Nick Foles will be available, perhaps as the top quarterback out there, and here are the five best fits for him.
A year ago, Nick Foles was coming off being named Super Bowl MVP and it was the peak of his value. But with Carson Wentz coming off a torn ACL and uncertain for Week 1 of this past season, the Philadelphia Eagles kept him.
Now, Foles is set to become available as the Eagles reaffirm their commitment to Wentz. The team holds a $20 million option on Foles for next season, which they will reportedly exercise. Then Foles can give back $2 million and become a free agent. But the Eagles are expected to then put the franchise tag on Foles, in an effort to trade him and control his destination. That means an effort to keep him from the division rival New York Giants and Washington Redskins, who may both be in the market for a quarterback this offseason.
Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic opined that the Eagles are bluffing on using the franchise tag on Foles, unless they already have a trade partner in place. That makes sense, but the broader look is the Eagles are ready to put as many roadblocks as possible in place as Foles heads to another team.
But let’s tilt toward Foles becoming a free agent, and the five teams that stand out as the best fits.
Mandatory Credit: John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images
5. Washington Redskins
Alex Smith’s gruesome leg injury in November seems sure to put him on the sideline for next season, and perhaps for good. He’ll carry a cap hit north of $20 million in 2019, and unless he retires the Redskins won’t be able to spend much on another veteran quarterback anytime soon.
For Foles to be in play for Washington, he’ll have to be freely available and not attached to a trade that would force them to take on the $20 million salary on his contract option or a price of a franchise tag worth more than that.
The Eagles may not want to face Foles twice a year, as much as they can try to maintain control over that. But he has some unique control over the situation himself, and in a scenario (however remote it may be) where he’s not looking to break the bank, a possible Foles connection to the Redskins will stick until shown otherwise.