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Should Jets pursue Zach Ertz?


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https://www.sportscasting.com/zach-ertz-long-desired-plane-ticket-philadelphia-already-purchased-unexpected-eagles-teammate/

 

Zach Ertz’s Long-Desired Plane Ticket Out of Philadelphia May Have Already Been Purchased by an Unexpected Eagles Teammate

by Jack Dougherty  on August 17, 2021
 

Only three weeks remain until the new NFL season kicks off, and Zach Ertz is somehow still a Philadelphia Eagle.

That might not be the case for long, though, as a lesser-known tight end has been unexpectedly turning heads in training camp. Tyree Jackson, who played quarterback in college and just recently switched to TE, has been the star of the offseason in Philadelphia, and he may have just purchased Ertz’s long-awaited plane ticket out of town.

 

Zach Ertz still wants out of Philadelphia

Zach Ertz could be on his way out of town soon.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz walks onto the field prior to a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
 

Ertz thought he was saying goodbye to his longtime team after the conclusion of the 2020 season. He stuck around after the final regular-season game to chat with Carson Wentz and Jason Kelce on the sidelines in what looked to be the trio’s last moment together inside Lincoln Financial Field. Ertz even teared up during what he thought was his farewell press conference the following day.

But seven months later, here he is — still firmly on the Eagles roster with Week 1 quickly approaching.

The Eagles have reached out to teams this offseason about dealing Ertz, but they clearly haven’t been satisfied with the offers coming back. With Philly getting younger on offense and Dallas Goedert set to make the official jump to starting TE this year, a 30-year-old Ertz with a $12.7 million cap hit this season doesn’t make much sense to keep around. That being said, the team isn’t going to ship him away for pennies on the dollar.

Ertz has been a team player in recent weeks by showing up to training camp and even playing in the team’s first preseason game last week, but he could be on the move at any moment.

Tyree Jackson has emerged as the surprise star of Eagles training camp

With the uncertainty surrounding Ertz’s future in Philadelphia, the Eagles added some depth to the tight end position by signing Jackson earlier this offseason. If you feel like you’ve never heard his name before as an NFL tight end, that’s because you haven’t.

Jackson was actually a quarterback until just a few months ago. He threw for nearly 7,000 yards and 49 touchdowns as a three-year starter at the University of Buffalo. After going undrafted in 2019, he signed with the Buffalo Bills but failed to make the 53-man roster as a QB. Jackson took his talents to the XFL in 2020 after he was drafted by the DC Defenders, but he didn’t see much success there either.

A year later, Jackson decided to follow in Logan Thomas’ footsteps by switching from QB to TE, and he seems to be a natural. The 6-foot-7, 250-pound unicorn of an athlete has been the surprising star of Eagles training camp this summer. He’s been dominating individual drills at practice on a daily basis, and he made two nice grabs for 32 total yards in his preseason debut last week.

According to various practice reports from Eagles beat writers over the last few weeks, you would never be able to guess that Jackson has been playing the tight end position for less than a year. With final cuts just about two weeks away, the quarterback-turned-tight end has a much more realistic shot of making the 53-man roster than anyone could’ve imagined.

And if the Eagles are smart, they’ll keep Jackson around while simultaneously adding more draft picks in an Ertz trade.

Jackson’s strong camp could be Ertz’s plane ticket out of Philadelphia

Ertz has been patiently waiting for a ticket out of Philly for months now, and he might’ve finally found one thanks to Jackson. If the former quarterback has been this impressive in the first summer at his new position, just imagine what he’ll look like in a year or two.

Jackson is still just 23 years old. He’s only due $660,000 in base salary this season, whereas Ertz is due $8.5 million. This decision is becoming more and more clear with every catch Jackson makes in camp.

