Eagles are looking for Bradford-level deal if they move Foles

Posted by Darin Gantt on March 5, 2018, 1:41 PM EST
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The Eagles were offered a second-round pick for Nick Foles. Which they turned down.

Because that’s not nearly what they’re looking for in exchange for their backup quarterback/Super Bowl MVP.

According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Eagles are looking for something more than the first- and fourth-rounders they acquired from the Vikings for Sam Bradford if they were going to do such a deal.

The Eagles turned that first-rounder into defensive end Derek Barnett (who recovered Brandon Graham‘s strip-sack-fumble in the Super Bowl sealed the game) and traded the fourth-rounder to the Dolphins for running back Jay Ajayi.

So, that’s a lot.

There’s no reason not to have a high bar for Foles. He’s reasonably affordable ($7 million), and he’s a fit for their system and their locker room, and did we mention the whole Super Bowl MVP thing?

While such a price tag might scare off a lot of teams, that might be exactly what the Eagles want. Though the early prognosis on Carson Wentz seems good, they’d also be smart to cover themselves with a known commodity in case there’s a setback in his rehab.

And if someone isn’t willing to blow them away with a deal, that seems to be their plan.

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73 responses to “Eagles are looking for Bradford-level deal if they move Foles”

  1. Exactly right! The Eagles should sell high on Foles. No reason to move him unless you get a 1st rounder or a 2nd and a 3rd rounder packaged together. A single 2nd round pick isn’t going to nab Nick Foles. If no team will offer what the Eagles want then they simply keep him as insurance for Wentz for at least one more season. It is a win-win. They aren’t desperate like the Patriots were when they stupidly traded Garrapolo for a single 2nd rounder.

  2. Bradford was a special situation as Bridgewater lost suddenly just before season started- maximum leverage for Roseman.
    Foles might get a 1 but more likely I see a 2 and a valuable player still on his rookie deal as the comp. That’s Roseman’s style.

  6. Eagles got 1st Rdr for Sammy Sleeves. Which means they should get 3 1st rdrs for SB MVP by that logic, dont @ me.

  7. Gabbert, Manziel, Tebow, Locker, Ponder, Manuel, Weeden, Quinn, Harrington, Carr, Ramsey, Leftwich, Boller, Grossman, Losman, Jason Campbell, Young, Lienart, Russell, Sanchez, Freeman, Bradford. It’s dumb to trade a 1st rounder for a guy who you know can play. Drafting a young guy is the smart way to go right.

  8. Hold out for a 1 but I would take a 2nd before the draft. Not going to get a ransom for him. Cleveland’s 33rd would be your best bet with this draft class. Philly has to get themselves under the cap in a week or so don’t they? They need to do some restructuring or the cutting will have to start.

  9. Eagles and Foles would both do best to move on. You know that the legend of Foles is now more than he can ever fulfill again, at least in Philly.
    Wentz has a bad opening game, maybe the Philly fans give him the benefit of the doubt, yes, Philly fans, but if the team is 1-2 you know they’re going to demand Foles. Puts your franchise QB in a bind and Foles touted as the miracle worker or bust.

  10. You trade Foles for 1 first rounder and sign Sam Bradford.

    They already won the SB, are not expected to repeat and full circle/cake and eat it too scenario.

    That’s how you keep building, if you can scout (pro/am) correctly like they did with the Bradford picks.

  13. If you’re the Jaguars, Bills or Cardinals, you could spend a lot more in draft capital to move up in the first round to ultimately select a question mark or you could send your pick (or, if you’re the Bills, one of your two first rounders) to the Eagles for a known commodity who is under 30, clutch and can win you a Super Bowl (proven since he’s done it once already). Doesn’t seem that far-fetched to me and you can rest assured that there will be a market.

  14. Kind of a double edged sword. If you trade him and Wentz isn’t ready or is slow to recover you might regret it but then again you know he’s gone after next year for no compensation.

