The last two weeks of the NFL season have put their head on the 2021 off-season carousel. In Philadelphia, the idea that the Eagles could go from Carson Wentz to rookie Jalen Hurts went from something you would tell Eagles troll fans to something you would say excite Eagle fans.
A few train stations north, the Jets managed to break the hearts of their fans, upsetting the Rams on Sunday and losing control of election no. 1 of the 2021 draft. It seemed like a conclusion to me before the Jets got rid of Sam Darnold and passed Trevor Lawrence, but now that it looks like Clemson star defender is probably heading for the Jaguars with the best pick, the Jets have it all. options on the table.
Let’s evaluate three big decision points for this off-season and figure out what could happen next, with the predicted dominoes that could fall. I will use the ESPN Football Power Index project order as the project order expected at the end of the season.
Each of these three scenarios is independent of each other and I will try to clarify the logic of each team as to why these moves might make sense. I will use Spotrac estimates for the 2021 ceiling space, which will inform the decisions made by each team. Let’s start with a scenario that we could not have considered before the start of this season:
Jump to a scenario:
The eagle changes Carson Wentz
The jets keep Sam Darnold
The Cowboys label changes Dak Prescott
As we have discussed in the last two weeks, if the Eagles decide they want to move on from their former franchise defender, there is a team that is the most likely destination …
The Eagles trade Wentz over the Colts for a third-round pick and a conditional pick in 2022.
The Colts are the best candidate for Wentz. Eagles fans will not be happy with the price, but the organization has virtually no leverage in concluding this deal and cannot afford to replace it expensively. The addition that makes this business work is the conditional choice; let’s say the Eagles get a third-round pick in 2022 if Wentz gets to the Pro Bowl or a second-round pick to the Pro Bowler, and the Colts get to the AFC Championship Game.
The Eagles would go ahead with Jalen Hurts as the starter, but would still like to add a backup in case the Hurts fight or get injured. With limited space on the lid, the Eagles can track an old friend …
Bears swaps QB Nick Foles at the Eagles for TE Zach Ertz and a pick in the sixth round of 2021.
Chicago doesn’t have much room for the ceiling either, but Ertz’s $ 8.3 million salary would change as a replacement for Jimmy Graham, who is likely to be reduced after the season. We all know how much General Manager Ryan Pace likes his tight heads, and Ertz would join Cole Kmet in two-set sets for the Bears.
Foles has a base salary of $ 4 million in 2021, making him financially viable for his former team. What could the Bears do after parting ways with Foles?