"After the draft and free agency, it was hard to see how Joe Mays fit into the Eagles' crowded linebacking picture.

Turns out he didn't.

The Eagles traded Mays to the Denver Broncos last night for former Arizona Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington, the team announced.

Arrington would have been a really exciting pickup a few years ago, when he looked like a pass-catching back with Brian Westbrook-type potential. But microfracture surgery on his right knee last year changed that picture drastically.

Arrington, who didn't play last season, was quoted this week as saying his knee is "getting better every day," but the Broncos hadn't started hitting yet, which Denver coaches said would be a big hurdle."