Best Trade Options the Philadelphia Eagles Have to Consider for Carson Wentz

No one in the NFL needs to break up more than Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Both proved to be no good for each other in the 2020 season. Wentz failed the Eagles by leading the league with 15 interceptions despite playing in only 12 games. The Eagles let him down by putting him behind an offensive line that watched him get sacked 50 times. 

Now the quarterback is reportedly set to request a trade, and his relationship with head coach Doug Pederson is "fractured beyond repair," per Chris Mortensen of ESPN. 

The selection of Jalen Hurts in the 2020 draft was a head-scratcher at the time. But the clear wear and tear on the relationship between the franchise and the second pick in the 2016 draft offer context to why the Eagles selected a quarterback with Wentz on the payroll. 

Trading Wentz won't be easy, though. His contract is fairly complex and runs through 2024 with $128 million left on it. However, because the franchise has already paid a large portion of his guaranteed money, the team acquiring Wentz would be on the hook for around $25 million a year with the first two years being guaranteed. 

Simply put, his contract isn't all that prohibitive, and the Eagles should be looking for buyers who have a desperate need at quarterback. Specifically, teams with some cap flexibility that aren't in a great position to acquire one in the draft. 

Indianapolis Colts

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This one is the most obvious, and for good reason. The Colts have all the factors that would make them a good buyer in the Wentz market. 

They signed Philip Rivers to a one-year, $25 million deal this offseason, so if the quarterback decides to retire they would have a need. Head coach Frank Reich, who worked with Rivers from 2013-2015 as a Chargers assistant, helped the 39-year-old have a bounce-back season in which he boasted his highest completion percentage since 2013 and nearly cut his interceptions in half. 

Reich also has experience with Wentz. He was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia in 2016 and 2017. The latter was Wentz's breakout season in which he threw 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. 

That Wentz is long gone in Philly, but Reich may be able to resurrect him. 

Perhaps most importantly, the Colts are projected to have plenty of cap space ($61.9 million) and have shown they aren't afraid to get aggressive in trading their draft picks. They dealt their first-rounder in the last draft to San Francisco for DeForest Buckner. 

They currently have the 22nd pick before the playoffs play out. It's highly unlikely they'd be willing to deal a first again, especially when Wentz's contract and play this season are considered. But it isn't wild to think they may be willing to part with their second-round pick. 

With little leverage and few teams in such a unique position to trade for Wentz, that would be a good haul. 

Washington Football Team

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The Washington Football Team need a new quarterback but find themselves out of position to draft one of the highly touted prospects in this year's first round. Making the playoffs is nice, but it leaves the team with the 19th pick in the draft or worse. 

When Washington gets on the clock, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson will be long gone. There's even a chance names like Trey Lance, Mac Jones and Kyle Trask are gone as well with some teams in the middle of the draft potentially looking at quarterback. 

Dwayne Haskins Jr. has been released, and Alex Smith will be 37 years old once the new season starts. Head coach Ron Rivera will desperately need a quarterback to come in next season, but the team also has plenty of other holes to fill in the offseason.

Outside of Dak Prescott, which seems like a faint possibility at best, there are few viable starting options set to hit free agency. Trading for Wentz would allow them to address their other needs in the draft while having a high-upside option at quarterback. 

Trading Wentz within the division might not be ideal, but his play this season isn't likely to scare the Eagles. Washington is a team worth keeping an eye on especially as the draft gets nearer and it becomes more clear whether they will have options. 

Denver Broncos

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The Denver Broncos are one of the wild cards on the quarterback carousel in 2021. Given the COVID-19-impacted offseason, the injury to Courtland Sutton and a bevy of rookies expected to contribute in a new offense, it's no surprise Drew Lock didn't have a breakout season. 

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio recently told media Lock "can be" the starter next year. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. 

But there's an argument to be made the Broncos would be much better suited to finding a veteran quarterback who has proved he can play in the league to unlock the potential of one of the most exciting skill groups in the league. 

That passer could be Wentz. Yes, his 2020 was awful, but there are few quarterbacks who are as young as Wentz who have proved they can be successful in the right conditions. 

The Broncos could be those right conditions, and they offer something the other two teams on this list don't: a quarterback they can send in return. 

Lock has 23 touchdowns to 18 interceptions in 18 career games thus far, but he's not a lost cause. The Eagles could simultaneously net a draft pick while getting a second quarterback on his rookie deal to back up or offer competition for Jalen Hurts.