Nick Foles Done in Los Angeles?

Now that the move to Los Angeles is complete, and the draft is drawing near, it is expected that actual player personnel discussions will become even more of a focus moving forward.  In the case of the Los Angeles Rams, the quarterback position will continue to be at the center of so many of those conversations.

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All of the moves, and statements, made by the organization continue to point to Case Keenum being penciled in as the starter for week one.  But this hasn’t stopped the tide of experts and insiders speculating that the Rams may like Case in the short-term, but still feel a need to find a replace for the long-term.

According to Mike Florio of Pro FootballTalk however, one player that may definitely not be seen as a potential answer at the quarterback position for the Los Angeles Rams is Nick Foles.  Despite statements from the organization in the past that Nick will be given an opportunity to push Case for that starting role, it is beginning to sound as though the Rams believe it is simply best to try to move on from the brief Foles era entirely.

Some may wonder why the Rams have held on to Foles this long, if the plan was try dumping him all along.  But according to Mike Florio, holding on to Foles this long actually made perfect sense.  His $6 million roster bonus was guaranteed last year, meaning the Rams were on the hook for this cost regardless of their future plans.  The only remaining obligation owed to Files is in the form of his base salary.  If the Rams are able to trade Foles, however, that salary obligation goes with him.

So if the Rams are planning to trade Foles to another team, what options are open to them?  While his deal for 2016 might be attractive to a number of teams looking to bolster their team at the QB position, his salary does jump to almost $11 million in 2017.  He also has close to $5 million in performance-based incentives that he could earn with his new employer.

Well, despite these numbers, a trade for Foles would still potentially be a low-risk option for another team.  If Foles repeats his level of play from 2015, his new team would have the option of releasing him prior to 2017 without being responsible for that full salary.  A repeat of his 2015 performance would also mean there would be no need to pay those incentive-based rewards.

At the end of the day, if the Los Angeles Rams do want to trade Nick Foles, the most important ingredient required to make this happen will be a willing trade partner.  So, given everything discussed above, are there actually any parties that may be willing to take that risk?

Mike Florio discusses both the Denver Broncos, who seem to be moving farther and farther from a potential Colin Kaepernick deal by the day, and the currently Ryan Fitzpatrick-less New York Jets.

While little has come from either team to imply they are interested, Cecil Lammey, NFL Insider for FM1043 The Fan and senior writer for Footballguys.com pointed out that Elway and the Broncos had shown legitimate interest in Foles doing out of college:

That was, of course, several years ago and opinions may have changed drastically in that time.  But it at least connects the Broncos in a way few other teams can be linked at this stage.  Will that history be enough tempt the Broncos now?  It may be too early to tell.  But if recent news coming out of Denver is any indication, the Broncos may be getting just desperate enough to consider any and all options at the position.

One thing is clear.  The Los Angeles Rams and Nick Foles have proven to be a poor fit.  If the Rams truly are committed to drafted another QB in the 2016 NFL draft, it would be best for both sides if the Rams are able to find a willing trade partner.