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NFL Rumors: Zach Ertz Headed to NFC West Team for Ex-Eagles LB?


time2rock
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NFL Rumors: Zach Ertz Headed to NFC West Team for Ex-Eagles LB?

The Philadelphia Eagles can save $8.5 million if they wait until after June 1 to unload Zach Ertz. While there is some speculation they might bring him back this season — especially when looking at their bare tight-end cupboard — it’s more likely they trade him.

Ertz is coming off his worst statistical season and turns 31 years old on Nov. 10. He has been lobbying for a new contract, but Eagles general manager Howie Roseman won’t give it to him. He is technically under team control and serious question marks remain on Dallas Goedert.

Philadelphia refuses to give Ertz away for less than a third-round pick. But they are running out of trading partners the longer this drags on. The Indianapolis Colts have been the leading candidates to acquire Ertz dating back to the Super Bowl. He could join his good friend (Carson Wentz) and former offensive coordinator (Frank Reich) there. That’s one option.

 

Meanwhile, Bleacher Report listed the Colts as one of two potential landing spots for the three-time Pro Bowler. The other option? The Arizona Cardinals. They lost their starting tight end, Dan Arnold, in free agency.

The two guys left on the depth chart, Maxx Williams and Darrell Daniels, combined for just 16 catches for 194 receiving yards and two touchdowns. They could use Ertz in a major way. Paul Kasabian thinks he could take on Larry Fitzgerald’s role as a "safety blanket” for Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

Arizona chose against picking a tight end in the 2021 NFL draft, so the door is still open for a veteran to come in and assume the starting position. Enter Ertz, who would be a great fit in Arizona. Ertz can more or less assume Fitzgerald’s receiving role in that respect as a short-yardage guy/additional safety blanket for Kyler Murray.

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Ahhh, the potential return of the oft injured Hicks. Ertz is worth a lot more than him. Nice try but no, IMO. Better to get a 2023 draft pick.

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Hicks is 28 and shook that "injury prone" label years ago......he's played 44 of 48 games over the last 3 years and he's been solid.

A trade would probably include some draft considerations, but Hicks could solidify the LB core this year.  The Cardinals NEED a productive TE.

Ertz is leaving and if they can get Hicks and maybe a 5th or 6th rounder, I'd like that trade.

I think this is all media speculation though......

 

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He missed 4 games in 2018. That wasn't too long ago. Also, he missed games 3 out of 4 years with the Eagles. He's also had ankle, wrist, and neck injuries during his time with the Cards.

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I'm with Mr. Pocono ... I'd sooner net a future draft pick for Ertz and develop our LB corps with the young talent we've added recently (2020 3rd rd pick Taylor, 2020 6th rd pick Bradley, 2021 6th rd Stevens, 2021 7th rd Johnson).  Also maybe Wilson pans out here and we extend him.  And there's always 10 picks expected currently in 2022 to further add to the group.

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13 hours ago, time2rock said:

I'm with Mr. Pocono ... I'd sooner net a future draft pick for Ertz and develop our LB corps with the young talent we've added recently (2020 3rd rd pick Taylor, 2020 6th rd pick Bradley, 2021 6th rd Stevens, 2021 7th rd Johnson).  Also maybe Wilson pans out here and we extend him.  And there's always 10 picks expected currently in 2022 to further add to the group.

So I agree with you but... At this point I'm not sure what we are going to get for Ertz. I mean it really doesn't look like we are going to get a great deal. If Cards would take a straight up trade Ertz for Hicks then I'd do that. 

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15 hours ago, time2rock said:

I'm with Mr. Pocono ... I'd sooner net a future draft pick for Ertz and develop our LB corps with the young talent we've added recently (2020 3rd rd pick Taylor, 2020 6th rd pick Bradley, 2021 6th rd Stevens, 2021 7th rd Johnson).  Also maybe Wilson pans out here and we extend him.  And there's always 10 picks expected currently in 2022 to further add to the group.

Hicks is 28 and and established, experienced and productive LB who would be waaay ahead of any 3rd day linebacker the eagles would take. He would bring stability and leadership to the defense.  Hicks hasn't been hurt for 3 years, so his "injury prone" label is moot.  Unless it's a philly curse or something.....😄

Until the eagles start drafting 1st and 2nd day linebackers, they need to solidify the LB corp with guys like Hicks.  Hicks, Wilson and Singleton is a decent LB corp....and hopefully, Taylor, Edwards and Bradley keep improving.  