  17. They would have been smart to have jumped at the 2nd round offer when they had it. Instead, enjoy having Foles as a backup (who likely won’t be needed unless another injury or a setback to Wentz’ recovery)and then watching him leave in free agency after the season. Haven’t we seen enough of Nick Foles to know who he is at this point? He’s certainly not a franchise qb, despite his recent playoff success.

  18. So, they are hoping that they are either offered a first and a 4th or they are going to hold onto him because they fear Wentz hasnt recovered.

    The problem for the Eagles wanting that much is that there is a third option…Wentz is fully recovered and you get nothing for Foles because you waited too long. In this case, you wasted 7 million in precious cap space for no return when you could have gotten a starting caliber player (2nd round pick). When you look at the teams in the QB market, it doesnt appear that ANY of them are dumb enough to overspend on Foles. The Broncos have shown they are willing to go with a lesser option, they did last year. The Bills have plan B already in Tyrod, same with the Jags. The Cards have been extremely risk adverse in trading. And the Browns, Jets and Giants are all in position to draft their guy.

  19. @stampnhawk –

    Same thing will happen if the keep Foles and play him (if Wentz isn’t ready). A couple of bad games to start the season and the fans & media will start beating the “Douggie P. is a horrible coach” and “Roseman is just an accountant / not a football guy” drum.

  20. jeffreyshulenburg says:
    March 5, 2018 at 2:34 pm
    So, they are hoping that they are either offered a first and a 4th or they are going to hold onto him because they fear Wentz hasnt recovered.

    The problem for the Eagles wanting that much is that there is a third option…Wentz is fully recovered and you get nothing for Foles because you waited too long. In this case, you wasted 7 million in precious cap space for no return when you could have gotten a starting caliber player (2nd round pick). When you look at the teams in the QB market, it doesnt appear that ANY of them are dumb enough to overspend on Foles. The Broncos have shown they are willing to go with a lesser option, they did last year. The Bills have plan B already in Tyrod, same with the Jags. The Cards have been extremely risk adverse in trading. And the Browns, Jets and Giants are all in position to draft their guy.

    ———-

    The Jets have been drafting “their guy” since 1969….. What has it got them?

  23. Hmm, a former #1 overall pick vs. a dude that was contemplating retirement after being a career backup. Two decent games and they makes him worth the same as Bradford? Wow, good luck with that, greedy much?

  24. Foles is a different player than any backup QB traded in recent years. He is almost priceless which could be a problem for the Eagles. What could you get for him now would probably not be enough. The longer you leave it imo the more you can get for him and I am probably talking next years draft. Once teams get back into camp and see what they have I can see somebody giving up more than what the Eagles would dare to ask for now. If Wentz can get back heathy he’s good enough to overcome any potential early season hiccups that would be a problem to a lesser player in his 2nd year. You couldn’t guess what a desperate team would give up to land Foles. When you consider what teams have given up in recent times for QBs that have had a batch of great games when they were called upon just doesn’t stack compared with what Foles produced.

  25. If they can get it, then good for them but I just recall how poorly he looked at the end of the regular season and how poorly he looked everywhere that he didn’t play for Chip or Doug. Someone pays a 1st or even 2nd for him are wasting an opportunity somewhere else.

  26. We won the Super Bowl, don’t need a 2nd round pick to defend, might need Foles though?
    We need insurance , legit insurance to repeat, why give another team a chance to win a super bowl unless it’s worth our while?

  27. I love the people on here acting like it would be some sort of calamity if they hold on to Foles too long and/or don’t wind up getting enough for him. Or that it would be a disaster if they wound up with a $7 million back up quarterback next year. Oh, the humanity! Oh, the drama!

    They are the Super Bowl champions. They have virtually no holes and virtually no significant free agents. They arent in desperate need of anyone’s high draft picks. They are drafting for depth.

    If I were them, I would not even be considering trading Foles. He is a luxury they cannot afford.

