If you haven't heard the endless rumors of Carson Wentz wanting to leave the Eagles, then congratulations on just being born. How did you start reading so quickly? Baby genius..
Anywho. The market for Carson Wentz and his humungous contract is tricky to read. Which teams are desperate for QB help and have the cap space to swallow the hit? Are there teams who tick one box but miss the other? Here's your complete guide to potential suitors.
Out of the question
Kansas City - duhGreen Bay - duhBuffalo - duhBaltimore - fun to think about but noTampa - wouldn't that be somethingTennessee - nopeCleveland - they should but won'tArizona - duhGiants - lolAtlanta - Ryan might not be back, but this won't happenCincinnati - duhChargers - Herbert is legitRams - Goff sucks but they won't move onSeattle - duhDallas - lolHouston - Watson wants out, but this isn't a fitJacksonville - Trevor Lawrence
Never say never
New Orleans
Brees' arm looks absolutely cooked. It's time the Saints look into acquiring their next franchise quarterback and no, it shouldn't be Taysom Hill nor should it be Jameis Winston. Brees will probably be back next season, but who will they rely on when he's gone?
The Saints are in a deeper cap hole than the Eagles, and there's absolutely no way the Eagles would trade Wentz to a team like the Saints. Right?
But on the flipside, having Sean Payton, Alvin Kamara, Slant Boy, and that offensive line would make life a lot easier for Wentz.
Pittsburgh
Big Ben is big done. Did you see his last few games? The deep ball just wasn't there for him. His decision making grew more questionable by the game. He lost to the Browns. It's time for him to hang it up.
Mason Rudolph is a potato of a quarterback and Joshua Dobbs isn't good. They need a new QB to support that dominant defense. With all reports that Carson isn't "coachable" you'd think a coach like Mike Tomlin would be able to rectify that.
Replacing Roethlisberger with a quarterback who was compared to him coming out of college isn't super far fetched, but still highly unlikely.
Miami
The Dolphins moving on from Tua after one year? It's pretty unlikely, but this is a team that moved on from Josh Rosen a year after they traded for him. They also couldn't decide whether Tua or Ryan Fitzpatrick was their best starter this year.
I do not think they'd move on from Tua for an "older" quarterback, but the prospect of pairing Wentz with either DeVonta Smith or Ja'Marr Chase could be a reality for a different team.
Despite the dominance of Buffalo, Miami still seems to be just a quarterback away from being a contender for the AFC East crown. Wentz could help them get there. The Dolphins have two first-round picks and two second-round picks. Could one of those seconds do the deal? That would allow the Dolphins to solidify a lot of areas on that team to surround Wentz with talent.
Teams likely keeping a close eye on Carson Wentz
Washington
The Eagles and Washington are no strangers to inter-division trades of a star quarterback.
A 33-year-old Donovan McNabb was coming off a Pro Bowl season where he went 10-4, threw for 3,553 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions when he was traded to the team's divisional rival. Could the Eagles do the same with Carson?
Would a second and third-round pick do it? The Washington team is a quarterback away from being extremely competitive in the NFC, but would the Eagles do that favor for a rival? If their view on Wentz is that he is indeed regressing, this is a move they could seriously consider.
Minnesota
25-21-1. Does that sound like a great record to continue with? Well, that's what Mr. Fully Guaranteed has given the Vikings since coming over as a free agent. While he was a Pro Bowler in 2019, that's sandwiched between an 8-7-1 2018 and 7-9 2020.
The Vikings are tied to Cousins in 2021, but can move on in 2022. If they could find a way to expedite his departure, adding Wentz makes a ton of sense.
Imagine Wentz getting to throw to Justin Jefferson? Eagles Twitter would erupt.
Las Vegas
The other thing I love about Wentz is his preparation is off the charts. This guy works at it hard. He studies, he’s really into it, and when he goes out and practices, it’s like a game. He is really into football, man. I challenge you guys out here today, when you go back and start practicing, you remember Carson Wentz.
That was current Las Vegas head coach Jon Gruden when talking to high school players at PDQ restaurant in Cherry Hill, NJ in 2017.
Lemme tell you, he's 237 pounds and he's every bit as athletic as Andrew Luck or Cam Newton, and I believe that 100 percent.
That was current Las Vegas GM Mike Mayock speaking about Carson Wentz prior to the NFL draft in 2016.
Obviously, it's not 2016 or 2017 anymore, but the past interest of those two in Wentz is extremely intriguing to think about.
The Raiders can cut Derek Carr this offseason and only have $2.5 million in dead cap while saving $19.6 million and $19.8 million in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Wentz might not be a significant upgrade over Carr, but he'd definitely bring the star power that Las Vegas needs.
Carolina
Teddy Bridgewater isn't the answer but it's hard to imagine the team moving on from him for a guy only a month younger.