Trading Ertz for Hicks with some other considerations, would be a productive move, would still give them cap relief.

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We won’t get what Ertz is worth because Howie waited a season too long. The best would be a conditional pick. I don’t even care if it’s a 5th rounder as long as it can become a 3rd if Ertz catches 60 passes or makes the pro bowl. I also don’t care if it’s 2022 or 2023 as we will be in cap hell through at least 2023 and need all the young cheap players we can get. 

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Leave it to a reporter to jump to the conclusion that Ertz is being traded for Hicks because Hicks got permission to seek a trade.  Leave it to TATERs to believe that the non-existent trade is going down . . .

30 minutes ago, eggs said:

We won’t get what Ertz is worth because Howie waited a season too long. The best would be a conditional pick. I don’t even care if it’s a 5th rounder as long as it can become a 3rd if Ertz catches 60 passes or makes the pro bowl. I also don’t care if it’s 2022 or 2023 as we will be in cap hell through at least 2023 and need all the young cheap players we can get. 

We have a new level of Howie hate now - Howie waited too long and did not trade Ertz in 2019.

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11 minutes ago, Procus said:

We have a new level of Howie hate now - Howie waited too long and did not trade Ertz in 2019.

To be fair that's pretty accurate. They offered Ertz a deal that he immediately rejected. From that point the relationship was strained. 

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12 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

To be fair that's pretty accurate. They offered Ertz a deal that he immediately rejected. From that point the relationship was strained. 

So was it the Eagles fault that Ertz was unhappy when they refused to renegotiate the contract of an aging veteran while the team was cap strapped?

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6 hours ago, Procus said:

So was it the Eagles fault that Ertz was unhappy when they refused to renegotiate the contract of an aging veteran while the team was cap strapped?

Well it's hardly treating a top 3 at his position who's done a lot for your team with respect is it?

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Throw in Edwards and it's a deal. 

Another potential team - the Chargers. They have Jared Cook and a rookie draft pick McKitty. 

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14 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Well it's hardly treating a top 3 at his position who's done a lot for your team with respect is it?

Oh, I think the Eagles have treated Ertz with PLENTY of respect.  I wish somebody respected me with a $43,500,000 contract.  Why is it that respect is just a one way street and the players don't owe the team any respect?

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/zach-ertz-contract-details-salary-bonuses/

Quote

Zach Ertz’s Contract Details, Salary Cap Impact, and Bonuses

What is the situation with Zach Ertz’s contract, and what are the Eagles’ options when it comes to clearing salary cap space this offseason?

 

Published

February 11, 2021
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Zach Ertz Contract Details, Salary Cap Impact, Bonuses
What's in this article? Click to show

Just a year after being considered as the next NFL tight end candidate after Travis Kelce and George Kittle for a lucrative contract extension, Zach Ertz’s stock appears to be on a downward trend heading into 2021. Let’s look at Zach Ertz’s contract situation, his impact on the Philadelphia Eagles’ salary cap, and the team’s options when it comes to handling Ertz’s deal.

Zach Ertz’s contract details and bonuses

In 2016, the Eagles signed Zach Ertz to a five-year contract extension. The deal was worth $42.5 million, with $13.1 million guaranteed at signing, including an $8 million signing bonus.

The contract contained a total of $21 million in guarantees. The remaining guarantees saw $5.9 million of Ertz’s 2018 salary become guaranteed at the start of the 2017 NFL league year. A further $2 million became guaranteed at the beginning of the 2018 league year.

Ertz has restructured his deal three times during the extension. In 2017, Ertz converted $3.225 million of salary into a bonus, converting a further $7.21 million in salary to a bonus in 2018. The third restructure came in the 2019 season when he converted another $7.2 million in salary to a bonus.

Ertz’s contract length is for another year

Zach Ertz’s contract has another three years on it when it comes to salary cap impact. However, only one of the three seasons is an active contract year. The final two years in 2022 and 2023 are void years.

They were put into the deal to spread the impact of the 2019 contract restructure across four seasons instead of two. Those two years have $1.774 million in prorated bonus money. When Ertz’s deal voids after the 2021 season, the $1.774 million from 2023 will accelerate on to the 2022 salary cap.