  30. What is the right price for a SB MVP? Not sure…especially one that had to have the entire offense redesigned to cover his weaknesses. Credit to the Philly coaching staff for doing it and playing to his strengths. It got them a SB win.

    But the sad truth is, if Foles was so great…why wasn’t he already a starter somewhere?

    If he can go to a team that is willing to go all-in and design the offense to cover his flaws, then he “might” be worth a 1st & a 2nd.

    So now, ask yourself what team(s) might be willing to do that? Browns, Jets, Bears or Broncos? Maybe even Giants, Colts, Bengals, Dolphins or Chargers(Rivers clock is ticking)?

  31. The problem for the Eagles wanting that much is that there is a third option…Wentz is fully recovered and you get nothing for Foles because you waited too long.

    This scenario requires a Wentz healed enough by week 1 and playing at a high level for the ENTIRE season. I could totally live with that. Could very well mean another super bowl and at worst Wentz comes in year 2019 1.5 Years removed from that Knee injury and coming off another strong season… peace of mind at the most important position in any sport is priceless my friend!

  32. I could absolutely see Buffalo sending a 1st that way. See how the top of the draft shakes out, leverage BPO to Philly to fill necessary needs on there end. Send 1st and 3rd, get back Foles and a 4th and 6th/7th. You can still take Rudolph in the 2nd along with whatever you want in the first without going “all-in” on the unknown.

  33. Trade Foles for a high 2nd and sign Bradford cheap. If Wentz isn’t ready, you’ll have Bradford.

  34. Before someone trades away the house for Nick Foles, perhaps they should look at their own depth chart for the answer. I mean, the Rams had no idea what they had with Kurt Warner. He only got a chance to get on the field when Trent Green got hurt. Nobody was offering the moon for Foles two months ago. I’m sure the Patriots had no idea how good Tom Brady was when an injury to Drew Bledsoe forced him onto the field. I know it’s impossible to evaluate QB’s from workouts and practice, but you could have a Kurt Warner on your bench and not even know.

  35. Here is the question. Are “any of these QBS in the draft” going to start this year? I say absolutely not! That doesn’t mean they won’t be good in time but they are all raw in various areas. Once Cousins is signed the interest for Foles will go up for teams ready to win now and there are at least 4 teams that will be left over in that category after Cousins signs. So to me Foles is worth a 1st round and a 2nd or early 3rd or even more. This is just my opinion. You have the CARDINALS, THE BILLS, THE BRONCOS,THE VIKINGS,THE BROWNS and even another one or two more teams.

  36. Thats waaayyyyyy to much for a QB the caliber of Nick Foles…. He looked good because of the team around him in PHI and because they ran a lot of RPO looks with him, they were not asking him to sit back read the field and make tight window throws, thats because he isnt good at it. Any team that gives up that kind of return for Foles will set their team wayy back, I wouldnt give up more than a 2nd for him. A team would be better off just waiting a year until he free-agency and then signing him.

  37. NfaninIL says:
    March 5, 2018 at 2:52 pm
    Hmm, a former #1 overall pick vs. a dude that was contemplating retirement after being a career backup. Two decent games and they makes him worth the same as Bradford? Wow, good luck with that, greedy much?
    ———-

    You place more value in draft rank than the Super Bowl MVP?

    Lol. Okay!

  38. southforidaslayer says:
    March 5, 2018 at 2:45 pm
    They’ll get a first and a third for him from Arizona
    ________________________________________________

    No way on Gods green Earth Arizona send both a 1st AND A 3rd round pick for Nick Foles. Dude isnt worth it, he was a back-up before last season & the Eagles did a marvelous job covering up his flaws through the post season , running a lot of play action & run pass option just asking him to read one half of the field. Any GM who gives up a 1st & 3rd for Foles wont be a GM to much longer. I’d give up a 2nd for Foles, anything more than that is far to much. I’d much rather trade up in round 1 and select a guy like Baker Mayfield or Josh Rosen.

