interior linemen on the roster are projected starters Jason Kelce at center and Brandon Brooks at right guard, plus rookie Isaac Seumalo — who would start at left guard if Johnson is suspended — along with veteran Stefen Wisniewski and third-year pro Josh Andrews, who has never played a regular-season snap.
The last player the Eagles took in the second round who didn’t even make it to a second season with the Eagles was 1994 second-round pick Bruce Walker, a defensive tackle from UCLA. The Eagles released Walker after training camp of his rookie year.
This trade leaves the Eagles with only two players from last year's draft, the only one engineered by Chip Kelly — first-round WR Nelson Agholor and third-round LB Jordan Hicks.
