When the Eagles shipped cornerback Sheldon Brown and linebacker Chris Gocong to the Cleveland Browns early this past April, the immediate prize was Alex Hall.
Hall (6-5, 250) at least had the size to be the next Carlos Emmons, the strongside linebacker the Birds have found it impossible to replace.
But just like that, Hall couldn't find a spot at linebacker or at defensive end for an Eagles team desperate for defensive help.
So now he's the footnote in the trade that also netted the Birds two draft picks - the fourth-rounder used to select cornerback Trevard Lindley of Kentucky, and the fifth-rounder they shipped to the Broncos.
At least the trade made Sheldon Brown happier. The veteran got his contract sweetened, something the Eagles refused to do.