  39. Who should they get if they trade him? McCown would be a nice option if Wentz needs a little time. Maybe Matt Moore. Not sure how much they liked Chase Daniel. EJ or Geno? Beyond that their isn’t much for veteran QBs with experience. I’d think McCown has a ton of options though to be a backup/bridge/insurance/mentor/competition. Jets, Dolphins, Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Texans, Jaguars, Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Bears, Panthers, Buccs, Cardinals, Seahawks. Half the league would benefit from the variety of things he offers.

  40. Foles is not worth it. Nothing for last 4 years and lost out to Keenum at Rams.Defilippo was only reason he became relevant and Eagles know it.

  42. The Eagles best scenario is that the Vikings lose out on Cousins and Defillipo is confident Foles is better than Keenum. If that happens, the Vikings may be willing to work out a deal that involves either their 1st round pick this year or next year. Outside of that, the best offer they are likely to get before this year’s draft is the Browns or Cardinals 2nd round pick.

  43. Eagles can ask for whatever they want, but a 1st rounder plus more would be a foolish deal for another team. Foles played well for a few games but he is a good backup – not a viable long term starter. Unless Wentz is guaranteed to be ready week 1 (unknown at present), Eagles should keep Foles as insurance.

  45. Gotta take the first rounder +something else.deal that’s likely gonna pop up. Eagles get to have some say where he goes and they get players on the field. Only one QB can play at a time.

    Foles will be a hero in Philly forever, but he’s just too valuable to keep on the bench.

  46. A 2 for Foles has been offered supposedly??

    Accept that immediately and go to church….I’d do that ASAP unless Wentz is not progressing as expected.

  47. The whole thing is very intriguing. But Howie is better at pulling rabbits out of hats. Sitting around and waiting for a deal to come in that meets a certain level or standard is not his style. He’s better at creating deals when opportunity strikes.

  49. It’s really unfair to compare the deal that they got for Bradford to Foles. First of all, it was the Vikings. Every once in a while, whether its Hershel Walker or Sam Bradford, the Vikings lose their mind and give away the farm. You can’t expect the other 30 teams to be as dumb, otherwise, they will end up like the Vikings and never win a Superbowl.

  50. My guess is that if that team that offered a 2nd for Foles would be willing to throw in a 4th to spice up that deal, the Eagles might accept it. Or maybe not, if they’re really not anxious to move Foles.

  52. Most people who think Foles should go cheap forget that he played poorly only under Jeff Fisher. All of his time with Eagles was stellar. He also played well for Andy Reid in KC. He played well under extreme pressure in the playoffs and did what McNabb and Jaworski could not.

  53. Hold him until next years trade deadline. Imagine if he was available when Rodgers went down? They can still get value for the 2019 draft.

  54. seabreezes51 says:
    March 5, 2018 at 4:13 pm
    Gotta take the first rounder +something else.deal that’s likely gonna pop up. Eagles get to have some say where he goes and they get players on the field. Only one QB can play at a time.

    Foles will be a hero in Philly forever, but he’s just too valuable to keep on the bench.

    ———–

    No team is giving up a 1st rounder + something else for Nick Foles

  55. Eagles can have 8th rounder, but since there’s no 8th rounder, no trade for clumsy Foles. Free, take it or leave it. Ha ha ha

  57. Not going to happen. The Bradford deal was lopsided because there were no other options. Simple economics, price is based on supply and demand. Even though demand is high the supply is the highest it’s ever been. Tyrod Taylor, Foles, Bradford, Keenum, Bridgewater, McCarron, Cousins, Lamar Jackson, Darnold, Rosen, Josh Allen, Mayfield, and Rudolph make up the available QB’s. Instead of going after Foles, teams have tons of options and one option is spending that first rounder on a guy that is 6-8 years younger and costs much less money over the next 4 years.

