Realistic trade value and landing spots for Wentz, Stafford and others

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Let’s start with the storyline of the weekend: Carson Wentz’s displeasure with the series of events in Philadelphia. As many capologists in the national media have noted, this would be a truly unprecedented move by the Eagles. Wentz’ $33.8 million dead money cap charge with a trade (before March 19th) would be the largest single-year dead money charge in NFL history, topping Brandin Cooks’ record of $21.8 million by a wide margin. And this is the best case scenario for the Eagles in terms of total dead money for Wentz.

Jalen Hurts backed up a “solid” performance in his career debut against New Orleans (a huge win) with a stellar outing against the Arizona Cardinals (24/44, 338 passing yards, 3 TDs, 63 rushing yards, 1 TD). At a certain point, his play cannot be ignored. The Eagles are still decimated by injuries on offense, but Hurts is doing what franchise QBs are supposed to do: rise above it.

There isn’t a great trade comparison for Wentz, as we noted that this move is unprecedented. Philadelphia signed him to an early extension after his third season, and he hasn’t even played on a new year of the deal yet. This connection brings us to Jay Cutler.

Comparable trade: Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler ? Chicago Bears for a 1st, 3rd, future 1st and QB Kyle Orton

With a good defense set to regain Von Miller, a solid offensive line anchored by recently extended LT Garett Bolles, and a receiving corps of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant and more, this team is set up to compete in 2021. That’s not happening with Drew Lock. Perhaps Elway and Vic Fangio take a shot with their backs against the wall.

Hypothetical Trade: Carson Wentz ? Denver Broncos for a 2nd, 5th and future 3rd

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Next, we’ll take a look at a few veteran quarterbacks with new head coaches and general managers on the way. This is not uncharted territory for Matthew Stafford, who will have his fifth head coach and third general manager in Detroit.

Stafford showed this week exactly why a trade may be unlikely, with his reputation as one of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL on full display. Stafford has a very high floor at quarterback, and a new regime can sell themselves on the notion that Stafford has been limited by a disastrous organizational situation. They can be the ones to finally tap Stafford’s potential, and at 33 years old, there's plenty of football left.

Nevertheless, you never know if a new head coach and general manager would prefer a fresh start. Stafford has two years remaining on his contract, with a $20 million cap charge in 2021 and a $22.5 in 2022 for an acquiring team. These are very team-friendly terms for anyone looking to trade for Stafford.

Comparable trade: Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith ? Washington Football Team for CB Kendall Fuller and a 3rd

Washington is no stranger to this type of move, because the team already did it with Alex Smith. Smith’s comeback has, of course, been nothing short of spectacular, but he’s not a legitimate answer at quarterback going forward if Washington wants to take the next step. Ron Rivera and this defense may win the lowly NFC East in their first season, which is great in terms of building a new culture in Washington. But it would put them out of reach for any of the top quarterback prospects. They may already be on the outside looking in.

A good 2021 draft class and a healthy Stafford could make Washington an immediate contender.

Hypothetical Trade: Matthew Stafford ? Washington Football Team for a 1st, future 3rd and Dwayne Haskins.

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