The NFL is a weird league. Once ruled by superstars, the 2017 season saw pro football elevated by several would-be marginal talents.
Case Keenum, Nick Foles and Blake Bortles all pushed their teams into their respective conference title games, while Foles just got done earning Philadelphia the franchise’s first ever Lombardi Trophy.
Foles tacked on a Super Bowl MVP award to put the proverbial cherry on top and almost certainly gave the rest of the league something to think about. It could be a layered thought process, too; perhaps you don’t need an elite passer to make a run at a title and maybe Foles could help someone other than the Eagles.
Case Keenum probably is getting paid for his big 2017 season, but it stands to reason Foles could be in for a pay increase, as well.
The career backup went absolutely nuts in his last two games of the playoffs, showing he is capable of both playing within a system and also attacking defenses deep down the field.
The problem for the 29-year old Foles? He’s still under contract for another year. Philly is on the hook for $7 million in 2018, but after Foles got them a title, there’s no way they’re just flat out releasing him.
Not only would the Eagles not want to slight Foles like that at this point, but there’s no guarantee Carson Wentz (knee) is ready for the start of the 2018 NFL season. Of course, if the right trade comes along and the Eagles can land a backup via some other path, they have to consider it.
BetOnline and other NFL betting sites are certainly wondering what could happen with Foles and as stated, any movement would have to come via trade.
The big reason Foles is suddenly a hot name is he clearly proved he can still operate at a high level and there is always a huge need for steady quarterback play.
Here’s how BetOnline lists the odds as to where Foles could wind up playing in 2018:
It’s tough to rule any of these spots out based on need. The Eagles lead the way simply because Foles is still under contract for one more year and Philly doesn’t have an insurance policy beyond him.
Every other team has a need at quarterback, while the Cardinals and Vikings specifically don’t have a single quarterback under contract for 2018 at the moment.
While everyone here deserves consideration, the Jaguars, Browns, Jets and Broncos don’t seem like realistic options. The main reason is Cleveland, New York and Denver all have high draft picks in the first round and seem ready to spend it on a future franchise passer in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Even if these teams don’t do that, they all already have quarterbacks near Foles’ talent level. While he clearly enjoyed an amazing playoff run, few will mistake Nick Foles for an elite franchise passer.
Jacksonville is also ruled out because they seem to be content with Blake Bortles. Foles probably isn’t a big enough upgrade over Bortles to make a huge splash via trade, either.
Top FavoritesBuffalo has been trying to get away from Tyrod Taylor for years now and it seems like he’s a goner. Unfortunately, all they have behind him is Nathan Peterman, who really didn’t wow anyone as a rookie last year.
Unless Peterman wins the Bills over, Buffalo is going to take a passer in this year’s draft or they’ll make a play for an upgrade over Taylor in some other fashion. In terms of sheer pocket passing, Foles actually could give them that.
Trading for Foles wouldn’t require giving up as much as some may think and Buffalo could finally fix the key position that has held them back for over a decade. That shouldn’t stop the Bills from planning ahead, though, as they could opt to continue grooming Peterman or select a quarterback at some point in the draft.
I think the Bills make some sense, but Arizona might be the best spot. Not only is there a need at quarterback in Arizona, but Foles would get to “go home” after playing his college ball at Arizona.
The Cardinals are still built to compete for a title right now, as they have a stud running back, some solid receiving weapons and a fairly stacked defense.
Arizona still needs to add some pieces to their roster if they want to get back into the playoffs, but quarterback probably takes the cake.
Not only did Carson Palmer retire after the season ended, but as previously mentioned, the Cardinals are not handcuffed to a single passer right now.
One good strategy could be trading for Foles, who would be a better option than they had behind Palmer a year ago.
Foles wouldn’t have to be their long-term answer, but he’d give them a stable option to help push for the playoffs immediately and also allow them to bring a young passer along slowly.
I can’t say a trade out of Philly is impossible, but what kind of message would that send to the Eagles fan base? This Super Bowl didn’t seem possible without Foles, who put up nearly 400 yards and four total touchdowns in Super Bowl 52.
There is too much working in Foles’ favor here. He’s still under contract, he just played out of his mind to secure Philly’s first Super Bowl and Carson Wentz isn’t a lock to be ready for the start of next season.
Unless the Eagles acquire another reliable backup somehow, they actually need Foles. That doesn’t rule them out trying to ship Foles off in a deal later in the year. It also doesn’t mean they can’t franchise him after next season and try trading him shortly thereafter.
There is a need for quarterbacks and Foles will field some calls, but he’s almost 30 and I’d have to imagine most won’t want to trade a ton of assets for a guy who basically had two good games.
In the end, Foles does have some value and there is a need for his services, but I doubt he gets dealt before 2018 comes around. The best part? You’re actually in for solid value at +135 for something that would otherwise be a non-issue.
Take advantage of the hype around Foles and get some easy cash back.
Bettors can ponder Nick Foles’ next landing spot for the moment, but after they decide that bet, they could start thinking about how Foles could impact that team’s title odds.
After all, if Foles could step in and win a title with the Eagles, it’s not that crazy to imagine him doing the same for someone else.
Except, it totally is.
Even if Foles stays with the Eagles (like I think he will), Wentz would be back. Foles would technically win again if Wentz came back and helped Philly repeat, but just getting back to the Super Bowl is tough.
Winning two years in a row is even more difficult. Just ask the Patriots.
I know, that one was dirty, but you get the point.
The crazy part is I’d bet Foles’ only real shot at winning another Super Bowl at any point in his career is probably going to be as a backup somewhere and it might even be with the Eagles.
All of these teams are viable landing spots, but acquiring Foles isn’t catapulting anyone on this list to a guaranteed Super Bowl run, let alone a win. The only teams that would make any sense are the Vikings (+1200) and Jaguars (+2800), but I think both teams end up staying in-house.
Minnesota has three guys to pick from in Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum and Sam Bradford, while so far it really seems that the Jags will roll with Bortles again.
Should Foles get traded to the Cardinals or Bills, who are my two favorite options for him beyond Philly, I don’t think his presence is enough to get his new team a ring.
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