Nick Foles

East Rumors: Foles, Woods, Jets, Bills

January 9th, 2019 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Foles played a major role in ensuring the Super Bowl champions could attempt to defend their title in this year’s playoffs, and the Eagles want to compensate him accordingly. The veteran quarterback came four plays short of a $1MM bonus in Week 17, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes the Eagles are trying to find a solution to pay him that bonus. The Eagles sweetened Foles’ deal this past offseason, after he’d led the franchise to its first Super Bowl title. One of these incentives would have triggered had the Eagles made the playoffs with Foles playing 33 percent of the snaps. With Carson Wentz‘s backup being required to start and finish the season, that became attainable. But Foles went down during the Eagles’ Week 17 win over the Redskins.

Here is the latest from the Eastern front:

Jay Gruden will remain in Washington, but one of his assistants will not. The Redskins are letting secondary coach Torrian Gray go, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Washington appears to have two-year Denver defensive coordinator Joe Woods in mind for this job, but the Jaguars are also eyeing Woods, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). The Broncos’ hiring of Vic Fangio would appear to point to Woods being free to seek work elsewhere. Gray coached Washington’s DBs the past two years.
The Bills extended in-season quarterback acquisitions Derek Anderson and Matt Barkley recently, and the Buffalo backups’ salaries are now known. Barkley signed a two-year extension that will produce non-guaranteed base salaries of $1.25MM in 2019 and $1.5MM in 2020, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com notes, adding Barkley will receive a $600K signing bonus ($200K of which counts against Buffalo’s 2018 cap). Near-$1MM incentives exist in each season of this deal, too. Anderson signed a one-year extension for the veteran minimum ($1.03MM), per Rodak (on Twitter). He received a $90K signing bonus.
Jets tight end Chris Herndon pleaded guilty to a New Jersey DWI charge, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. This comes from a June 2018 arrest following a car accident. This will likely result in a 2019 suspension for the Jets’ top tight end.

Eagles Will Attempt To Trade Nick Foles

January 6th, 2019 at 8:29am CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles are expected to try and trade quarterback Nick Foles this offseason, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. And, given that Foles appears to be the best quarterback available on the trade and free agent markets, and considering the lack of high-end QB talent in this year’s draft, Rapoport says that Philadelphia will have takers.

Foles may not fetch the first-rounder and more that the Eagles were able to land for Sam Bradford when they shipped him to Minnesota, but Rapoport suggests that a first-round pick is not out of the question. Indeed, Foles has proven to be a clutch signal-caller with enough talent to be a regular starter, and there will be plenty of teams looking for such a player.

We heard last week that the Eagles are committing to Carson Wentz as their long-term QB, despite his recent injury woes. We also learned about the mechanisms the team could employ to deal Foles. Philadelphia could tag Foles and trade him, or the club could pick up his $20MM option, but since Foles would likely pay $2MM to buy his way out of that option, it appears as if the Eagles will be tagging Foles one way or another.

Foles will attempt to lead the Eagles on another improbable playoff run, a journey that begins in Chicago this afternoon

Extra Points: Fournette, Jaguars, Foles, Gase, Dolphins

December 31st, 2018 at 12:40pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

While today’s NFL news is almost entirely focused on coaching staff shakeups, there are still some other interesting nuggets out there. One very noteworthy situation is the drama unfolding with the Jaguars and Leonard Fournette. Yesterday, head of football operations Tom Coughlin blasted Fournette for sitting on the bench during the team’s Week 17 loss, and now the team is voiding the remaining guarantees in his contract, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN (Twitter link). The voiding is a result of Fournette’s suspension by the league for one game a couple of weeks ago for his role in a fight that broke out in the Jaguars/Bills game. The NFLPA could challenge any such move, but if his contract included an exception for suspensions, as most rookie deals do, there might not be much they can do.

As a first round pick, Fournette’s multi-million dollar salaries for 2019 and 2020 had been guaranteed, but that’s no longer the case. The team can now cut Fournette without paying him anything more, and a parting of ways whether by trade or release now seems like a very real possibility. It’s a pretty significant development as a few weeks ago no one would’ve guessed the 2017 fourth overall pick’s longterm future with the team was in doubt. The Jaguars invested a very early pick in Fournette, but the returns have been underwhelming. He’s been injury prone and not particularly efficient even when healthy, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry this season. The Fournette situation will be one of the most interesting to monitor this offseason.

