Tom Coughlin and the Jacksonville Jaguars have been linked to former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles more than any other team in recent weeks.
Given that Jacksonville is in need of a quarterback with the likely departure of Blake Bortles, that makes a ton of sense. At issue here is the fact that Foles’ current Philadelphia Eagles team might look to franchise him as a way to acquire draft picks in return.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, the Jaguars may be reluctant to hand over draft picks in a trade for Foles while offering him fair-market value on a new contract.
There’s definitely a few things that stand out here.
Jacksonville is currently over the cap: Paying Foles fair-market value is an expensive proposition in the first place.
Cash and picks make it expensive: Foles is set to earn $25-plus million on a new deal.
There promises to be other suitors for Foles the closer we get to the start of free agency next month. But the market appears to be slow given his likely salary and the Eagles’ demands in a trade.
Whether that means the Jaguars are out remains to be seen. It’s too early. But early push back against the idea of giving Philadelphia draft capital seems to suggest VP Tom Coughlin and Co. are cooling on the idea.