The Philadelphia Eagles continue to make big moves in preparation for free agency as Tuesday approaches. They have been the most active team after trading away LeSean McCoy, agreeing to terms with Frank Gore and letting Jeremy Maclin walk away. Those are just a few of the moves Chip Kelly is putting together, but the one that could be a predictor of the future is the contract for Mark Sanchez. As the Eagles re-sign the backup quarterback, does that mean Nick Foles is gone before the NFL Draft?
The quarterback position as been a focus for the Eagles as they determine just what the future holds for Foles in Philadelphia. Entering the final year of his contract, Philadelphia has yet to begin negotiations with Foles about a contract extension. Instead, they quickly agreed to a new deal for Sanchez before free agency begun. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Sanchez has agreed to a two-year contract worth $16 million as $5.5 million of that is guaranteed money.
Kelly must have liked what he saw in Sanchez last season because that is a generous deal. The quarterback signed a one-year deal with the Eagles back in 2014 in order to try and rebuild his reputation after two failed seasons with the New York Jets. Sanchez ended up starting the final eight games after Foles went down with an injury. He put up 2,418 yards for 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Sanchez certainly showed that he is capable of holding a team together, something Philadelphia might need.
The contract for Sanchez means that Foles could be expendable at the right price. According to NJ.com, the Eagles were aggressively shopping Foles at the Senior Bowl in hopes someone would bite on the quarterback. However, Foles stayed put and even went to tell the media that he expected to start in 2015 for Philadelphia. Bringing back Sanchez means the Eagles can still explore trades for Foles considering they have a backup plan just in case.
The Eagles are being linked to a draft deal for Marcus Mariota by just about every NFL source. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport wrote that if Mariota were to drop down to the No. 6 pick, the Eagles would swoop in for a trade and potentially offer up Foles as part of the package. The Eagles have Sanchez to fall back on should anything happen and while he is certainly not the popular pick, he proved he can start for a team.
The Jets, Bears and Jaguars could all make plays for Foles before the NFL Draft. With trades for Colin Kaepernick begin denied and Brian Hoyer and Josh McCown swept off the market, a trade for Foles could be very popular when the free agent market opens up. The Eagles will keep all options open as they continue to make moves.