Here’s more from around the league on Black Monday:

Nick Foles scared Eagles fans everywhere when he went down with a rib injury late in the team’s win over the Redskins, but the undeniably clutch signal caller will be alright for the playoffs. Tests on his ribs came back “clear”, and Foles will start this weekend against the Bears, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s great news for Philly’s chances, as they look to make a second straight magical run to the Super Bowl. No matter what happens with Foles, he’s extremely unlikely to be back with the Eagles in 2019.
Adam Gase has been fired by the Dolphins, and not all of Miami’s players are sad to see him go. “Many players in Dolphins locker room won’t be hurt by decision to fire Adam Gase”, reports Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports that some players told him they felt “alienated” by Gase and that he held some players to a “different standard.” Reports like these surely won’t help Gase in his quest to land a new head coaching job, although he is still expected to be a hot candidate.
Speaking of the Dolphins, one pleasant development for Miami this year was the breakout season cornerback Xavien Howard had. While Howard wants to sign a longterm extension with the Dolphins, his price tag might be too high, according to Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald. Howard picked off seven passes this year, and told Beasley he wants to land the biggest contract for a cornerback in NFL history. Josh Norman currently holds that record, and Howard thinks he deserves to break it. Howard will be playing the final year of his rookie deal in 2019, and Beasley writes that “$15 million annually is expected to be the floor when Howard’s representatives begin extension talks this offseason.” The Dolphins will have a new coaching staff and front office, and it will be interesting to see if they’re willing to meet his demands as they head into a rebuild.

Latest On QBs Carson Wentz, Nick Foles

December 30th, 2018 at 1:37pm CST by Ben Levine

If the Eagles make the playoffs, they likely won’t have Carson Wentz under center… and that could mean extra money is coming Nick Foles‘ way. Appearing on Good Morning Football, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport discussed the various incentives in Foles’ contract, and he also touched on the Eagles potential offseason options regarding the veteran (Twitter link).

Rapoport notes that Foles has already earned $2MM in incentives this season, and he’ll earn another $250K if he can help lead the Eagles to the postseason. The veteran can also make $1MM for each playoff victory, providing him with plenty of options to boost his income. The Eagles can make the playoffs with a win today over the Redskins and a Bears victory over the Vikings.

If the Eagles do end up making the playoffs, they’ll likely be going forward without Wentz. The franchise quarterback has been dealing with a back injury for some time, and the organization has already effectively shut him down for the season. However, Rapoport says that Wentz will have a scan on his back at some point next week. The scan is intended to “see if he’s got a shot” to play in the postseason, so there’s apparently some optimism that we may see Wentz at some point during the playoffs.

Either way, the team is prepared to move forward with Wentz, as Rapoport says that “it’s clear” that Foles won’t be back in 2019. The reporter details two potential paths the organization could take with their veteran signal-caller. The front office could choose to pick up Foles’ $20MM mutual option, at which point Foles would be expected to pay $2MM to “buy” his way into free agency. Alternatively, the team could choose to franchise Foles, allowing them to then shop the player to any quarterback-needy teams.

If the Eagles season does end today, we’ll still be hearing plenty about the team’s quarterback situation throughout the offseason.

East Notes: Eagles, Sproles, Dolphins, Redskins

December 26th, 2018 at 5:43pm CST by Micah Powell

The Eagles will have plenty of roster decisions to make heading into the 2019 season. Two of the names at the top of the list include veteran running Darren Sproles and oft-injured linebacker Jordan Hicks, Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com writes.

After originally declaring this as his final season, Sproles has looked like a vintage version of himself, leading many to wonder if he would come back for his 15th NFL season. One person who would love to have the pass-catching back return is Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.

“I think Darren Sproles would be a great addition” for 2019, Pederson said. “He’s a great leader. he works hard, he’s a great mentor to a lot of young players. I think anybody would love to have a Darren Sproles. I mean, I would.”

He didn’t offer the same ringing endorsement for Hicks. Despite being a noted playmaker who ranks third on the team in tackles in 2018, the Texas Longhorns product has missed 21 games in his first four seasons, including four this season.

