Philadelphia Eagles Could Trade Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy

Dec 1, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) hands off to running back LeSean McCoy (25) during the third quarter of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won the game 24-21. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC East largely because of the play of Pro Bowl quarterback Nick Foles and All-Pro running back LeSean Mccoy. Head coach Chip Kelly has shown in the past that he’s not afraid to make huge moves to build the Eagles the way he wants them. In the upcoming offseason, the Eagles could trade Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy.

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Foles had an outstanding year in 2013. He tied the NFL record for most touchdowns thrown in a game and set the record for best touchdown-to-interception ratio. This was nothing short of amazing for a second-year 3rd round pick.

One factor in those amazing statistics was McCoy. The Eagles ran the ball extremely effectively last year and McCoy led the NFL in rushing yards. That strong run game was opening the field up a lot for Foles.

This year has been a different story. Foles has not had anywhere near the success he had last year. After a 2013 season that featured him playing in 13 games and throwing only two interceptions, Foles has thrown 10 in eight games this year.

A large part of Foles’ poor play also has to do with the running game not being as effective as it was last year. But a lot of defenses have loaded the box with eight players to stop McCoy. While this should have opened the field up for Foles, he did not have as much success.

Another factor has been the injuries on the offensive line. The Eagles have lost every single one of their starting offensive linemen at some point this year. Eagles starting right tackle Lane Johnson was suspended for the first four games. Starting left guard Evan Mathis and starting center Jason Kelce missed a lot of time due to injuries. Starting right guard Todd Herremans is now out for the season after tearing his biceps and starting left tackle Jason Peters missed part of a game after getting ejected for a brawl.

After starting all 16 games last year with the same five players, the Eagles haven’t started a single game this season with that same group from last year. That’s bound to be an issue in any offense.

Reports came out today saying the Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was “soured” with Nick Foles even before his injury. That’s not good news for Foles. Because he is a starting-caliber quarterback, the Eagles could explore trading him for a first-round pick. Who should they target? I would go with Tampa Bay. That would give the Eagles a top-10 pick with which to get a running back (Todd Gurley anyone?). More on that in a sec.

The Eagles could also move McCoy this offseason, as he has tried to do too much with the ball in his hands this year. He’s looked tentative hitting the hole. He’s tried to bounce way too many runs outside. It wouldn’t surprise me if the front office has become “soured” with him as well.

So where could they move McCoy? Easy question. The Oakland Raiders. The Raiders already have their quarterback in rookie Derek Carr. Would McCoy be worth a first round pick? I think so. He’s still one of the best and most dynamic running backs in the NFL. The Raiders also look like they will be holding the #1 overall pick next year. Who could the Eagles draft with that? Let’s just say Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was personally groomed by Kelly for the job.

So that’s what the Eagles could do next offseason. Essentially trade Foles and McCoy for Mariota and Gurley. Will the Eagles do it? Who knows! All we can do is sit and wait.

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