What impact does Ertz’s deal have on the Eagles’ salary cap?

Zach Ertz’s cap number on his contract is $12.5 million in the 2021 season. As of February 9th, he will be the eighth-most expensive player in terms of cap hit on the Eagles’ books in the 2021 season. However, the Eagles have some work to do to clear salary cap space.

The projected salary cap is expected to be around $180 million, according to Adam Schefter. The Eagles have approximately $22 million to rollover from 2020 leaving them with a salary cap number of about $202 million. The Eagles’ current salary cap commitments place them just below $250 million, meaning they project to be around $47 million over the cap.

Can the Eagles move on from Zach Ertz’s contract this offseason?

The Eagles are going to have some extremely tough decisions to make this offseason.

Zach Ertz and the one year he has remaining on his contract is one such decision. With Dallas Goedert likely looking for an extension, the Eagles may need to decide to move on from Ertz to create space for an extension for Goedert. However, the Eagles have other options for managing Ertz’s impact on their salary cap.

Could the Eagles release Zach Ertz?

Ertz is set to earn $8.25 million in base salary in 2021. Yet, with no money in guarantees, the Eagles could clear it all by releasing Zach Ertz and his contract. However, while the void years were valuable at the time of the restructure, they would have an impact on the Eagles’ cap space in 2021. If Ertz sees his release, the $3.5 million in prorated bonus money in those void years will accelerate on to the Eagles’ salary cap in 2021.

Zach Ertz already has $4.2 million in prorated bonus money on his 2021 contract number. Therefore, with the additional $3.5 million from the void years, the Eagles would be left with $7.77 million in dead money in 2021.

How much would Zach Ertz cost if the Eagles traded him and his contract?

Zach Ertz’s contract structure at this stage means the Eagles would have the same dead money if they released or traded him. Therefore, in a trade, the Eagles would be left with $7.77 million in dead money.

The team acquiring Ertz would take on his $8.5 million in salary. Interestingly, that is the same value as the average annual value (AAV) of Ertz’s contract when he signed it. Therefore, the team acquiring Ertz would be committing to the seventh highest-paid tight end in AAV.

Could the Eagles restructure or extend Zach Ertz’s contract?

Restructuring his contract is something that Zach Ertz is more than used to. A restructure in 2021 would be his fourth contract restructure in five years.

The Eagles could look to convert around $7 million of his 2021 base salary into a signing bonus. That would save around $4.8 million in salary cap space in 2021. However, it would push Ertz’s cap hit to around $8.2 million after his contract voids in February of 2022.

The Eagles could also revisit the idea of a contract extension for Zach Ertz. The issue will be on the subject of value. Ertz likely views himself on a similar plane to Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Yet, after a tough 2020, the Eagles are unlikely to want to commit over $10 million per year to Ertz. Therefore, a contract extension may be a tough deal to make.

 

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On 5/13/2021 at 5:09 AM, PoconoDon said:

Ahhh, the potential return of the oft injured Hicks. Ertz is worth a lot more than him. Nice try but no, IMO. Better to get a 2023 draft pick.

I don't think Ertz is worth much unfortunately. I'd take Hicks back. His contract has been reduced to a very manageable level.  That said I think all this is pure speculation

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Why is this a so called "Rumor" A reporter suggested it and now its a " Rumor"???

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On 5/14/2021 at 5:24 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

So I agree with you but... At this point I'm not sure what we are going to get for Ertz. I mean it really doesn't look like we are going to get a great deal. If Cards would take a straight up trade Ertz for Hicks then I'd do that. 

Maybe the best bet might be to hope Ertz comes in and has a good season and signs a decent deal as a free agent next offseason... hopefully putting us in line for a 2023 comp pick. 

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3 hours ago, DeathByEagle said:

Why is this a so called "Rumor" A reporter suggested it and now its a " Rumor"???

Exactly

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On 5/16/2021 at 1:39 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Well it's hardly treating a top 3 at his position who's done a lot for your team with respect is it?

Again, this is a business and Ertz signed a $42 million contract that looks to be paid in full.  In my book, that's plenty of respect.  Forgive me for not crying crocodile tears for Ertz.

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