As the Eagles prepare to reorganize their roster and bring in some much-needed youth, they’ll have to jettison a few current fan-favorites first.
According to Sport’s Illustrated‘s Mike Silver, the Eagles’ long-time tight end, Zach Ertz, has been discussed in trade talks with multiple teams. A trade could happen as soon as this upcoming week:
Multiple teams have called the Eagles about the possibility of trading for three-time Pro Bowl TE Zach Ertz, and a deal could happen in the coming days, according to two sources familiar with the talks. @nflnetwork @AroundTheNFL
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 8, 2021
This shouldn’t be surprising to anyone at this point. It was always a matter of when, not if, Ertz would be leaving the city he’s called home since 2013. That became very clear during Ertz’s contract disputes with the team.
There have been Ertz trade rumors ever since the season ended. But it seems that trade talks are escalating now.
Regardless of whether Hurts is traded or outright released before June 1, the dead cap will be around $7.7 million. The Eagles will see about $4.7 million in cap savings (via Spotrac).
As a reminder, even though a trade can be announced, it cannot be official until the new league year starts on March 17.
What Teams Could Be Interested?
There are a number of teams that could be in ongoing trade talks with the Eagles. The Indianapolis Colts are the first team that comes to mind. They were reported to have discussed an Ertz trade back in February, and ideas of trade packages involving Carson Wentz and Ertz were thrown around by fans and reporters.
Of course, that never came to fruition, with Wentz being traded alone. But the fact that Wentz is in Indy makes the Birds and Colts even stronger trade partners. After all, Ertz has long been Wentz’s favorite target. Having some familiarity would do him well in a new place.
The Seattle Seahawks are another team to watch. Seattle employed Greg Olson last year, who had just 239 yards in 11 games before suffering a season-ending injury.
They’ll certainly be needing a new tight end, since Olson announced his retirement, and a portion of their depth in that position is set to hit free agency. A nice check-down weapon could do the currently mildly-disgruntled Russell Wilson some good.
There are other teams that could be in the mix as well. The Minnesota Vikings just released their own long-time tight end, Kyle Rudolph, creating a hole. The New Orleans Saints will have a need at tight end, with Jared Cook set to hit free agency.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Eagles could fetch for Ertz. Unfortunately, he won’t be fetching the team a day one or two draft pick. But a mid-to-late pick is certainly in the realm of possibility.
It is promising that “multiple” teams are in the mix for Ertz. Perhaps a bidding war will occur. The Eagles would gladly take any price bump, no matter how small.
