Andy Gets His QB, and It Isn't Foles
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Andy Gets His QB, and It Isn't Foles
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
The team most of us considered the main suitor for Nick Foles went in another direction Wednesday.
Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs agreed in principle to a trade with the 49ers for quarterback Alex Smith, FoxSports.com reported. The 49ers will get Kansas City's second-round selection this April, 34th overall, and a conditional 2014 pick. The trade can't be official until free agency starts March 12.
This development could mean the Eagles were not just posturing, and really do want to hold onto Foles, at least until Reid's successor, Chip Kelly, gets a look at last year's rookie QB on the practice field. The Chiefs did ask the Eagles about trading for Foles, and were told last week that the Birds weren't ready to trade him.
If the Chiefs had been scouting out, say, a draft weekend move, last week might have been a prelude to more serious bargaining. But if they have already traded for Smith, the Chiefs clearly were ready to get down to business right away when they contacted the Eagles. Reid left the Eagles on excellent terms; there is no reason why the sides would have misunderstood each other. If Reid made it clear he was looking to make a deal now, and the Eagles said "no thanks," that would seem to mean they are keeping Foles.
It also could mean the Chiefs weren't willing to trade the 34th pick in the draft for Foles, who was the 88th selection last year, and that the Eagles weren't willing to trade Foles for what they were offered. Smith, the first overall pick in 2005, has a much more extensive resume.
In any case, Reid is the only NFL decision-maker who definitely sees Foles as a viable starting QB, and Reid now has a QB. So what's the remaining market for Foles, if he is available? In Jacksonville, as we've noted, Gus Bradley hired Frank Scelfo, Foles' University of Arizona quarterbacks coach and closest advisor, to coach the Jags' QBs. But the immediate goal there is to develop Baine Gabbert, whom Jacksonville took 10th overall two years ago. The Jags might be interested in Foles next year, if Gabbert flunks what looks to be his final chance to establish himself as a starter, but for now, there is no indication anyone else will quarterback Jacksonville in 2013.
Foles might not have shown enough in his six 2012 starts to entice a strong trade package from any team that doesn't have someone who knows him well on its staff.
Bootleggah - You really can't be that dumb, right? First, Foles had more TD passes than interceptions (6-5). Second, your reference to his record of 1-6 is so ignorant of the facts concerning those losses as they rested solely on the defense as well as being ignorant of history as the likes of Aikman won maybe one game his whole rookie year. Foles had the 5th highest completing percentage for a rookie ALL-TIME and had a higher quarterback rating than all other rookie quarterbacks other than RBGIII and maybe Luck which is close. All you Foles haters must just be racists.— jersey mark- Because Andy Reid is such a good judge of talent. Why, look at Namdi, DRC, Jason Baboon, Jim Washedup-Burntout, Vick, on and on. Give me a break!
Signed
Juan Castillo— ricciaje - Trade the old loser Vick....keep the young Foles who will continue to keep getting better.— jim35
- San Fran sweetened the deal for Alex by throwing in 4 cases of rice-a-roni and a pallet of cheese filled hot dogs. Time's yours.— ANDY-IS-FAT
- DUMP VICK....Vick is an old washed-up loser, who was 0-6 in his last six games. You rebuild with YOUNG players like Foles...not with an old shot loser like Vick.— jim35
- It just stinks to see Reid finally get a pocker passer in KC after all these years of playing underachieving running QBs in Philadelphia. He finally committs to a style of quarterbacking that actually wins Super Bowls. Reid really knows how to drive the dagger home in Philly. KC's future is looking very bright.— bdd5014
- Getting an established QB for a 2nd and 4th rounder is a pretty good deal. It's possible that no QB in this year's draft will be a good starter for ten years. Eagles are right to hold onto Foles, who maybe has a higher upside than Smith.— armchairGM
- Yeah it's all about Foles isn't it? All Foles all the time. Has there ever been a 1-6 quarterback given so much attention in the history of the NFL? Only in Philadelphia. What a joke.— JLH
- no you totally missed the point. it's about philly writers, even old salts who've been ok if not great, saying stupid things without basis.
— oldfriar - This article has invalid presumptions.. "In any case, Reid is the only NFL decision-maker who definitely sees Foles as a viable starting QB". You don't know that. Are you that in touch with the thinking of all NFL decision-makers? You happen to know that none of them think Foles can be a starting NFL QB? That's total BS you don't know that. How about maybe Chip Kelly and the Eagles think he can be a starter. How about maybe other teams haven't pursued him because they know that the Eagles really like him and it would cost them plenty to pry him away. Bone-headed assessment from a usually reliable and rational source.— oldfriar
- oldfriar, I havent even talked to all 32 NFL GM's and I think hes right. And Les was just down at the combine so he talked to at least some GM's there, possibly all of them. I think what he means though, is how many teams could Foles actually be a #1 starter for right now, and the answer is only the 3 or 4 worst teams in the league. Jacksonville, Buffalo, Oakland and maybe Cleveland and they even have Weedon. Theres literrally at most, 4 teams Foles could start on right now becaue every other team already has either an established Vet or a young guy they like. Maybe he therefore talked to those 3 or 4 GM's and could figure out that no GM in the league would want Foles as the starter, because most of the teams dont need any starter. Its a question of only 3 or 4 teams, and if none of them think Foles is a starter, then its probably true that no team in the league thinks so either. (3rd round QB's rarely start and almost never win SB's, I think Foles is OK, thats about it.)
- Well he didn't say a starter right now, but I'll cut him the slack because he's an old man and has been a good writer. — oldfriar
- Why should we believe the coaches/gm's are telling Les the truth about how they feel about Foles, but we should not believe the Eagles when they say they aren't trading Foles?
Seems to me that the reporters can't find anyone on the new staff to leak them information and are just making stuff up.— Ig_l - BroadStBeat: Smith Trade Could Impact Eagles http://t.co/EZ3Do59fgt Check us out on twitter: @broadstbeat— BroadStBeat
- Great trade for Kansas City. However, the Eagles should have moved Foles for a Third Round Pick in my opinion. Foles doesn't seem like a good fit in Chip Kelly's type of Offense. The eagles have many defensive needs to be addressed in the draft, and could have used another pick. They should move Foles and get a draft pick. The Eagles need Offensive Lineman, Defensive Backs, a tall and physical Wide Receiver, and I really want them to draft EJ Manuel. He is a good fit for Kelly, and he is much bigger and more physical than Michael Vick (meaning he should be more capable of staying healthy for an entire season). Draft Manuel and let him develop under Vick for at least a year.— blake_hughes