  59. Did you watch the SB, the man was on fire and throwin dimes…beating tight coverage, threadin the needle, never panicked, even called his own plays. I’m not gonna say what he’s worth, but don’t make stuff up.

    hawkkiller says:
    March 5, 2018 at 3:32 pm
    Thats waaayyyyyy to much for a QB the caliber of Nick Foles…. He looked good because of the team around him in PHI and because they ran a lot of RPO looks with him, they were not asking him to sit back read the field and make tight window throws, thats because he isnt good at it. Any team that gives up that kind of return for Foles will set their team wayy back, I wouldnt give up more than a 2nd for him. A team would be better off just waiting a year until he free-agency and then signing him.

  60. Howie will get his price, this is what he is good at. For everyone who thinks Foles is just some backup QB, I don’t know what you were watching. Foles is legit, I accepted before that the 27-2 season of his might be a fluke, but after seeing this guy play like Brady in the playoffs I now see he is legit. Sorry but there is more to this guy then just some scrub. He had his bad seasons under Jeff Fisher, so please spare me. Sure he needs a competent coach and team around him, but so do most QBs unless their name is Aaron Rodgers. Goff was no different. Foles is worth the price they are asking because he is in his prime and he can play in this league. I would much rather have Foles then Bradford, Keenum, Bortles, Cousins and pretty much anyone else that is available.

  61. @jeffreyshulenburg says:

    So, they are hoping that they are either offered a first and a 4th or they are going to hold onto him because they fear Wentz hasnt recovered.

    The problem for the Eagles wanting that much is that there is a third option…Wentz is fully recovered and you get nothing for Foles because you waited too long. In this case, you wasted 7 million in precious cap space for no return when you could have gotten a starting caliber player (2nd round pick). When you look at the teams in the QB market, it doesnt appear that ANY of them are dumb enough to overspend on Foles. The Broncos have shown they are willing to go with a lesser option, they did last year. The Bills have plan B already in Tyrod, same with the Jags. The Cards have been extremely risk adverse in trading. And the Browns, Jets and Giants are all in position to draft their guy.
    =====================================
    A superbowl MVP whose career highlights include a season with 27 TDs and 2 ints. He’s the reason Philly won the SB. He wasn’t like Dilfer/Flacco/Brad Johnson. Keep in mind…Buffalo coach was in Philly with Foles. Broncos? The lesser option resulted in them still searching. Some of these teams have tons of $$ available and need to start winning…now. Foles is the guy that is a proven commodity and can win now.

  62. omeimontis says:
    March 5, 2018 at 4:22 pm
    Foles is worth more in trade than Jimmy Garoppolo? Is that possible? LOL

    ———————-

    Does Jimmy G have the resume that Foles has? No. He hasn’t even played as many games. Has Jimmy G won a SB v one of the greatest defensive coaches in the history of the game? No. Does he have any big game experience? No.

    I’m aware of Garoppolo’s talent, but if you like him better than Foles, your argument is purely speculative.

  63. Sucker bet. Don’t fall for it. Whatever team thinks foles is the answer to the qb position just got took.
    That team would need Defilipino too.

  64. Giants, Redskins and the Cowboys wouldn’t give up a 3rd round pick for Foles.

    So not to worry, only the Giants may ADD a 1st rounder as all 3 teams are positive who their starters are and not giving up a pick and 7 mil for a back-up.

    I know he’s a SB MVP and I actually liked him when he was Arizona and thought he should have been drafted higher. Truth is, he is a career back-up who solidified that for years to come by being great, when needed in a pinch.

    So the Eagles have a top 7 and top 25 QB for 1 more year. Be dumb to care about 1 more draft pick when you have a window that you just went through and have a legit shot at entering it again.

    If Clipboard Jesus can walk away with lotto and no injuries, Foles can triple that.

  65. All you guys attributing Super Bowl MVP NIck Foles success to Defilippo coaching, Defilippo was the OC for the Browns just a few years ago, how’d that work out, lol!

  66. Foles is the greatest statistical QB in NFL playoff history. He had the 3rd greatest statistical season in NFL history. His twice proven ceiling is Aaron Rodgers/Tom Brady.

