Potential Marcus Mariota trade could actually help the Philadelphia Eagles

Since news dropped that the Philadelphia Eagles were “close” to a trade surrounding the likes of quarterback Carson Wentz, the general vibe amongst the fanbase has been that of anxiousness. People are calling for the trade to be done as soon as possible, citing the fact that linked teams (Bears, Colts) could end up turning elsewhere should Howie Roseman not jump at the opportunity to deal away #11.

While there definitely becomes a “point of diminishing returns” when it comes to holding out for the best possible trade offer, it’s worth noting that someone like Marcus Mariota, or even Sam Darnold, getting dealt prior to Wentz could actually aid the Eagles quite a bit.

Before the massive Matthew Stafford/Jared Goff trade, people weren’t really sure what the quarterback market would look like this offseason. Everyone knew that a “QB carousel” was set to take place this winter, but no-one knew what exactly the compensation would look like.

With Stafford being moved for an abundance of draft capital, a baseline was set. A *good* quarterback who has yet to be named an All-Pro is worth a ton.

The Philadelphia Eagles may actually benefit from other QBs being traded.

Now while Stafford had a better 2020 season than the likes of Carson Wentz, comparing the two payers isn’t as outlandish as you may initially think. In fact, you could make a genuine argument that Wentz should be more valuable than Stafford on the open market:

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Now obviously the Eagles borderline desperate situation at the moment is inhrerenly lowering Wentz’ value, and Carson’s league-worst play in 2020 isn’t helping the situation. However, that’s where someone like Mariota or Darnold comes into play.

Should Mariota/Darnold get traded for a first round pick to the likes of Washington or San Francisco, for example, then it will have a bit of a trickle down effect on the Eagles own negotiating tactics. Howie Roseman will be able to tell the Colts and Bears, “Look guys, Darnold just got traded for a first and we all know Wentz is better. I have the right to demand more in return.”

One less team being active in the QB carousel might weaken the market for a disgruntled Carson Wentz, but a below average arm getting moved for a strong package in return might also raise Wentz’ value.

Seeing a potential option at quarterback go off the market could very easily jolt a team like Indianapolis or Chicago into action, prompting them to reengage with the Eagles over a deal for Wentz.

It’s a bit of a rabbit hole theory when you really dive into it, but it’s one that holds some validity to it. Other quarterbacks being moved this offseason doesn’t anatomically tank Wentz’ trade value – it might actually end up raising it.