7 Teams That Could Trade For Nick Foles
A little over 15 months ago, the Rams acquired Nick Foles from the Eagles and quickly locked him into a two-year extension worth $24.5MM, handing him more than $12MM in guaranteed money. After starting 11 games, and completing less than 57% of his passes while posting a 7:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Foles was benched for Case Keenum, and remained on the sidelines for the rest of season.
Given that Los Angeles traded up to acquire the No. 1 overall pick and select Jared Goff, Foles is clearly not in the club’s plans, as Keenum and 2015 draft choice Sean Mannion are projected to make the squad. Foles is unhappy with his position on the club and didn’t attend OTAs, and with the Rams exploring a trade, Foles isn’t expected to be with the team at the start of training camp — at the very least, he’ll be dealt away (or possibly released) before Week 1.
Foles, 27, drew trade interest around draft time, but ultimately wasn’t moved. Albert Breer of The MMQB recently reported that Los Angeles is holding onto Foles for the time being in the hopes that he could accrue more value as training camp approaches. An injury could spur other teams to inquire about Foles, but his contract is also a plus. Because the Rams already paid out Foles’ guaranteed $6MM roster bonus, an acquiring club would only be on the hook for Foles’ $1.75MM base salary — a palatable figure for a backup quarterback.
With that preamble out of the way, let’s take a look at a few teams that could express interest in Foles…
Dallas Cowboys — The 2015 Cowboys season showed just how valuable a backup quarterback can be, as Dallas ran through Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden, and Kellen Moore as Tony Romo dealt with injury. That threesome posted a combined 1-11 record, leaving Cowboys fans wondering what could have been had the club had a competent No. 2 signal-caller. Moore is set to return as the backup, with fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott scheduled to handle clipboard duties, as Roster Resource shows. Foles would be an improvement over both of those options, and Dallas was one of several teams that Ian Rapoport of NFL.com linked to Foles at the beginning of the league year.
Detroit Lions — The Lions re-signed backup Dan Orlovsky this offseason, but they only handed the veteran $160K guaranteed on a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract, so they could easily move on if they were to acquire Foles. Elsewhere on the roster, Detroit boasts 2016 sixth-round pick Jake Rudock, who has yet to inspire confidence. “There’s not a phase that he has under control at this point in time,” head coach Jim Caldwell said of Rudock earlier this month. Matthew Stafford has been remarkably durable since a lost 2010 season, as he hasn’t missed a single start over the past five years, so giving up anything of value for Foles might not be worth it.
Indianapolis Colts — Like the Lions, the Colts have a somewhat reputable backup option in Scott Tolzien, whom they signed to a two-year deal that contains $500K guaranteed. Because of that amount of guaranteed cash, Indianapolis is highly unlikely to move on from Tolzien at any point this season, so they’re probably among the least likely teams on this list to go after Foles. But I included them here because Tolzien is far from a lock as a No. 2 quarterback. He’s probably gained some recognition over the years for serving as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup, but Tolzien has only attempted 91 passes during his career — most of those attempts came back in 2013, when he tossed five interceptions against just one touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs — Andy Reid is a known developer of quarterback talent, and the Chiefs have brought in several backup options over the past couple years, investing draft capital in Kevin Hogan and Aaron Murray, while signing (and then extending) undrafted free agent Tyler Bray. The only problem? None of those signal-callers have ever taken a snap in an NFL game, which means Kansas City could be in a precarious position if Alex Smith goes down. Foles, then, would represent a bit more certainty at the No. 2 position.
New York Jets — Though negotiations between the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick continue to drag on, it still seems like the two sides will eventually come to an agreement. If that happens, New York clearly won’t be in the market for another quarterback. But as things currently stand, Foles would represent an upgrade over Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty, and is perhaps on par with fellow starting option Geno Smith. General manager Mike Maccagnan said during the draft that he wasn’t aiming to acquire another quarterback, but that was before talks with Fitzpatrick stalled.
San Francisco 49ers — Whether or not the Rams would be open to trading within their division is an open question, but Foles had the most success of his career under current 49ers head coach Chip Kelly, tossing 27 touchdowns in 2013 when the duo was with the Eagles. Still, San Francisco looks set to go forward with a competition between Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, so Foles might not be the best fit, especially given that Kaepernick’s base salary is fully guaranteed.
Seattle Seahawks — Again, it’s not clear if Los Angeles would want to trade Foles to another team in the NFC West, but the Seahawks have very little between Russell Wilson. Tarvaris Jackson doesn’t look to be an option after being arrested on Friday, so it looks as though the club will go with undrafted free agent Trevone Boykin as their backup signal-caller. Boykin, like Wilson, offers mobility in and outside the pocket, so Seattle might prefer him to Foles, who sometimes resembles a statue under center.
Some of these clubs make more sense than others — the Cowboys, for example, stand out as a club that could certainly use an upgrade at backup quarterback. Additionally, it’s reasonable to expect that the Rams find they can’t acquire anything of value in exchange for Foles, and are instead forced to release him. If that’s the case, this list simply becomes a catalog of clubs who could express interest in signing the veteran quarterback.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dominique Easley Not Concerned With Perception
- Locker room issues apparently played a part in Dominique Easley‘s release from the Patriots earlier this year, and former first-round pick doesn’t sound all that interested in changing that perception now that he’s joined the Rams. “I wouldn’t say it’s (among) my main goals, because (being a great person is) just who I am,” Easley said of his rumored off-field problems on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Facebook link). “But, yeah, there’s been obviously stuff said about me. I mean, we don’t know where it came from. Obviously, the person doesn’t want to come out and say it, either.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/24/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Browns announced that they have signed outside linebacker Joe Schobert, a fourth-round draft pick. As shown on our running list, third-round defensive end Carl Nassib stands as Cleveland’s only unsigned draft choice from this year’s class of 14 picks. According to Over the Cap, Schobert, a Wisconsin product, is in line for a four-year deal worth roughly $2.974MM, including a signing bonus of about $634K.
