NFL Rumors: Bears are rumored to include Nick Foles in the potential trade package for Carson Wentz

Brandon Robinson, a contributor to Windy City Gridiron, attracted a lot of attention on Friday when he tweeted that the Chicago Bears Carson Wentz has the best trading offer. Robinson went on to elaborate on what he heard about the future of the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback during a Saturday morning appearance on 670 The Score with Joe Ostrowski.

First, Robinson talked about what Bears’ offer looks like for Wentz.

OSTROWSKI: Does the Bears still have the best offer for Carson Wentz?

ROBINSON: Not from my source. The last time I spoke to my source was when I tweeted it [original report]. But according to what I have heard from other people I trust, they still have the best offer. And I just think it does not change at all.

OSTROWSKI: After your report, the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, there were subsequent reports, and there were just a lot of different things thrown out about the offer. What’s Bears’ offer for Wentz?

ROBINSON: From what I understand, they had – originally, they attached a second and a few other choices to it. But that was before the Colts came out on top and offered even more. I’m not exactly sure what they offered, but I assume it was two two. I therefore assume that the Bears are probably now no. 20 offers [in the 2021 NFL Draft] and future choices, which is likely to be a third round in 2022.

OSTROWSKI: Do you think the first round would be the only one from the 2021 concept? Is this your guess?

ROBINSON: If they add another pick, it’s probably going to be like a fifth or sixth round. It would be nothing material.

He later mentions that Nick Foles, MVP of Eagles Super Bowl, could be involved in the deal.

OSTROWSKI: […] I would say, what did they do with Foles a year ago? Definitely not this route. So they change the process at least. With Foles, it looked like, ‘Let’s just get an average quarterback, then we’ll be fine, because we have an elite defense.’ Like you said, low floor, but still a high ceiling for Wentz.

ROBINSON: From what I understand, the [Bears are] try to get Foles out [Chicago] with this agreement. […] And that probably has more to do with Wentz and basically how he’s a diva than it has to do with the cap. […] With the perception I heard from Wentz, there is no way [Foles being on the team] can possibly happen.

Robinson also touched on the Bears’ motivation to trade.

OSTROWSKI: At the end of the season, there were a lot of reports about Wentz and Pederson. And then they send Pederson down and then they bring in a Frank Reich man so you can connect the dots and say, ‘OK, they’re going to try to make it work with Wentz. What do you know about Wentz’s personality and what he would like to deal with? Because Doug Pederson does not look like a very difficult man to get along with. He’s kind of going downstream and he was sick of listening to his bosses on the tail end there.

ROBINSON: Reg. What I found out recently is that apparently not everyone is aware of how Wentz behaves, and they still think he’s this North Dakota man who is equal and all that. But when he is actually the exact opposite. He is a complete diva in the locker room who is completely unreachable among the staff and does not want to do anything in the organization. And if he was someone else, like Lamar Jackson, or Russell Wilson, or Cam Newton, can you see where I’re going? He will be criticized again and again.

OSTROWSKI: I think the viewers have no idea. I think they see him on the field, and he was terrible in 2020, and he sometimes seems a little crying on the sidelines or during games. But yeah, I don’t think people think that. Okay, so why does the Bears want him?

ROBINSON: The Bears want him … it’s because the organization still believes – and I truly know it – that he still has generational talent. And that he has generational talent and that they have a quarterback coach who worked with Wentz, had a good relationship with Wentz, unlike the reports that were there, and his best years were under John DeFilippo, they think that they may have a boom again in his career. Because he really had a horrible year. But if you think about how much he hates the coaching staff and he literally does his own thing on the field, mentions his own plays and calls his own shots, someone who knows something about football and how it works, you would expect him to play bad. So they think if they can get everything right with him and move the situation forward, they can get his career back on track.

Lots to unpack here, so let’s look at some thoughts in bullet point form:

• It does not sound like the Eagles will get several tournaments for Wentz. But there seems to be at least one in the game. How do you feel about no. 20, a choice from the third round in 2022, and Foles for Wentz?

• Not transcribed here, but Robinson and Ostrowski talked about owning Bears forcing Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace to win now. They are really desperate. It would therefore make sense for them to be the team to give the most price for a risky bet like Wentz.
• Pace was not exactly the best quarterback judge! Substantial investments in Mike Glennon, Mitchell Trubisky and Foles. What does it say about Wentz that he’s apparently the next eyeball of Pace?
• Foles back in Philly ?! I can see this happening from the point of view that the Eagles would consider that the Wentz trade could sell more fans. “Who would not be happy if our Super Bowl hero came home?”
• Can definitely not see that the Bears have both Wentz and Foles on their rankings. The two backs have a good personal relationship, but the professional dynamics just do not seem sustainable for Wentz, who once again has to worry about Foles being able to replace him.
• I think the Eagles who trade for Foles do and do not make sense.
• On the one hand, Foles is likely willing to restructure his contract to make it easier for the Eagles to take him back. He obviously loves Philly. Foles have the right temperament to be a backup. And maybe he can even be a good long-term starter for the Eagles, because he plays inexplicably much better here than anywhere else.
• On the other hand, the Eagles talked about how to get younger and away from nostalgia. Bringing Foles back is in conflict with those messages. The presence of Foles seems like a possible distraction for what young starter (Jalen Hurts or a pinnacle in the 2021 NFL draft) the Eagles are moving forward with. And Foles’ long-term viability for entrees is in serious doubt after we saw him play Gardner Minshew and Mitchell Trubisky in consecutive seasons.
• Maybe it’s all difficult and eventually another team becomes the strongest offer. If I know a Wentz deal is ‘near’, I’m assuming we’ll only see it this week.