Multiple teams have reached out to the Eagles regarding a trade for tight end Zach Ertz and a deal could be made in the “coming days,” according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Silver. The Eagles have been working to trim salary in recent days by restructuring contracts and releasing players, and Ertz and the team have been unable to agree to an extension since before the 2020 season started.
Ertz wants a raise, and the Eagles are hard up against the salary cap in 2021 because of the influence the pandemic has had on the NFL salary cap and a series of poor decisions by general manager Howie Roseman. This day has been coming since last Summer, and the NFL salary cap situation and Ertz’s poor play during the 2020 season made their parting inevitable.
The Eagles will save approximately $4.7 million in cap space if they are able to trade Ertz.
Ertz is a fan-favorite in Philadelphia, and trading him will not be a popular move, especially since the team just traded franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. Ertz had a bad year and missed time due to injury in 2020, but he was the team’s leading receiver in 2019 and set a new NFL record for a tight end with 116 receptions in 2018. But with the team rebuilding—or at least retooling—and the presence of Dallas Goedert on the roster, Roseman and the Eagles have decided to move on.
Ertz will turn 31 in November.
What will the Eagles get in return for Zach Ertz?
Zach Ertz is not old for a tight end, especially for a tight end with his skill set. He was never particularly fast, so there shouldn’t be some overwhelming worry about his top-end speed deteriorating in the coming years. He has always been a technician at route-routing, and that and his excellent hands are the kinds of skills that well.
But the Eagles do not have any leverage here. The rest of the NFL knows their current situation: that they have absolutely no salary cap space. And they also know what we just talked about above, that Ertz and the team were unable to agree to a contract extension. Don’t expect a big return for the veteran tight end.
While the Eagles may be looking for picks in the 2021 NFL Draft given their many needs and general lack of youth on the roster, targeting a conditional 2022 draft pick may be their best approach. It is noteworthy that Silver mentions that “multiple” teams have reached out about Ertz, which could help drive up the price somewhat. However, it’s also entirely possible that the Eagles leaked this report as a way to drum up some interest.
As for a prediction on his landing spot, I think the Eagles will try to do what they can to do right by Ertz, just like they did with Wentz. Ertz is from California and went to school at Stanford, and the Los Angeles Chargers have already reportedly reached out about Ertz. I think the Chargers would be a great fit, especially considering the security blanket that he could provide for young quarterback Justin Herbert. And as for a return (and this is an absolute guess on my part), maybe a 2021 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2022 fifth-round pick that can become as high as a third-round pick?
The Chargers have two third-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Could the Eagles send Ertz and one of their two fifth-round picks to the Chargers in exchange for one of their third-round picks? Is that a deal that works for all involved?
The return is to be determined, but what we do know is that the Eagles and one of the best tight ends in franchise history are going to part ways in the coming days.
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Mike Maher is the editor and publisher of The Birds Blitz. Follow him on Twitter @mikeMaher and @TheBirdsBlitz and check out his archive for all of his latest stories about the Eagles and the NFL.
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