NEWSLETTER
It’s the penultimate night of the NFL’s season. Super Bowl eve is here. And rather than dive into a matchup featuring Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady in the big game, I’m all in on following the possibilities of Carson Wentz being the guy responsible for leading the Bears to Super Bowl LVI. It is a potentially very scary, and/or titillating moving off of which I cannot take my eyes …
• I understand skepticism when it comes to a flurry of trade rumors, but you know it’s got some legs when ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport drop reports like this:
Eagles are expected to trade Carson Wentz in the coming days in what would be the latest blockbuster QB deal to rock the NFL, sources tell @mortreport and me. The most pertinent questions now become where, when and for what. But it could happen as early as this week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 6, 2021
From Super Bowl Live: The #Eagles have received significant interest in QB Carson Wentz, as the process has ramped up throughout the week. They should be able to get a legitimate return. pic.twitter.com/AJS4PYfEdn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 6, 2021
• Based on the phrasing from Schefter and Rapoport, doesn’t it feel like a deal is done? Or perhaps close enough to being done, but won’t be pushed publicly because it’s the Saturday before the Super Bowl? And it’s not just that the big game is tomorrow; we’re getting league awards tonight and Hall of Fame inductions, too. You’d imagine the NFL would hate for this type of trade to steal some headlines. Anyway, I digress.
• The expectation is now that the Eagles will trade Carson Wentz. And soon! Despite a ridiculous ask! Per Schefter’s reporting, the Eagles are “said to be looking for, in the words of one well-placed source, ‘a Matthew Stafford package’ in return the Wentz.” If you’ll recall, the Rams traded first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, as well as a 2021 third-rounder, plus Jared Goff to get back Matthew Stafford. For what it’s worth, fellow NFL reporter Greg A. Bedard (Twitter) chimes in to add that the Eagles’ ask of two first-round picks “has led to some dial tones, including from one team previously perceived to be a favored landing spot.” Meanwhile, Albert Breer (SI.com’s The MMQB) tweets his belief that Philadelphia will receive less than that in return for Wentz. It’s a matter of how much less at this point.
• With all this smoke, teams shouldn’t be caving into Philly’s demands. Based on how the last few days have gone, the Eagles have essentially painted themselves into a corner in which they need to trade Wentz. I mean, good luck bringing him back after this ridiculousness.
• I understand you can’t get what you don’t ask for, but this is a silly ask for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which is that the Lions got a better package in part *because they took back Goff’s contract.* Are the Eagles ready to eat in return? And how much would they have to eat to get two firsts for Wentz (and HIS contract!)?
• Speaking of the contract:
A team acquiring Carson Wentz will take on 4 years and $98.4M left on his contract ($24.7M per year).
His cap hits would be:
2021: $25.4M
2022: $22M
2023: $25M
2024: $26MPhilly would eat a $33.8M dead cap hit in 2021, the largest in NFL history.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 6, 2021
• Restructuring is an option that isn’t out of the question. In fact, restructuring the deal at various points could turn out being what pushes this deal into motion and gets it done in the end. Moreover, Wentz insisting on restructuring his end of the deal could be what facilitates this trade when it’s all said and done.
• These tweets raised my eyebrows:
Hearing the same. Org should be humiliated. https://t.co/G0Lok5TOJ4
— Natalie Egenolf (@NatalieEgenolf) February 6, 2021
• Well, this is cryptic.
And then there were none… https://t.co/wWpfM6Bc4h
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) February 6, 2021
• Is this a coincidence or ????
4 minutes after @AdamSchefter and @mortreport report that Carson Wentz is getting traded, #Eagles RB @BoobieMilesXXIV posts that Philly will win the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/GfWFTBTd4L
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 6, 2021
• A prominent ESPN personality/NFL analyst doesn’t believe the Bears are the best option for Wentz:
Or San Fran. 2 best places
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) February 6, 2021
• Then again, the Eagles are more likely to care about what’s best for their team and less about what’s best for Wentz.
• That’s one word for it:
#Bears GM Ryan Pace and HC Matt Nagy were provided one more year by ownership to prove themselves. It would take a lot of nerve to bet your last chance Carson Wentz coming off his 2020 season.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) February 6, 2021
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