In a league where its hard to find 10 quality starting quarterbacks, The Philadelphia Eagles have two. There is Carson Wents, likely leading the MVP race prior to his torn ACL in Week 13. Then there is Nick Foles, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Having too many capable quarterbacks is a problem many teams in the league would love to have but if the situation isn’t handled appropriately it could cause an unnecessary rift during the start of the season.
Nick Foles:
Nick Foles was a third round draft pick in 2012 NFL Draft. The ASU product got his start playing behind an aging 
Michael Vick who was looking to redeem himself. Vick never truly found success in Philly and with the team heading in the wrong direction it was time to look toward the future. In seven starts Nick Foles had thrown just 6 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. The following season Andy Reid deperated and in came Chip Kelly. We all know how that stint ended but during Kelly’s short tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles,
Foles was able to put together a 27-2 TD-INT ratio only to battle injury and eventually lose his job to veteran journeyman Mark Sanchez. Even though it was an ugly situation, this proved that Foles had the potential to be a capable starter in the league. The strength in Foles’ game is his intermediate and deep passing game. He is able to maintain a high passer rating facing the blitz (131.8) and when receiving 3.6 or more seconds in the pocket his passer rating is even higher (+9.1). Some areas that he struggles with is targeting receivers on go routes and passes outside the numbers. If he does not get adequate time to throw the ball his accuracy takes a big hit.
Overall he is a competent pocket passer that can play well in the biggest games. He has proven that a team can win a Super Bowl with him under center.
Carson Wentz:
Carson Wentz has been a fan favorite since entering the league. This could be seen last season by his ranking as the number one jersey sold in 2017. That is quite the accomplishment considering he only played in 13 games. In those 13 games however, he was electrifying. The games he started were virtually must-see games. Making plays with both his arm and his legs.
Wentz would have almost certainly won league MVP honors and his team would have remained the Super Bowl favorite if it not had been for tearing his ACL in Los Angeles. Even after tearing his ACL, Wentz stayed in for four more plays completing a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery. If that doesn’t show you the type of competitiveness this young quarterback has then I don’t know what will. His strengths are his ability to climb the pocket and to never give up on a play even when in a difficult spot. Wentz has incredible arm strength which matches well with his natural athleticism. That combination makes for these moments of improvisation that provide an opportunity to make a positive play on something that most other quarterbacks would have given up on.
The ceiling for Wentz is astronomical but after this serious injury it makes you wonder if he will lose any of those qualities that made him special. He has also struggled with accuracy at times and although he has excellent arm strength, some of the balls he throws hardly resemble a spiral.
What should The Eagles do?
There is no doubt that Carson Wentz must remain the starter. There have been mixed reports about the availability of Wentz for Week 1. This would have most fans wanting to keep “the best backup in the league”. While you could make an argument for rostering both quarterbacks in 2018, I tend to lean on sticking with one.
The media can really affect a team and a quarterback controversy is not good for anybody. If Wentz struggles through a stretch of the season, all you will hear is “is it time to put Nick Foles back in”. That can really affect a young quarterback let alone one who is returning from major injury. There will be rust for Wentz to shake off initially and media pressure could only make things worse. A trade is the best course of action for the team. Kirk Cousins is the best quarterback on the market with numerous teams interested in him, and once Cousins chooses a team there will still be a handful of teams looking to fill that hole in the roster.
Most of the teams looking for a quarterback are also what you would consider “one quarterback away” from making a strong playoff push. Foles has already shown he can jump in get the job done immediately. The Eagles are also dead last in available cap space. A trade would free up over 7 million in cap space while also providing draft picks to bolster the roster in a more financially friendly way.
The current offer for Foles is a second round pick. That is simply not enough relative value. We saw Jimmy Garopollo get traded to The 49ers for a second round pick and it had most analysts saying it was an absolute trade steal. Nick Foles is easily more valuable in a trade after his Super Bowl MVP performance in February. A first round pick is a must but it should also include a late round pick as well. Packaging in another player like Rodney Mcleod in that deal could free up nearly 16 million in cap space while also giving the team the ability to fill those gaps in the draft.
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