Nick Foles didn’t want to be Cleveland’s quarterback
The Cleveland Browns tried to make Nick Foles their franchise quarterback. Ultimately Foles chose to turn them down and stick with the Eagles.
As it turns out, Baker Mayfield owes Nick Foles a serious debt of gratitude. If Foles hadn’t rebuffed the Browns’ efforts to acquire him this summer, he would be Cleveland’s quarterback of the future. Instead, the Browns front office elected to draft Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick to fill that void.
NFL.com reports that the Browns offered Philadelphia the No. 35 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft in exchange for Foles. The Eagles were interested enough in the offer to ask Foles his opinion. The Super Bowl MVP signal caller told his team’s front office that he’d rather remain with the Eagles.
Instead, the Eagles and Foles got together on a revamped contract that gives the quarterback a chance to earn up to $14 million this season. That’s excellent money for a backup quarterback. Of course, Foles isn’t your average backup. He’s a chief reason why the Eagles were able to win a championship.
It’s surprising that the Browns didn’t choose to come back with a stronger offer. Even if Foles didn’t seem excited at the prospect of becoming their starter, they should have done more to try to tempt the Eagles into making a deal. Philadelphia clearly wanted to do right by Foles, but they wouldn’t have been in a position to turn down a stronger asset from the Browns.
Foles may not have the upside that Mayfield possesses, but his floor is certainly higher. At worst, Foles projects to be an average NFL starter. Mayfield may become a star but he’s also capable of being the next Johnny Manziel. The Browns would have been wise to eliminate the risk at the game’s most important position.
Acquiring Foles for a second round pick, or something similar, would have also given the Browns a lot more flexibility at the top of the draft. Instead of reaching for Mayfield, they could have acquired a top-tier pass rusher like Bradley Chubb. Installing he and Myles Garrett as bookends on the Cleveland defensive line could have given the team an excellent defensive foundation.
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Instead, Foles will remain with the Eagles for the time being and Cleveland will build their offense around Mayfield. Things could have been much different if Foles would have been excited about the idea of leading the Browns this season.