@Spurt
Yeah, the tag and trade option would be chancy, at best, based on the CBA. I don't think that will happen. I think there was a narrow window in which the Eagles picked up the option and before Nick bought back his free agency where a trade could have gone down, but didn't. And, truth be told, there's not much of a difference between trading Nick for a third round pick and picking up a third round compensatory pick. The compensatory pick would be at the tail end of the third round as opposed to higher, but it's still a third round pick.
If they tag Nick, the Eagles have to adjust for his $25+ million one year salary which would be a bit of a challenge. You just can't pay a backup QB $25 million. If they do tag Nick, it'll be an indication they're looking to trade Wentz instead of Nick. I don't see that happening, but it's possible. Now, bear in mind the Eagles are still high on Nate Sudfeld also. If they think Nate could be their QB of the future and they could keep Foles for one more year and work Nate in, then trading Wentz might be more of an option, but I don't think that's likely.
If the Eagles put Wentz on the market (and they'd do it very quietly) they could almost certainly get multiple first round picks and other compensation. The Raiders would be the ideal trade partner. You could likely get their fourth overall pick in this year's draft, one of their later first round picks (24 or 27) in this year's draft, and a few additional picks in later rounds. (Maybe even Derek Carr thrown in.) I just don't see the Eagles doing that however.
There just aren't a lot of guys out there who can do what Wentz does. He's one of those once in a decade kind of guys from a talent and football smarts standpoint. His injury history is a bit of a concern, but you can live with that. Could you win with a Foles/Sudfeld based team? Sure. Maybe not as much, maybe not as easily, but you could win games. Would those extra draft picks help you out now. Sure. But, this team doesn't have many gaping holes. It's not like they need three quality starters out of the draft.
I suspect Nick will just wander off to the highest bidder that has a shot at winning and take his money and the Eagles will get a compensatory third round pick next year. We'll know more in a couple of weeks as the franchise tags get played, but I don't see the Eagles tagging Nick. If they do, it's because someone's knocked their socks off with an offer for Wentz and Carson's going to be traded. That would rock Philly pretty dramatically.
But hey, anything's possible. You just never know what will happen. Most GM's will tell you anyone's available for the right price. What's the right price for Carson Wentz? It would be insanely high. but desperate teams make desperate moves sometimes.
Why would the Eagles even consider trading Wentz? Salary cap room would be near the top of the list. He'll be a $30-$35 million a year guy, maybe more, when he signs a new deal. If they could extend Sudfeld for half that ($17 million a year for five years) and get a similar level of play, then a trade wouldn't be out of the question. Nick Foles isn't a Wentz, but he leads this team to wins. Could Sudfeld do the same? Maybe. Could you use the picks you'd get from a Wentz trade to make a stronger team that could compensate for Wentz's absence? Maybe.
My gut is the Eagles just let Foles walk and stick with Carson as the QB with Nate Sudfeld as the backup, but we'll see what happens. There's talk of the Eagles putting a second round tender on Sudfeld to be sure they keep him. That may not be enough. Jon Defillippo, the new OC of the Dolphins loved Sudfeld when he was Philly's QB coach. Three or four hours before every home game he'd get Nate and some practice squad guys out on the field and have them play an entire offensive game to get Nate some experience. When he went to Minnesota he raved about Sudfeld and how good he was as a QB. The Dolphins have a hole at QB with Tannehill likely leaving. Would it be worth it for them to spend a second round pick on Sudfeld and make him their starter? Possibly. There are higher risks out there than Sudfeld.
Who knows what will happen in the next few weeks. Sudfeld could be the starter in Miami. Foles could be starting for the Giants. Wentz could be traded to the Raiders and Derek Carr could be the new Eagles QB. Anything's possible. This has the feel of a crazier than normal offseason. Sudfeld going back to DC wouldn't shock me. The Redskins would likely prefer not to give up a second round pick to get him, but it's a possible move for them. this is one of the crazier offseasons we've seen for a while and there are lots of pieces in motion and I'm not sure anyone knows how it will all shake out. Maybe no one goes anywhere. Maybe the Dolphins stick with Tannehill, the Giants with Eli, and the old QB's all stay in place one mroe year. Mabye the market for Foles won't exist and he'll come back as the backup in Philly again. You just don't know what will happen.
Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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