Philadelphia Eagles: Case Keenum to Washington is a best-case scenario

Good news Philadelphia Eagles fans: With Nick Foles very much in play, the Washington Redskins have instead traded for Case Keenum.

Philadelphia Eagles fans can breathe a sigh of relief; Nick Foles’ NFC East destinations have shrunk to one.

That’s right, after some speculated that the Washington Redskins would make a play to sign the Super Bowl 52 MVP to a longterm deal following Alex Smith’s potentially career-ending right leg injury, Jay Gruden and company have instead opted to trade a 2019 sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos for Case Keenum and a seventh-round pick.

This is the best case scenario for the Eagles.

Now granted, I personally really like Keenum’s game, and would have loved it if Howie Roseman would have traded a late round pick to lock him up as Carson Wentz‘s 2019 backup, but as a serious starting option? Not so much.

Keenum has filled virtually every role a player can in the NFL, from a third-string developmental option when he first entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Houston, to his role as a backup for Foles in St. Louis, to his eventual position leading the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos over the last two seasons.

He’s a smart, scheme flexible quarterback with above-average athleticism and a solid arm, despite standing a mere 6-foot-1.

However, no one is going to mistake Keenum for a legitimate franchise quarterback.

At 31-years old, Keenum has only appeared in 57 games, with 54 starts, throwing for an average of 220 yards, 0.94 touchdowns, and 0.73 interceptions a game. Wentz, on the other hand, has started 40 games in three seasons while throwing for an average of 253.8 yards, 1.75 touchdowns and 0.7 interceptions a game.

Even Foles’ career numbers with the Eagles are slightly better, averaging 217.575 yards, 1.45 touchdowns, and 0.575 interceptions a game.

Sure, Keenum can get hot and take a loaded team all the way to the NFC Championship game, but his career win percentage is 47 percent, and his playoff pedigree, a 1-1 record over eight years, isn’t all that much better.

So for the price of a few spots at the tail end of the draft and an $18 million price tag, Washington has consigned themselves to a quarterback competition between Keenum, Colt McCoy, and potentially a draft selection as to who will take the field on opening day as their starting quarterback.

No matter who wins that competition, the real losers are the Redskins, as they will once again have one of the least potent offenses in the NFL for the second straight year.

While Philly fans shouldn’t get too comfortable, as Foles could still theoretically sign with the New York Giants and continue to dominate in the Linc for years to come, he’s all but certainly not going to be playing our nation’s capital, and that is a pleasant development to be sure. If Case Keenum is the Philadelphia Eagles’ biggest competition for the NFC East in 2019, I think a return to the playoffs is all but a guarantee. Need proof? Rewatch the 2017 NFC East Championship game.