The 2019 free-agent class will be filled with castoffs and veterans, leaving Nick Foles to be the most-desired available quarterback on the market. We’ve ranked Foles’ best possible landing spots before bidding begins.
The off-season drama will soon be underway after the Super Bowl is wrapped up next Sunday night. As teams are examining a weak quarterback crop at the Senior Bowl, it’ll be a crucial off-season for teams needing to find a solution at the position in 2019 and beyond. Outside of Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, evaluators are far from sold on any of the signal-callers in the draft class as long-term solutions.
That doesn’t mean others won’t sneak into the first-round.
Kyler Murray is liked by many, but it’s unclear which general manager will be willing to put their career on the line for the explosive but minuscule playmaker. He may go in the Lamar Jackson-range based off my conversations with scouts and agents.
Both Drew Lock and Daniel Jones have buzz, but also suffer have potential fatal flaws against pressure and need significant refinement with their mechanics. Anyone taking them should expect little in 2019 as they develop.
That leaves the free-agent market for numerous teams trying to find a solution in the short-term. Few teams can afford to take a “rebuilding” year without risking their jobs, making the 30-year-old, Super Bowl winning Foles an attractive option.
Foles should command around $20 million per-year on a short-term deal on the market. Though there’s not a deep market right now, things can change quickly since several teams changed coaching staffs already. This is a good time to hit reset for some franchises.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen brought up the idea of the Eagles tagging him or picking up his option, but the team is slated to be so far over the cap, they can’t afford the risk associated with committing so much to the position. They’ll net a 2020 third-rounder for losing him in free agency, which gives them cap space and peace of mind over the risk to hold out for a 2019 second-rounder that’s unlikely to come.
Though signing Foles is a risk considering his uneven nature throughout his career, his best moments with Chip Kelly and Doug Pederson make him a good candidate for a Case Keenum-esque risk. He’s also played well late in the season more often than not. He’s not going to be a franchise quarterback for the next decade, but he’s a higher-upside bridge than Joe Flacco.
I didn’t include the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, or Denver Broncos due to the financial implications of moving on from their current quarterbacks for Foles. Any of those three getting involved would be surprising to the multiple sources I spoke to.
Let’s jump in.