- The Rams have waived wide receiver J.J. Worton, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). Worton was an undrafted free agent out of UCF, and signed with Los Angeles at the beginning of May. The club has also waived linebacker Matthew Wells, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wells originally inked a futures deal back in January.
Does Goff Make Rams A Title Contender?
- Does the addition of No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff make the Rams a title contender? Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com writes that Goff is a step in the right direction for Los Angeles, though there is nothing guaranteed with a rookie quarterback and it will likely take two or three years for the team to develop him into a reliable player. Ultimately, however, if Goff does pan out and Todd Gurley reaches his potential, the Rams could be a dangerous team.
Latest On Rams RB Tre Mason
Rams running back Tre Mason has been in legal hot water all offseason, first after a March arrest on numerous charges including resisting arrest, possession of cannabis, and reckless driving, and then following a missed arraignment in April. Those incidents could lead to Mason losing his spot on Los Angeles’ roster, as Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters, including Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News, that the club has to “prepare [itself] that Tre’s not going to be here.”
[RELATED: Los Angeles Rams Depth Chart]
It’s not entirely clear if Fisher is referring to a looming league suspension — which is very likely — for Mason, or whether the head coach is implying that the Rams could waive the 22-year-old Mason. Mason hasn’t attended any of Los Angeles’ OTAs this offseason as he deals with his legal troubles, and even if he does make it back on the field, Mason is in danger of losing his role in a Rams running back corps that includes superstar Todd Gurley, plus reserves Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds, and Malcolm Brown.
Mason already saw his place on the club dwindle in 2015, as the presence of Gurley meant that Mason’s carries dropped from 179 to just 75. After rushing for 765 yards during his rookie year, Mason toted the ball for only 207 yards in 2015, while his snap percentage was nearly cut in half (36.7% vs. 19.1%). With Cunningham acting as the Rams’ go-to third down back, and Reynolds serving as a special teams ace, waiving Mason might not be all that difficult a decision.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Notes: Donald, Offset Language
Agent Todd France believes that Rams lineman Aaron Donald will soon be in line for a monster contract extension a la fellow defensive tackles Fletcher Cox, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcell Dareus (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of SiriusXM). Donald, 25, was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the year in 2014 after a stellar freshman campaign. Last year, he played in all 16 games for the Rams and amped up his overall production, notching 11 sacks and 69 total tackles.
- More from Volin, who writes that other NFL teams can’t be happy with the Rams‘ refusal to include offset language in their rookie contracts. Offset language, of course, prevents a player from collecting on two salaries in the event that he is cut and signed by another squad. In cases where there is offset language, the team only owes the difference between the old and new salary. The Rams and Jaguars, however, are not putting this provision in deals and the Rams specifically are setting a bad precedent for other teams by doing things this way with No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.
Trumaine Johnson, Rams Unlikely To Reach Long-Term Deal
With a little less than a month remaining until the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, there doesn’t appear to be much hope that the Rams will convince cornerback Trumaine Johnson to sign on the dotted line. According to Adam Schefter and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (video link), it’s a “long shot” that Johnson will agree to a long-term deal with Los Angeles in the next four weeks or so.
[RELATED: Rams working on extensions for Jeff Fisher and Les Snead]
Nonetheless, Johnson will be well-compensated for the 2016 campaign, as he’s already signed his franchise tender, guaranteeing himself a $13.952MM salary for the upcoming season. Per Schefter and Anderson, both the Rams and Johnson are comfortable playing out the year with that cost — neither the club nor the player feels an immediate need to reach an extension, as both sides are content with the roughly $14MM figure.
As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports wrote earlier this year, Johnson is particularly unlikely to agree to a multi-year pact given that his former Rams teammate, fellow corner Janoris Jenkins, landed a mega-deal from the Giants in free agency, securing a $12.5MM annual salary and $28.8MM in guarantees. Both of those charges likely represents a floor for Johnson, and unless Los Angeles is willing to match or exceed those numbers, Johnson is probably unwilling to sign.
Johnson, 26, had just 20 career starts on his NFL résumé prior to 2015, but he established himself as a reliable starting cornerback last season, picking up 71 tackles, seven interceptions, and 17 passes defended, grading out as the No. 17 CB in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Might Be Cooling On Veteran Safeties
While the Rams could still be in the market for a veteran safety, the club likes what it’s seen from defensive backs Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis, and Christian Bryant, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). LA has been on the lookout for secondary help since losing safety Rodney McLeod during free agency, and the team has met with Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson over the past several months. Both safeties reportedly remain “in play” for the Rams, but for now, it sounds as though the team is happy where they are.
Rams Sign Jeff Overbaugh
- The Chiefs have signed former Akron defensive back Bryce Cheek (Akron) while the Rams have inked former San Diego State long snapper Jeff Overbaugh (San Diego State), Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets.
Bailey Lands On Rams NFI List
- Clearing waivers on Wednesday, Stedman Bailey has returned to the Rams in a non-playing role for now, being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. The would-be fourth-year wideout appreciates the organization keeping him around despite not being medically cleared to play after being shot twice in November. “I still get a chance to work out with the team and just pretty much sit around with all the meetings and learn what it’s like to be a coach. So, it’s kind of just looking at the game from a different angle, but I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” Bailey said, via Andie Hagemann of NFL.com.