“I’ll worry about the roster in the spring when I get to the spring,” Pederson said. “Jordan’s been a big part of our success here and he helped us win the game last week and he’ll help us win another on Sunday.”

Here’s more from around the East:

Sticking with the Eagles, thanks once again to Nick Foles, the team is currently in the fight for the last playoff spot in the NFC. Should they make it, there will undoubtedly be a contingent of fans hoping Philly will bring back the veteran in 2019. However, that is unlikely to happen, writes Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Brandt. With Foles on the books for $20MM next year, it is much more likely the Eagles do not exercise his option and make him a free agent. If he goes on another magical run in January, however, every option has to be on the table.
Dolphins vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum is not expected back with the team in 2019, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The move would end his four-year run with the team. Head coach Adam Gase is expected to be retained. Salguero also has heard a few of the names as possible replacements include Dan Marino and Dawn Aponte.
Following the release of D.J. Swearinger, one of the Redskins’ top needs this season has quickly become safety, Ben Standig of NBC Sports writes. Coupled with the potential departure of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the Redskins would be down both of their safeties heading into 2019. Should they address the issue in the draft, the team could target Alabama’s Deionte Thompson or Virginia’s Juan Thornhill, two of the top-ranked prospects at free and strong safety, respectively.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Manning, Eagles, Foles, Wentz

December 25th, 2018 at 8:57am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Toward the beginning of the season, it seemed like a formality that Eli Manning wouldn’t be the Giants’ quarterback next year. The Giants were 1-7 and the season was circling the drain again, with Manning struggling heavily in his first year in Pat Shurmur’s offense. But the Giants then shockingly turned things around. They won four out of five games after that, znd very nearly pulled off a massive upset in Indianapolis this past Sunday.

Manning is suddenly having his best statistical season in many years, and his yards per attempt is the best it’s been since 2011. With all that’ happened, Manning won’t be getting any sort of send off this upcoming week in the Giants’ home finale, and fans shouldn’t write off Manning just yet, writes Ralph Vacchiano at SNY. The team isn’t planning anything special because they don’t view it as Manning’s last game as a Giant, and sources told Vacchiano that “it’s still more likely than not that he’ll be their starting quarterback again in 2019.” It’s a pretty surprising development, and it’ll be an epic comeback for Manning if he manages to hold onto the job for at least another year after his fate appeared all but sealed. With the Giants having won some games they’re no longer in a position to pick at the top of the draft, and the top quarterback or two could be gone by the time they’re up. What the Giants do at quarterback will surely be one of the most talked about storylines this offseason.

Here’s the latest from the NFC East on Christmas morning:

Speaking of the Giants, the team will likely be making a “series of roster moves” this week as the season winds down, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Daily News. Schwartz writes that the team isn’t going to officially shut down Odell Beckham Jr. yet and hopes that he can still return for Week 17, but several other players will be placed on IR. That likely means some practice squad call-ups are in order for the Giants’ last hurrah at home against the Cowboys, and a lot of young guys should see some action.
Over in Philadelphia, it’s been Deja Vu for the Eagles as Nick Foles has come in cold off the bench to lead them to a couple of crucial wins. Foles has the Eagles on the verge of making the playoffs after they were all but eliminated, and is really helping his future value in the process. With Foles set to be a free agent after the season, Tim McManus of ESPN took a look at Foles’ potential suitors this offseason, and what type of contract he might be looking at. McManus lists the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Redskins as some of the potential landing spots, and thinks he’ll end up with a deal somewhere in the Case Keenum range of $18MM per year. Foles will have at least one more chance to boost his stock in Week 17 against the Redskins.
Speaking of Foles, coach Doug Pederson formally announced earlier this week that he’d start against Washington, but the team still isn’t placing Carson Wentz on injured reserve, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP (Twitter link). Pederson cryptically said Foles would be the starter for “at least this week”, and refused to say whether or not Wentz could or would play if the team makes the playoffs. If Wentz is healthy enough to play and the team makes the playoffs, it would make for a fascinating dilemma.

Injury Updates: Crawford, Gurley, Foles

December 23rd, 2018 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford was carted off the field today following a scary collision with Buccaneers offensive lineman Ryan Jensen. Fortunately, it sounds like the veteran will be alright. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com writes that a scan and MRI of Crawford’s neck came back as negative, and the lineman has been released from the hospital.

