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0 out of 5
Derik Hamilton / Associated Press
It’s set to be a wild NFL offseason – possibly the craziest in recent memory.
That’s because 2021 could be the year of the quarterback carousel.
We’ve already seen a big problem in the post, with the Detroit Lions sending Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for two first rounds (one each in 2022 and 2023), a third round in 2021 and Jared Goff.
And that might be just the start.
As ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter have reported, the Philadelphia Eagles are closing in on disgruntled Carson Wentz quarterback. The No.2 pick in the 2016 Draft (behind Goff) comes out of a declining 2020 that saw him tied for the NFL lead in interceptions and benched in favor of Jalen Hurts. But he’s also a 28-year-old quarterback who has shown elite abilities, playing a key role in the Philly Super Bowl in 2017.
With the Eagles reportedly looking for a “Stafford package” from a trading partner and Wentz carries a cap of nearly $ 35 million in 2021, it will take massive investment to make this trade work.
But as we just saw with Stafford, there is no shortage of teams looking to play. Let’s make a deal.
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Jack Dempsey / Associated Press
Wentz to the Las Vegas Raiders is admittedly a long shot, for a rather robust reason: The cap of $ 22.1 million has hit titular appellant Derek Carr for 2021.
But given that the quarterback market has already been wild, let’s turbo the carousel.
By most statistical standards, Carr had a solid 2020: 4,103 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, nine picks and a passer rating (101.4) that ranks in the top 10.
And yet, as they apparently have since when Jon Gruden took over as Raiders head coach in 2018, business rumors continue to circulate around Carr – in part because he is 16. matches under 0.500 as a team starter.
Be careful, we are not talking about an exchange here. The Eagles probably have little interest in adding a slightly older quarterback than Wentz with a slightly lower salary. But if the Raiders are serious about moving Carr, 29, then there will be suitors – including every other team listed in this article.
Gruden and Raiders general manager Mike Mayock had good things to say about Wentz. In 2017, Gruden told a group of high school football players that Wentz was the quarterback they should emulate. Mayock ranked Wentz as the # 1 QB prospect in the 2016 class.
It would be difficult to retail Carr after acquiring Wentz. But it would (in theory) be possible for Las Vegas to trade Carr to recoup some of the choices spent on Wentz.
Hey. Every race needs a dark horse.
Commercial package: Round one pick 2021 (17th overall), round four pick 2021, round two pick 2022
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Brian Westerholt / Associated Press
It’s been less than a year since the Carolina Panthers awarded Teddy Bridgewater a three-year, $ 63 million contract.
But after Bridgewater’s pedestrian season (3,733 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions), the Panthers were one of the teams that would have made Stafford a run.
If Carolina is also set to put her top 10 on the table for Wentz, then the Panthers need to be included in that conversation.
Granted, Wentz doesn’t have Stafford’s resume. His 2020 was ugly. But don’t forget that when Wentz tore up his ACL in 2017, he was the favorite to be named the NFL MVP. That season, he had nearly 3,300 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven picks in 13 games. His passer rating was 101.9.
Wentz was also not cat food the following season. In 11 games, he averaged nearly 280 passing yards per game, posted a 21-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and had a career best passer rating of 102.2.
Wentz’s 2019 campaign was not as good as the previous two years, but his numbers this season were not terrible. From a statistical standpoint, it showed more reason to believe that last year was an exception.
It also offers a higher cap than Bridgewater and will not turn 29 until the calendar moves to 2022.
If the Panthers were willing to give up the No.8 to get Stafford, it’s no exaggeration to imagine the franchise doing the same for Wentz.
And that early pick in April should grab the attention of chief executive Howie Roseman.
Commercial package: 2021 Round One Pick (No.8 overall), Round Three Pick 2021, Round Four Pick 2022
3 out of 5
Justin Edmonds / Associated Press
It’s not really breaking news that the Denver Broncos need help at the quarterback.
After showing promise on a 4-1 streak at the end of his rookie season in 2019, Drew Lock fell sharply in his second season. He didn’t complete 60% of his passes, threw 15 NFL interceptions (tied, coincidentally enough, with Wentz) and barely posted a 75 passer rating.
It is a continuation of a theme that has existed since Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2015.