He’s simply too big of a human being to be covered by NFL safeties and cornerbacks. He’s too agile for linebackers to keep up with down the field. With some more coaching and increased reps at his new position, Jackson has unlimited upside as a tight end. He’s also in a perfect situation in which he can learn from Goedert and Richard Rodgers while he slowly works his way into the playbook.

Even if a proposed trade package isn’t what the Eagles hoped for heading into the offseason, the team must find a way to deal Ertz before Week 1.

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No. 

I believe both Kenny Yeboah and Chris Herndon are going to flourish under Mike LaFleur's system. 

And willing to give them a chance here in 2021 (especially Chris Herndon away from Adam Gase again) before immediately looking to replace them.

• A coach Saleh culture change can do a lot for players such as La'Mical Perine and Chris Herndon. 

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25 minutes ago, whodeawhodat said:

 30-year-old Ertz with a $12.7 million cap hit this season doesn’t make much sense to keep around

anyone know their cap savings if he gets cut?

They save about $5M by cutting him.  Team trading for him would assume $8.5M base salary for 2021.  If I am interpreting overthe cap corretly.

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Yes trade for him. Or better yet for Evan engram. We have a lot of picks next year and are roster is already loaded with young talent. Either one would be a great signing. But like I said check with giant’s because engram is young and a superstar in the making.

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On 8/17/2021 at 7:57 AM, playtowinthegame said:

“I’m still going to get you some day,” Belichick said, according to Apody. “But Howie [Roseman] wants two first-round picks and two of my grandchildren!”

 

 

I'm guessing the firsts were the deal breaker.  Wonder if Belichick countered with seconds plus the grandkids.

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18 hours ago, Rolloffjet said:

Yes trade for him. Or better yet for Evan engram. We have a lot of picks next year and are roster is already loaded with young talent. Either one would be a great signing. But like I said check with giant’s because engram is young and a superstar in the making.

Engram has been complete utter hot garbage since he was a rookie.  He’s like the giants version of Herndon 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/17/2021 at 7:29 PM, Defense Wins Championships said:

No. 

I believe both Kenny Yeboah and Chris Herndon are going to flourish under Mike LaFleur's system. 

And willing to give them a chance here in 2021 (especially Chris Herndon away from Adam Gase again) before immediately looking to replace them.

• A coach Saleh culture change can do a lot for players such as La'Mical Perine and Chris Herndon. 

LOL

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Ertz is a bit of a pipe dream to be honest. Although lukewarm on his continued tenure in Philadelphia, Hurts wouldn’t mind the additional weapons and the Jets are in a similarly situated position age and division presence wise that the asking price would be high. Hollister is definitely one to keep an eye on. 

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https://jetsxfactor.com/2021/09/01/10-tight-ends-ny-jets-should-target/

Zach Ertz (Trade)

In March, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Philadelphia Eagles granted longtime tight end Zach Ertz permission to seek a trade.

It’s Sept. 1 and Ertz is still an Eagle.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas shared time with Zach Ertz in Philadelphia. He recently got to see Ertz up close during the joint practices between the Jets and Eagles in Florham Park.

Ertz, who will turn 31 in November, is coming off of the worst season of his career by a massive margin. He set career lows in drop rate (10.0%), contested catch rate (33.3%), yards per target (4.7), catch rate (50.0%), yards per reception (9.3), touchdowns per game (0.09), and the percentage of his targets that resulted in a conversion (22.2%). He was one of the worst tight ends in football.

With numbers like those, Ertz may never be a solid player again, but since his stock is undoubtedly at an all-time low after such a brutal season, he could likely be snatched up by the Jets for cheap. Ertz would be a high-upside option who also provides a quality veteran presence.

However, one concern to keep in mind here is that Ertz is not a good blocker. He has graded out as a substantially below-average run blocker in each of the past four seasons, posting a composite PFF run-blocking grade of 51.2 from 2017-20.

Things are dire for the Jets’ tight end room, though. Picking up Ertz for an inconsequential pick (perhaps a conditional selection) could be worth the gamble.

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