The Rumors

The Carson Wentz saga feels like it is moving closer to a finish. We don’t know anything for sure, but it feels that way. There were some interesting rumors floating around on Saturday night.

Name I’m hearing is Tarik Cohen, a first rounder and yes world, Nick Foles. https://t.co/dEsK5N8oV8

— Natalie Egenolf (@NatalieEgenolf) February 7, 2021

https://twitter.com/RealDGunn/status/1358441189695979521

Cohen would seem to have shot that down, but Gunn said “Interesting” because he was hearing the same rumors as Engeloff. She isn’t know for breaking stories, but it seems like she might have gotten a scoop here. Gunn is well connected and if he hears the same thing, that gives it extra credibility. As with anything, two sources are better than one.

Now let’s talk about the potential deal.

The Bears have pick 20. Getting that would be huge. The Eagles need as much young talent as possible. Save all the “But Howie would be making the picks” comments. We all know he’s struggled in recent drafts. That doesn’t change the fact the Eagles need talent and the best way to do that is have as many resources as possible.

Cohen is an interesting player. He showed promise as a rookie in 2017. Cohen then played great in 2018. He was a real weapon, as both a runner and receiver. His numbers fell in 2019 and then he only played three games last year due to a torn ACL. Like Wentz, there is talent and there are also questions. At his best, Cohen is a valuable role player. Nick Sirianni had a similar weapon in Indy in Nyheim Hines, a small RB with outstanding pass-catching skills.

As to Foles, I think he would be more of a financial throw-in. The Bears have cap issues and would need to clear some space to handle Wentz’s salary. I know there are some fans who still think of Foles as a good starting QB, but that’s just not the case. The 2017 postseason was amazing, but that’s not who Foles is on a regular basis. He was beaten out by rookie Gardner Minshew in 2019 in Jacksonville and didn’t play well in Chicago last year.

Depending on how things go in the draft, Foles would likely come here to mentor Jalen Hurts and be a backup. The Eagles know they won’t be contenders next year. There is no reason to go with a 32-year old starting QB who hasn’t played well in his last two seasons. Go with a young guy and think about the future.

We are still hearing the most about the Colts and Bears, but I’m sure Howie is still trying to involve other teams to help him get the best deal. We found out today that Carolina made a serious run at Matt Stafford.

During trade talks to try to acquire Matthew Stafford, the Carolina Panthers made a serious offer to the Lions of their eighth overall pick, a fifth-round pick and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, per league sources. Detroit opted to take the Rams offer. Carolina still looking.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021

You would think they should have some interest in Wentz.

I still wonder if other teams like the Broncos, Jets, WFT or Patriots could be interested. The Raiders could be an X-factor. Derek Carr had a good season, but has yet to get to the playoffs with Jon Gruden as his coach. Pressure has to be building out there. The Niners are another X-factor. Jimmy Garoppolo can’t seem to stay healthy and hasn’t shown to be a top QB. Would SF roll the dice on Wentz?

There are multiple teams interested, but Howie has to play this right. He’s looking for maximum return, but could scare off teams if he’s too greedy. It will be interesting to see what actually happens.

I would think something happens this week. Teams need to know who their QB is so they can start making offseason plans and dealing with the salary cap. The sooner Howie makes a deal, the better for everyone involved.

*****

I dream about the Eagles every now and then. Usually it happens at the beginning of the season. I had one the other night that came out of nowhere. The Eagles were somehow in the Super Bowl against the Raiders. The Eagles were down 45-40, but had the ball. Something happened and I was no longer able to watch. I was going nuts, as you might imagine.

By the time I got the game back on, the Raiders had won 51-40. I was devastated by the loss, but equally upset that I had no idea what happened at the end of the game. The only thing that calmed me down was being happy for Mike Mayock.

Clearly I need therapy. I’ll sign up for it right after the Wentz trade. I’m sure that will add some other issues I’ll need to have resolved.

*****

Enjoy the real Super Bowl. Let’s see if Big Red can get his second ring.

_