The Philadelphia Eagles are aiming to defend their Super Bowl title next season, but it seems they may have to make more tough decisions with an eye on the future.

The Eagles made a surprising move on Tuesday when they traded veteran defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for little-known offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a pick swap. Gardner-Johnson had manageable salary cap hits of $4.9 million and $6 million over the next two seasons.

During a Wednesday morning appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic, ESPN’s Adam Schefter advised Eagles fans to temper their expectations if they are hoping for any big additions this offseason. Schefter believes Philadelphia is more likely to shed salary, as they did with the Gardner-Johnson trade.

“I think they are more likely to shed more salary than acquire more salary,” Schefter stated. “That’s how I feel right now. So, you’re asking if there’s a trick up their sleeve? No, again, I think they are more likely to shed – shed – more salaries, make more moves the other way, more outgoing than incoming, I think.”

The Eagles have also lost key defensive players Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in free agency. Although they still have salary cap space, Zach Berman of The Athletic pointed out that Philadelphia saved $8.5 million in actual cash by trading Gardner-Johnson. The Eagles have employed a strategy of spending more cash than other teams while spreading out salary cap hits, and it’s likely they will continue this approach.

Jalen Carter will be up for a contract extension next offseason. The star defensive lineman could potentially become the highest-paid defensive player in the league at that time. These are the kinds of contracts the Eagles need to prepare for, which explains why they’ve already made some tough subtractions this offseason.