Ertz Trade Ripple-Effects – Revenge of the Birds

Apparently, TE Zach Ertz knew that final night time could be his final recreation with the Philadelphia Eagles, the crew that drafted him within the 2nd spherical of the 2013 NFL Draft.

After months of commerce speculations, thanks in good half to Ertz’s current decline in play attributable to a excessive ankle harm in 2020 and the emergence of the Eagles’ 2nd spherical choose in 2018, Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz is now headed to the Arizona Cardinals for 2021 sixth Spherical draft choose CB Tay Gowan and the Cardinals’ 2022 fifth Spherical choose.

Per Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Ertz)

Zach Ertz’s NFL data:

• Most receptions in a single season by a decent finish: 116 (2018)^[89]

Zach Ertz’s Eagles franchise data:

• Most receptions in a single recreation: 15
• Most receptions in a single season: 116 (2018)

Profession Common Season Receiving stats:

• 579 receptions for six,267 yards, 10.86 ave., 38 TDs (1 caught final night time versus Bucs)

Profession Submit-Season Receiving stats:

• 33 receptions, 360 yards, 10.9 ave., 2 TDs (1 was his recreation profitable TD in Tremendous Bowl LII)

Zach Ertz’s Professional Bowls:

Zach Ertz’s Prime NFL 100 Gamers Rankings:

• 68th in 2018
• fortieth in 2019
• eighty fifth in 2020

2017 Zach Ertz’s NFC Championship Sport and Tremendous Bowl stats:

• “On January 21, 2018, Ertz made his first profession begin within the playoffs and caught eight passes for 93-yards throughout a 38–7 victory towards the Minnesota Vikings within the NFC Championship.”
• “On February 4, 2018, Ertz began in Super Bowl LII and caught seven passes for 67-yards and a landing. Throughout the fourth quarter, he caught the go-ahead landing reception on a seven-yard cross by Nick Foles, after beating security Devin McCourty on a slant route, to place the Eagles up 38–33. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41–33 to win Tremendous Bowl LII, marking their first Tremendous Bowl victory in franchise historical past.”

Notes:

• Apparently, Jordan Hicks had been “recruiting” Zach Ertz for a few weeks now.

In keeping with Yahoo Sports activities by NBC Sports activities ((https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/eagles-trade-zach-ertz-cardinals-151116292.html)

The Mesa and Watt Connections

• “Ertz reportedly advised these near him he’d be involved in becoming a member of the Cardinals and his spouse, two-time World Cup champion Julie Ertz, grew up in close by Mesa.”
• Julie Ertz performs for the Chicago Purple Stars of the NWSL with Kealia Watt, the spouse of Cardinals defensive finish J.J. Watt. “

Commerce Worth:

Feedback:

• I’m guessing that notably after Zach Ertz scored on a pleasant TD final night time, Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman’s cellphone was getting lit up with calls from a number of TE needy groups, which can be why the Cardinals needed to included CB Tay Gowan within the deal.
• I agree with Kyle Odegard that Gowan, plus a 2022 fifth was loads to surrender for a 30 (31 in November) year-old 2022 unrestricted free agent who’s coming off his least productive season in 2020 (having missed a month and half of video games for a excessive ankle sprain) and has been overshadowed in Philly by Dallas Geodert.
• The Cardinals felt extremely sufficient about Tay Gowan that they selected to not threat waiving him. Nevertheless, regardless of the Cardinals’ accidents at CB, Gowan has not been energetic on recreation days.

Within the pre-season, Tay Gowan’s 2 recreation PFF grades:

• Total: 56.1
• Run Protection: 49.3
• Tackling: 37.9 (5 solo tackles, 2 assists, 2 missed tackles).
• Protection: 56.1 (5 catches on 9 targets, 55.6% for 77 yards, 14.1 ave., 1 penalty, 0 TDs)
• Having sat out at UCF in 2020 to guard his daughter from COVID, after enjoying just one season (albeit at a excessive degree in 2019), is the primary motive why Gowan slid into the sixth spherical. And it could possibly be the primary motive why his improvement with the Cardinals hasn’t fairly been as swift as he and Cardinals’ fan had hoped.
• Nevertheless, as a lot because it was robust to have to incorporate Tay Gowan on this commerce, the Cardinals are anticipated to have three 2022 compensatory picks (per nfl.com):

Arizona Cardinals (per https://www.nfl.com/news/2022-nfl-draft-compensatory-pick-projections-for-every-team)

“ Projected compensatory picks: One in Spherical 5; two in Spherical 7.

Key free-agent losses: Dan Arnold (Panthers), Angelo Blackson (Bears), Kenyan Drake (Raiders), Patrick Peterson (Vikings), Haason Reddick (Panthers).

Key free-agent additions: A.J. Green, Matt Prater.

• Comp-pick evaluation: “The Reddick and Drake losses will likely be offset by the additions of Inexperienced and Prater. Peterson’s departure will earn the Cardinals a fifth-round choose whereas the losses of Arnold and Blackson will usher in seventh-round alternatives.”
• 2023 Compensatory Picks: If the Cardinals don’t re-sign Zach Ertz as a UFA in 2022, then his signing with one other crew could assist the Cardinals purchase a 2023 comp choose.

Conclusion:

• Kudos to Steve Keim as a result of that is the form of mid-season commerce that contenders make to deal with a place of want.
• It’s affordable to imagine that the Cardinals had some stable competitors from different groups that will have been involved in Zach Ertz, a 3 time Professional Bowler who has had precious success within the post-season (4-3 report), a Halas Trophy and a Tremendous Bowl ring to point out for it.
• This could possibly be very very similar to the Markus Golden commerce final yr (after Chandler Jones was injured) the place Zach Ertz feels reinvigorated to the purpose the place he turns into extremely enamored with the Cardinals and with Arizona, notably seeing how his spouse Julie is from Mesa and is a teammate of Kealia Watt.