Getty Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles
The best safety in football wants to be traded and the Eagles are on his wish list. How much are you willing to give up for him?
Adams, who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2019, has “reached an impasse” in contract talks in New York. He has since demanded a trade out of New York and his preference is to play for a Super Bowl contender. According to NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, the Jets are seeking a first-rounder and a third-rounder in exchange for Adams. It’s a steep price but actually fair market value for a player of his caliber.
The Eagles have shied away from giving up high draft capital in recent offseasons, including this one when they chose not to aggressively pursue DeAndre Hopkins. They also passed on Jalen Ramsey at last year’s trade deadline. But, what if they traded a Pro Bowl player already on the roster?
SportsRadio 94WIP’s Joe Giglio tossed out the idea of swapping tight end Zach Ertz for Adams. He actually proposed that GM Howie Roseman should give the Jets the option of either Ertz or third-year man Dallas Goedert, along with a second-round pick in 2021. Giglio wrote:
So, how could the Eagles pull this off without surrendering a future No. 1 pick? Offering from a surplus that no other team has: Tight end.
Roseman should call his old buddy and current Jets general manager Joe Douglas with this offer ASAP: Your choice of Ertz or Goedert and a second-round pick for Adams.
Would you trade Ertz or Goedert for Jamal Adams?
Douglas, of course, was Roseman’s right-hand man in Philly before leaving to take the Jets’ job. It’s an interesting idea. Remember, safety is technically a position of need in Philly. The team is banking on a combination of Jalen Mills and Rodney McLeod, backed up by newcomer Will Parks and rookie K’Von Wallace.
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Ertz’s Contract Situation Could Play Major Factor
As soon as Ertz’s name was mentioned in possible trade rumors, the internet was abuzz and lines were quickly drawn in the sand. It was about a 50/50 split on whether the Eagles should deal him, with very strong opinions on both sides of the fence.
One thing to consider in all this rampant speculation — remember, no offers have been made or entertained at this point — is the burden of Ertz’s contract. The three-time Pro Bowl tight end reportedly turned down a “lucrative” contract extension in the middle of last season.
On NFL Network, @MikeSilver reported that Zach Ertz turned down a contract extension during the season that was more lucrative than Austin Hooper’s 4-year/$44 million deal.
The Eagles are going to have to get a new extension done with Ertz sooner rather than later. The 29-year-old will most likely be looking to become the highest-paid player at his position, a distinction belonging to the Chargers’ Hunter Henry at $10.6 million (on the franchise tag). The Browns’ Austin Hooper leads all tight ends on multi-year deals after signing a four-year, $44 million deal in March.
Most yards from the slot by a TE in a single season since 2015
1. Travis Kelce (2018) – 755
2. Mark Andrews (2019) – 698
3. Delanie Walker (2015) – 622
4. Zach Ertz (2018) – 609
Ertz’s production speaks for itself: most receptions in a single season (116), plus 5,743 career receiving yards and at least 70 catches and 800 yards in five straight seasons. Ertz is a stud and he wants to stay in Philadelphia. But is that enough?
“Obviously, it’s got to make sense for everybody. They got to want me,” Ertz told The Inquirer. “But I want to play my entire career in Philadelphia. I don’t know when that’s going to be or even if they want me back. But it is something I take a lot of pride in, playing so far in one city.”
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