“Everything checks out very good,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “I’m really pleased with the initial MRIs, all the examinations. He went on to the hospital and had those examinations. . . .He doesn’t seem to have structural issues at all.”

Crawford is having another productive season in 2018, compiling 34 tackles and a career-high 5.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus currently ranks Crawford 36th among 116 eligible interior defenders. If the lineman is forced to miss any time, the Cowboys could turn to former first-rounder Taco Charlton to fill in.

Let’s check out some more injury notes from around the NFL…

Rams running back Todd Gurley was forced to miss today’s win against the Cardinals, but it doesn’t sound like the Pro Bowler will be out for an extended amount of time. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that the injury is “really a day-to-day thing,” and the team will continue to evaluate the ailment. While Gurley’s status for next weekend is still up in the air, it sounds like the running back will be good to go come playoff time. Fortunately for the Rams, the team’s running game didn’t seem to miss a beat without Gurley, as recently-signed veteran C.J. Anderson finished today’s contest with 167 rushing yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.
Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was briefly knocked out of today’s win over the Texans after suffering a hit from Jadeveon Clowney. While backup Nate Sudfeld made a brief appearance, Foles was able to return to the game and lead Philly to a much-needed victory. It also sounds like the veteran’s status for next week isn’t in doubt, as Foles told reporters that he is doing “great” (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). The signal-caller did acknowledge that he had X-rays taken after the game.
DeSean Jackson played today despite being list as questionable with a thumb injury, but the Buccaneers wideout was knocked out of the second half of his team’s game against the Cowboys with a foot injury. As Williams points out, the veteran lost his shoe on his only reception of the game, and he subsequently limped to the sideline before “collapsing in pain.” It sounds like Jackson doesn’t have much of a future in Tampa Bay, and today may have marked his final game with the organization. If the receiver doesn’t play next week, he’ll have finished the season with 41 receptions for 774 yards and four touchdowns.
Vontaze Burfict‘s return from a concussion didn’t last very long. The Bengals linebacker was knocked out of today’s game against the Browns with a concussion (via Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com). The veteran had just returned from a two-game absence, and he showed his dissatisfaction with today’s concussion by “angrily snatch[ing] his arm away from a member of the team’s athletic training staff.” This would mark the 28-year-old’s seventh reported concussion since he entered the NFL in 2012.
A pair of 49ers wideouts suffered injuries today, but they don’t sound as bad as they may have looked. Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets that rookie receiver Dante Pettis suffered an MCL injury, which is much better than the ACL injury that some were expecting. The second-round rookie has been productive in recent weeks, and he’s hauled in 24 receptions for 446 yards and five scores this season. Meanwhile, teammate Marquise Goodwin suffered an Achilles injury, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that the injury isn’t serious. After a breakout season in 2017, Goodwin has struggled this year, compiling 20 receptions for 366 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Collins, Gurley, Panthers

December 17th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Providing an interesting flashback, Nick Foles engineered the Eagles to a big win Sunday night. He is going to be Philadelphia’s starter next week against the Texans, Doug Pederson said Monday. However, unlike last season, Carson Wentz is not headed to IR after what is viewed as a season-ending injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The third-year starter is expected to miss the rest of the season because of a back problem, so an IR trip would make sense — unless the Eagles want Wentz around in case he can make a surprise recovery or be an emergency quarterback. Pederson added that the Eagles will not put Wentz in harm’s way. The Eagles remain committed to the former No. 2 overall pick, who is eligible for an extension at season’s end. Foles, though, has started during the team’s biggest wins the past two years and will have another chance to build a unique free agency case. Foles’ contract expires after the season.

