Belichick, Ertz share hilarious (and intriguing) trade chat

[time2rock]

Belichick, Ertz share hilarious (and intriguing) trade chat

 

When NFL teams hold joint practices during training camp, they usually break up the monotony of camp and provide some much-needed color away from the normal storylines.

And sometimes the joint practices even give us a fun story or two that we otherwise wouldn't have heard!

That's likely the case this week at Eagles practice, where the Birds are joint practicing with the Patriots. After Monday's practice, Eagles tight end Zach Ertz introduced his wife and superstar USWNT soccer player Julie Ertz to Belichick (Belichick probably knew who she was, but formally introduced) and then Belichick and Ertz bantered for a little while on the sidelines at the NovaCare Complex. 6ABC reporter Jamie Apody saw the interaction and documented their exchange in this tweet:

First of all, for a guy who is often called a grump by basically all football fans, Belichick is sneaky funny. I have never laughed harder than I did when he left his dog at his computer on draft night during the 2020 socially distanced NFL Draft. Unreal.

And also... does this mean Belichick tried to trade for Ertz this offseason?

It wouldn't come as a complete shock, but it's nonetheless intriguing. Belichick was torched by Ertz in Super Bowl LII to the tune of seven catches for 67 yards and the game-securing touchdown, and as he was looking around to improve the Pats' woeful TE corps this offseason it sounds like he at one point talked with Howie Roseman about a possible deal.

Ertz was widely expected to be moving on from the Eagles as the 2020 season wrapped up, and in early March the Ertz trade rumors reached critical mass, just a week before Belichick wound up signing both Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith in free agency.

If Belichick is able to land Ertz, does he still go with the dual tight end look? Does he approach the draft a different way? If the Eagles are able to get solid compensation back from an Ertz deal, do they try to move up in the draft and choose someone other than DeVonta Smith? So many variables!

We know Roseman's asking price for Ertz wasn't just peanuts, but it also wasn't multiple first-round picks and two children. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on March 14 that the Eagles were looking for a third- or fourth-round pick in return. That Belichick would've balked at such a return makes me think he didn't want Ertz *that* badly.

Ultimately, Ertz is still unexpectedly an Eagle and the Patriots have two starting-caliber tight ends under contract for at least three years, so Ertz probably isn't headed to New England any time soon.

But it's very fun to think about the possibilities.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/patriots-bill-belichick-eagles-zach-ertz-share-trade-chat-practice?fbclid=IwAR0UIMzbn96cw8J45SexSf86Gg7BL2JdZ_Az1elQqPqIXwZYlXrKBrHemvY

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Belichick would love to get Ertz. Most teams in the league would. But they don't want to pay what the Eagles want and they know Ertz wants a new deal. And besides Ertz probably doesn't want to go to NE at this point. They are now a bad team. 

[eglz1]

17 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Belichick would love to get Ertz. Most teams in the league would. But they don't want to pay what the Eagles want and they know Ertz wants a new deal. And besides Ertz probably doesn't want to go to NE at this point. They are now a bad team. 

They've been bad for one year so far. Nobody is gonna group 'em with the Bengals or Texans just yet I think.

[Rob331]

18 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

 But they don't want to pay what the Eagles want and they know Ertz wants a new deal.

I think the issue is Ertz current cap hit more than the Eagles asking price. 

[VaBeach_Eagle]

Couldn't that be considered tampering? If someone with the Eagles or some other team, wanted to push it, that is. They were obviously just kidding around, but I've seen less be called tampering. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

4 hours ago, eglz1 said:

They've been bad for one year so far. Nobody is gonna group 'em with the Bengals or Texans just yet I think.

They are on a downward trajectory in my opinion. And about time. But no I'm not trying to suggest they are in that kind of category. They aren't bottom feeders.

3 hours ago, Rob331 said:

I think the issue is Ertz current cap hit more than the Eagles asking price. 

I don't think it's actually that bad? $8.5M?