The Philadelphia Eagles and the Indianapolis Colts have agreed on a trade that will suit both parties. The Eagles will get two valuable draft picks for a high-earner that has fallen out with the organization, while the Colts will reunite Carson Wentz with Frank Reich, former Eagles’ offensive coordinator and now Colts’ head coach.
Two Valuable Draft Picks for the Eagles
The deal that both the Eagles and Colts will be delighted with stipulates that the Eagles will get the 85th overall pick of the 2021 draft and a conditional 2022 second-round pick that could turn into a first-round pick.
For that second-rounder to turn into a first-round pick, Carson Wentz will have to play at least 75% of the offensive snaps the Colts play in the next season. Alternatively, Wentz can also play a minimum of 70% of the Colts’ offensive snaps, but the Indianapolis franchise will have to reach the playoffs in that case.
In other words, the Eagles get a decent third-round pick this year and could strike gold if Wentz reaches the offensive figures that most football fans expect him to get.
Taking a Financial Hit
The Eagles already have the perfect replacement for Wentz in Jalen Hurts. Hurts has just finished his rookie NFL season after being selected as a second-round pick in 2020.
He was supposed to be a backup for Wentz but took over from the Eagles’ star quarterback as the season progressed. Wentz’s disastrous relationship with former Eagles coach Doug Pedersen meant that Hurts was called upon earlier than people expected.
The change in direction the Eagles’ decided to take also meant that they had to find a way to offload their highest-earner. Wentz signed a four-year extension worth $128 million in June 2019, the sort of contract that organizations give to players they plan on building their teams around.
However, the fact that Wentz ranked 34th in the NFL when it came to completion percentages (57,4%), but was first in interceptions and sacks, despite Hurts playing the last four games of the season, signalled that the Eagles had to take the financial hit and move on.
Fits the Colts Puzzle Perfectly
Wentz might have played his worst season so far, but the Colts will be delighted with what they got. They replace former quarterback Philip Rivers, who has retired this season, with a player who is a former MVP candidate and was named as first-team All-Pro and played in the Pro Bowl in 2017.
Wentz is also one of a select group of top-quality quarterbacks who have recorded 20+ passing touchdowns and 10 or fewer interceptions for three consecutive seasons. He is joined there by NFL heavyweights like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Russell Wilson.
But those are not the only benefits the Colts will get from the Wentz deal. The trade will see Carson reunited with his former Eagles offensive coordinator. Frank Reich has been Colts’ head coach for three years but coached Wentz in 2016 and 2017 when the quarterback played his best games. Reich’s offense ranked 10th in total offense and was 9th in scoring in the 2020/2021 season. In other words, Wentz joins a team that can easily be one of the top offensive sides in the NFL if it is led by a quality quarterback. And for the money the Colts are paying him, they probably expect him to be just that.