The latest from the NFC here, continuing with a key Giants offseason decision:

Landon Collins is rehabbing an injury that is expected to impact him well into the offseason. The Giants safety said he risked further damage to his injured shoulder by continuing to play, though he said during an appearance on The Michael Kay Show (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, on Twitter) he would have considered staying on the field if the Giants had beaten the Eagles to stay in a more realistic playoff pursuit at the time. Collins’ contract expires soon, and the Giants are not believed to have engaged in extension talks with him yet. Collins, though, would prefer to stay in New York and is, as of now, expecting to return (Twitter link via Raanan). The franchise tag — expected to be worth approximately $11.2MM for safeties — is likely, Raanan adds.
Another high-profile player might not be back with his current employer. Matt Kalil signed a somewhat surprising five-year, $55MM Panthers contract in 2017, and that deal still has guarantees going into 2019. The Panthers would be tagged with $14.7MM in dead-money charges if they released Kalil next year — and such a move would not net Carolina anything in cap savings — but The Athletic’s Joe Person notes (subscription required) the current sense is Kalil will be released. The Panthers have a new owner in David Tepper, and the GM that authorized the Kalil contract, Dave Gettleman, is now with the Giants. So, a cut-your-losses maneuver would add up more compared to if the decision-makers behind the contract were still in place. Kalil has spent all season on IR.
Todd Gurley‘s knee injury surely terrified millions of fantasy owners, and it would throw another wrench in a slumping Rams attack. But Sean McVay said Monday (via ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry, on Twitter) Gurley is day-to-day with knee inflammation. This does not mean the All-Pro running back is a lock to face the Cardinals on Sunday, but it appears Gurley has dodged a multi-week injury and will be fine for the playoffs at the latest.
Greg Olsen underwent foot surgery on Monday, Person tweets. The Panthers’ Pro Bowl tight end said the procedure went well. Olsen is signed through the 2020 season, but the foot trouble that’s plagued him may not make it a lock he returns next year.

Eagles Remain Committed To Carson Wentz; Nick Foles Likely To Hit Free Agency

December 16th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Rory Parks

For the second year in a row, the Eagles will ask Nick Foles to lead them to the promised land after watching starting signal-caller Carson Wentz succumb to a season-ending injury. Foles will have a tall order, as he goes against the Rams in Los Angeles tonight before returning to Philadelphia to take on the Texans. And the Eagles, at 6-7, probably need to win out just to have a shot at defending their title.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com used Foles’ return to the starting lineup as an opportunity to take another look at the reworked contract that Foles and the Eagles agreed to back in April. The deal includes a mutual option for 2019 that allows the Eagles to keep Foles for $20MM if they so choose, or Foles could simply pay back the $2MM signing bonus he received as part of the deal to get out of the option. Given that Wentz is expected to fully recover from the fractured vertebra in his back, the Eagles will almost certainly not pick up Foles’ option, which means that he will hit free agency this offseason (after having the opportunity to add to his bank account thanks to the incentives in the contract).

Speaking of Wentz, Rapoport says it will take the third-year pro three months to make that full recovery, but the Eagles remain fully committed to him as their franchise quarterback (video link). The Eagles have yet to place him on IR, but he has been formally ruled out of tonight’s game against Los Angeles, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that the team’s medical staff, which was facing mounting criticism anyway, will really come under fire now. Although Wentz should be fully healed in plenty of time for the 2019 offseason program, one does wonder when Wentz suffered the back fracture and how the team’s staff tested and treated it. McLane says it seems likely that Wentz sustained the injury back in October, but it remains unclear how much he knew about it. His experience, when coupled with the “inordinate number of irregularities in recurrence, recovery, and diagnosis” of the injuries the Eagles have suffered as a whole this year, make it fair to criticize the club for unloading its top two doctors and its head trainer after winning the Super Bowl.

Eagles To Start Nick Foles In Week 1

September 1st, 2018 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Carson Wentz is close to returning, the Eagles will play it safe for the time being. Nick Foles will start for the defending Super Bowl champions in Week 1 against the Falcons, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Wentz is on the verge of completing a “fantastic” rehab, in the Eagles’ eyes, after tearing an ACL and LCL late last year. The Eagles, however, are prioritizing Wentz’s long-term health over having him start before he’s 100 percent ready, Rapoport adds.

The starter’s been cleared for 11-on-11 sessions but interestingly has not been given the green light for contact work yet. So, Foles will start the season after delivering Philadelphia its first Super Bowl title. The Eagles redid Foles’ contract this offseason and turned down trade offers for their high-level backup.

While Foles did not perform well in the Eagles’ dress-rehearsal game in Cleveland, he still delivered a dominant postseason and will face the Falcons for the second time this year.

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