Even after the worst season of his career, Wentz presents team president John Elway, new general manager George Paton and the Broncos with an opportunity to move up to quarterback. And given that Denver reportedly offered Detroit a Top 10 pick in 2020 and Lock for Stafford, it’s clear the team wants one.
One of the great mysteries of life among these Easter Island heads is why the Lions instead accepted the rams’ offer.
The question now is whether the team are ready to offer that same package for Wentz – and if that would be enough for the Eagles.
The Broncos aren’t likely to sweeten the pot much more than Wentz’s, so if the Eagles are serious about their demands, that trade isn’t particularly likely.
But a deal involving Lock and the ninth pick would give Philly two top 10 picks and cheap insurance behind second-year pro Jalen Hurts.
It is an offer that deserves real consideration from both sides.
Commercial package: 2021 Round One Pick (No.9 overall), 2021 Round Three Pick, QB Drew Lock
4 out of 5
Adrian Kraus / Associated Press
When I wrote a similar column on Stafford two weeks ago, I expected him to land in Indianapolis.
Of course, I didn’t think Detroit could get two first players for Stafford – or that the Rams would convince another team to take the abomination that is Goff’s contract.
The Colts tick all the boxes for the kind of team that would make a big leap to the quarterback. Indy comes out of a playoff series after an 11-5 campaign. The team’s window of contention is apparently open – whether it comes to weapons of skill position, offensive line, or defense, Indy doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses.
Well, except for the massive quarterback hole left by Philip Rivers’ retirement. Wentz would fill that hole well, and given the success he enjoyed when Colts head coach Frank Reich was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, there’s probably no team in the league with more. confident that it can keep Wentz running.
The problem comes down to compensation.
Zak Keefer from Indianapolis Star doesn’t see the Colts paying too much out of desperation. “We know the Colts won’t go into a bidding war,” Keefer tweeted, “and they won’t just make a move to make a move. The sense I got this morning was that the team isn’t doing anything out of character just to fix the QB issue.”
Assuming Keefer is right, the Colts won’t hand several first-round players to the Eagles for a quarterback with an injury history that was mostly horrific in 2020.
However, unless there is a team (like the club in the next entry) that will pay too much for Wentz, then the Colts should stay at the heart of Wentz’s race.
Trading him out of the NFC would also be a nice bonus for Roseman.
Commercial package: Round one pick 2021 (21st overall), round three pick 2021, round two pick 2022
5 out of 5
Kamil Krzaczynski / Associated Press
Per Mortensen and Schefter, the Eagles are looking for a big hit in a Wentz trade – as in several early rounds.
That’s understandable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that Wentz’s nearly $ 34 million dead threshold for trading will practically drain the Eagles’ salary resources in 2021.
This season will be a wash. There’s no getting around it.
And if Philly is truly determined to get a pair of first-round picks for Wentz, then there’s one team above all the others who can pull that trigger.
The Chicago Bears were a playoff team for two of the past three years, but they’re no threat to elite NFC franchises. The reason for this is not hard to pin down – whether it’s Nick Foles or Mitchell Trubisky, quarterback play for the Bears has been…
Well, let’s put it this way: 2020 Wentz wouldn’t be any worse. 2017 Wentz would get streets bearing his name in Windy City.
Head coach Matt Nagy is said to be an offensive genius and a quarterback guru. Bears general manager Ryan Pace has shown his willingness to make a big trade, dealing several No.1s in 2018 to secure the most promising Khalil Mack.
If the Bears don’t show a marked improvement next season, neither of them are likely to be employed much longer.
There are also reports that Foles could be included in a commercial package, according to Joe Ostrowski of 670 The Score (h / t Bleeding Green Nation), sending him back to the team he led to a Super Bowl victory. LII.
That’s good, because if Wentz showed up in Windy City and Foles was there, it could be, you know, awkward.
The wisdom of mortgaging Wentz’s future is questionable. But if a team wants to do it, the smart money is on Da Bears.
And if trading Wentz in the NFC is what it takes to get those early players, then that’s what Roseman will do.
Commercial package: 2021 first round pick (20th overall), 2022 first round pick, 2022 third round pick, quarterback Nick Foles
Contract and salary cap information via Spotrac, unless otherwise specified.
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