Latest buzz on Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, and the Eagles’ quarterback situation

The Philadelphia Eagles are in the midst of another playoff run so naturally the biggest topic of conversation is about what’s going to happen with their quarterback situation in the offseason. A number of NFL insiders have recently weighed in Carson Wentz and Nick Foles so here’s a recap of what’s being said out there.

Ian Rapoport

RapSheet joined the WIP Morning Show on Tuesday and essentially doubled down on his reporting from over the weekend. Rapoport believes the Eagles believe Wentz is still their long-term franchise quarterback and Foles will be traded this offseason.

The Eagles can only trade Foles if they pick up his $20 million option and Foles decides not to pay back $2 million to opt out ... OR ... if the Eagles franchise tag Foles. Rapoport said he can see the two sides working together to find Foles a new landing spot for 2019 and beyond:

“My guess is they end up working with Foles and coming up with some solution where he lands at a great place, and he probably ends up getting a contract extension with that.”

It remains to be seen what Foles could fetch the Eagles in a trade. Given that this offseason’s quarterback market isn’t expected to be robust, Philly could themselves netting some worthwhile asset(s).

Adam Schefter

During Schefty’s weekly appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic’s Morning Show, he was asked about what it would even take for the Eagles to consider trading Wentz. His response:

That jibes with what Rapoport had to say on WIP about the minimum cost for Wentz being “two first rounds picks, maybe more.”

It’s clear that both insiders don’t expect the Eagles to trade Wentz.

If the Eagles find themselves with this type of offer in front of them, I can’t help but wonder if the team might stop and think: “Are we sure we should be trading this guy if other teams are willing to give up this much for a promising young talent?”

Mike Freeman

Mike Freeman wrote about Foles in his latest Bleacher Report column. He expects the Eagles’ reigning Super Bowl MVP to be widely pursued this offseason.

Several team officials from both conferences think it will be a free-for-all for Foles if the Eagles decide to part with him, and most think the team will do just that despite Foles’ remarkable postseason success. One AFC East team executive said he believes there will be an almost “Reggie White-like pursuit” of Foles by teams desperate for a franchise thrower. White, who left the Eagles for the Packers in 1993, is considered the highest-profile free-agent signing of all time. [...] “There are a lot of teams that will shoot their shot at Foles,” one NFC West scout said, “and [should Philly keep him] will be willing to part with substantial draft picks to do it.” There is already rampant speculation about where Foles will end up. One scout believes Raiders coach Jon Gruden will use some of the booty from the Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades (two first-rounders for Mack and one for Cooper) to make the Eagles an offer they can’t refuse. [...] There is one concern some teams have when it comes to Foles, however. How will he play outside of the comfortable cocoon the Eagles provide? How much of the Eagles’ success is Foles, and how much is it about his rapport with coach Doug Pederson? Both the Eagles and Foles have options. The Eagles could keep Foles, but it seems a stretch that Philadelphia would keep Carson Wentz, who is still on his rookie deal, and a $20 million backup on the bench. The Eagles could also franchise Foles, decline to match another team’s offer and then get two first-round picks in return. Whatever happens, the story of where Foles ends up will likely be one of the biggest of the offseason, and, with each playoff win he engineers, it could be one of the great circuses in NFL history.

We discussed the Raiders as a potential landing spot for Foles on Tuesday. Oakland owns the No. 4, No. 24, and No. (somwhere from 25 through 32 depending on how the Cowboys finish) overall picks in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. They certainly have the ammo to get a deal done, assuming they want to move on from Derek Carr.

The note about the potential use of the franchise tag is interesting here. The Eagles could tag Foles to give themselves the ability to trade him. They could also use it as a way to get two first round picks for Foles if a team signs him to an offer sheet while he’s tagged.

It’s going to very interesting to see how this all plays out in the offseason. For now, Foles is quarterbacking the Eagles as they try to repeat as Super Bowl champions.