On paper, a team of Wentz, McCaffrey, Anderson, and Moore would be hard to defend (Curtis Samuel is a free agent). If Joe Brady stays on as offensive coordinator, Wentz could have a career year.
But all signs point to Carolina drafting their next franchise quarterback.
Continued on the page below.
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
Hmm..
Jets
Former Eagles staff as GM, ~$70 million in cap space, #2 overall pick, and a new head coach. This could be the perfect setup for Wentz to flourish on the Jets.
Moving 2020 draft pick Mehki Bocton to the right side and drafting Penei Sewell at 2 would solidify that offensive line for Wentz, while their second first round pick could be used for more weapons on offense. There is plenty of money to hold his salary and still be major players in free agency.
A Wentz/Jets pairing would immediately bring relevance to the "other" New Jer.. New York team.
Of course, Sam Darnold is still there...for now. They may ultimately draft a quarterback at 2. But Wentz would immediately help that franchise in a division that isn't as Bills dominant as people may believe.
Detroit
Despite Matt Stafford continuously showing how underappreciated he is, there's yet more talk of the Lions moving on from him. In his 12 year career, he's played all 16 games nine times (his rookie year he played 10), he's thrown for 4000+ yards eight times (5,000+ once), yet he's only had a winning record four times (last coming in 2017).
The Lions could move on from Stafford at a minimal cost in 2022, but if they decided to make the move now, they could come calling for Wentz.
With a new head coach coming in (Saleh?), he could possibly want a new QB for whichever offense he decides to run. The Lions do have some really nice pieces to compete in the NFC North, well at least for second place, and Wentz could get them there. They'll definitely need to re-sign Golladay first, but this is a destination to keep an eye on.
Chicago
With reports of Trubisky showing enough to at least get a short term extension, the Bears shouldn't. For them to compete in the AFC North and not waste that great defense of theirs, they need a legitimate quarterback. The UNC product is not the answer.
There's the minor issue of re-signing Allen Robinson, but you think there's a better chance of retaining him if you market Carson Wentz as his quarterback? I think so.
As with the Lions, Carson Wentz as the quarterback of the Bears could help propel them to second place in the NFC North.
Best Fits for Carson Wentz
Denver
Drew Lock may not be the guy for the Broncos, as has been the story for every QB since Peyton Manning.
With John Elway moving away from the general manager role, his replacement could want a new beginning.
An offense of Carson Wentz, Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay, Courtland Sutton, KJ Hamler, Jerry Jeudy, and Noah Fant? That would challenge the Chiefs for the title of best offense in the AFC West.
Mike Kaye of NJ.com proposed a trade to Denver for Lock and picks, which would continue a QB controversy of sorts in 2021 but it wouldn't be of the magnitude if Wentz were part of it.
New England
Bill Belichick needs a new quarterback, do you think he's the type to let a rookie quarterback "figure it out"?
Me neither.
Armed with ~$59 million in space, the Patriots could easily absorb the contract. They don't have a third-round pick in 2021, so a trade involving a second and a third (which is what I think gets a deal done) would be tricky.
But if New England wants to get back into the thick of the AFC East, Wentz is the guy to get them there.
San Francisco
The 49ers have an innovative offense, a strong defense, a head coach who knows how to scheme, but they have Jimmy G at quarterback.
While head coach Kyle Shanahan stated last week that Jimmy G will be their quarterback next season, he did leave an avenue open for change:
Guys, you can’t say anything with certainty, you don’t sit here and make promises on anything. We build a football team. It’s (our) job to put the best team together year-in and year-out.
While the 49ers did make a Super Bowl with Jimmy, he had yet another injury-riddled season. In his four seasons with San Francisco, he's played in 31 games, with 16 coming in 2019.
There's zero denying that Carson Wentz is a clear upgrade over Jimmy G and the 49ers can save ~$24 million by releasing him.
While Eagles fans, myself included, would rather see Wentz in the AFC, the 49ers make too much sense for the team not to explore a deal.
Indianapolis
The team that couldn't be more obvious.
"Frank Reich made Carson!" "Reich was the mastermind!"
Well, why not pair the two again?
While the Colts made the playoffs with Super Dad Philip Rivers under center, he threw for his lowest amount of yards since 2012. Rivers was the beneficiary of one of the best offensive lines in the NFL as he was only sacked 19 times.
The Colts have a nominee for rookie of the year at running back, an underrated wide receiving corps (with another addition most likely on the way in the draft), an All-Pro at linebacker, and the money to absorb Wentz's contract.
In a division that is within their grasp, Wentz can propel the Colts over the Titans for the AFC South crown.
Who do you believe to be the best fit for Carson Wentz? Let us know in the comments!
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