    He is 17-4 in his last 21 real regular season games with a real coach.
    This does not include 2 fantastic relief appearance wins of 20+ passes each.
    He is 3-1 in the playoffs with a Super Bowl MVP award.
    He walked off the field for the last time with the lead in all 4 of his playoff games.

    He has 56 TDs to 14 picks (4 to 1 ratio) over those games.
    His rating in those games is over 100.

    He is playing like Tom Brady in every measurable way. (in his 27 game sample size)
    People who hated him in December still hate him.
    As Jason Kelce said “WE DON’T CARE!”

  67. If all you Eagle fans love him so much, then yell from the towers to trade Wentz. You could get a Herschel Walker deal. Since he is better than Brady and everyone else in the history of the playoffs and all.

    Watch Jimmy G throw. Watch Foles throw. Get back to me. Pederson should have been coach of the year for making Foles look like a future HOF’r, instead of the best back-up in the game (which again, is Pederson et al).

  68. Foles had the 3rd highest QB rating for a season in NFL history for the 2013 Eagles.
    Doug Pederson was a coach on the Chiefs at the time.

    Its ok if you want to hold onto the Joe Montana was made by Jerry Rice type straw man. We know this Super Bowl win has crushed your world view.

    Watch Jimmy G throw? Watch Foles throw?
    Do you want me to look at Jerry Rice and Renaldo ‘Skeets’ Nehemiah in the 40 while I am at it? How about Tom Brady’s combine workout?

    I watched Foles throw all playoffs long and he is now an NFL legend.

  69. sceaglesfan says:
    March 5, 2018 at 1:46 pm
    Bradford was a special situation as Bridgewater lost suddenly just before season started- maximum leverage for Roseman.
    ____________________

    “maximum leverage” only cuz Spielman wouldn’t wait out the situation. Eagles wanted to go to Wentz, would have gone to Wentz, and by week 3 he would of had Bradford for a 2nd (like he was worth, max leverage and all). And still finished 8-8.

  70. If I were them, I would not even be considering trading Foles. He is a luxury they cannot afford.
    ______________

    He is a luxury they can afford.

  71. GM’s need to ask themselves this simple question . . . who is a better quarterback, Kirk Cousins or Nick Foles?

    It’s that simple.

  72. No way the Vikings do a Trade like the Bradford one again. First of all…..if Bradford stays healthy…he is a better QB. Yes…he is. If you look at his arm talent, his accuracy, his ability to throw to his players in full stride. He is very good. If Broadford played for the Eagles last year behind that offensive line he wins the Superbowl to. But…he can not stay healthy. That is the unfortunate thing. Sometimes coaches are willing to bet on ability…vs injury risk and that did not pan out for MN. Most Vikings fans would love to have Bradford as a starter…if he could play all 16 games more often than not.

    Second…The Vikings only made this trade because of losing Bridgewater 1 week before the season in a horrific injury. Unless something like that happens again the Vikings won’t do it. I guarantee it. Foles is not that good. He won Superbowl, due to a very talented team he was on. Most of his throws….he just threw up…and play makers like Jeffrey won jump balls. Case Keenum is the same type of QB. He can’t throw people open…but he will take calculated risks with jump balls. Why would the Vikings go after Foles when they can get equal talent out of Case? There is a reason Case beat out Foles when they were both with the Rams. Foles did good thanks to a talented team, and a talented coaching staff play calling to his strengths, and taking calculated risks.

  73. All these experts saying they should move him. Probably the same ones who slammed the moves Howie made leading up to the 2017 season. I think the Eagle’s front office has earned the benefit of the doubt on personnel calls.

    Wentz it’s a sure thing to start the season. Given the roster moves on the D the Eagles are thinking repeat not rebuild. So let Foles get them started then give the ball back to Wentz when he’s healthy. If Foles plays well for 2-4 weeks to start the season there will still be plenty of market for him.

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