Trading Carson Wentz will force the Eagles to rebuild
The Eagles might want to trade Carson Wentz this offseason, but doing so is going to plunge Philadelphia into rebuilding mode.
Moving on from Carson Wentz is not a move that’s going to position the Eagles to be playoff contenders in 2021. Even if Jalen Hurts plays like a quality starting quarterback next season, the depleted roster around him means Philadelphia will be forced to forego postseason contention for at least one season.
The salary cap ramifications of trading Wentz are simply too severe for the Eagles’ front office to work around. The team will be forced to eat $33.8 million in dead cap after moving on from their former franchise quarterback. That’s a death sentence for a team that already projects to be $64 million over next year’s projected salary cap total.
Clearly, keeping Wentz on the roster isn’t a smart decision if the Eagles don’t believe he can be their starter in 2021. There’s something to be said for making a clean break and giving Hurts the freedom to play without constantly looking over his shoulder next season. The franchise correctly understands that a season-long quarterback controversy isn’t going to be in anyone’s best interest.
The problem Hurts, and the entire team will face, is that the roster talent is going to decline sharply as a result of eating the mistake that is Wentz’s current contract. Veterans will need to be cut all over the depth chart to save the money required to get under the 2021 salary cap. They’ll be replaced with rookies and lesser-known veterans that are still trying to prove they can be quality NFL players.
That’s not a recipe for helping a young quarterback succeed. Hurts needs to be surrounded with a high-quality defense and a veteran offense to help him play through the inevitable mistakes he’ll endure in his first full season as a starter. Wentz’s departure will rob the Eagles of their ability to insulate Hurts in that fashion.
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The end result here is that even if Wentz is going to be a hugely impactful player for Philadelphia in 2021 even if he doesn’t physically remain a part of the Eagles’ active roster. It’s going to be multiple years before the weight of his salary can be completely eradicated.
Eating the dead money in Wentz’s deal will make it impossible for Philadelphia to assemble a playoff-caliber roster next year.