Given the frenzy to find a quarterback and the desire to push for a deal before Super Bowl Sunday —as to stay out of the NFL’s cross-hairs — I find myself on high alert when it comes to high-profile trade rumors regarding potential Bears fits.
This tweet made my eyes pop out of my head:
I've talked to an NFL source, not w/the Eagles, who hears a Wentz trade is close. That isn't first-hand information. I do feel that the longer we go without Wentz saying something like "I'm happy to be an Eagle and excited about playing for Nick Sirianni," the closer we get…
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) February 5, 2021
Les Bowen, who covers the Eagles for the Philadelphia Inquirer, hears from a non-Eagles source that a Carson Wentz trade is close. And while Bowen hedges a bit by noting that he isn’t sharing first-hand information, he is clearly given enough to make him feel comfortable pushing that tweet out into the universe. Moreover, that Bowen doesn’t list a team allows for our imaginations to run wild. And seeing that we’re a day removed from Wentz-Bears connections popping up, it’s fair to wonder if the Bears are the mystery team on the other end of the line.
To that end, ESPN’s Eagles reporter Tim McManus lists the Bears as a possible trade destination for Wentz. And he isn’t alone:
#Bears will be heavily involved on Carson Wentz. Say what you want about Wentz but there is a believer on the coaching staff that has experience working with him. “Generational talent.” Wouldnt be surprised if they packaged future picks with their 2nd to try to keep pick 20.
— Brandon Robinson (@BRobNFL) February 5, 2021
McManus writes “the wheels are in motion” after a league source told him that Philly “has already received aggressive offers” in deals for Wentz. From the Eagles’ perspective, the team wants “significant compensation” for packaging the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and for taking on a dead cap hit north of $30 million. Fair enough. But the compensation can’t be ridiculously ludicrous, especially after Wentz led the league with 15 interceptions and posted a career-worst 72.8 passer rating.
The Colts, Panthers, Patriots, and Texans are also deemed as fits by McManus. All of those teams need quarterback help in one way, shape, or form. Some needs are larger than others. And some fits are better. In the end, there’s a real chance that a talented quarterback option could be on the move in the near future. Stay tuned.