Eagles QB Nick Foles mentioned as possible target for Raiders this offseason, should they pursue?

If there is one thing Raider Nation has learned since Jon Gruden took over, it is that no player is safe on the Oakland Raiders.

Heading into the offseason there are still plenty of unknowns about whether Derek Carr will be the starting quarterback come the fall. At this point no one knows for sure, but either outcome shouldn’t surprise anyone.

But in any scenario where Carr is gone, it will be because Gruden had his eyes set on someone else. On Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman surmised that new quarterback could be Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles.

There is already rampant speculation about where Foles will end up. One scout believes Raiders coach Jon Gruden will use some of the booty from the Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades (two first-rounders for Mack and one for Cooper) to make the Eagles an offer they can’t refuse.

At first glance, pursuing Foles might sound surprising but he has resembled a Gruden grinder. Foles has seemingly outplayed his perceived talent level in the biggest NFL games over the past two seasons leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl in 2018.

Gruden went with Rich Gannon in the past and has shown a preference for those with big-game experience, something Carr does not have. And Oakland has the draft capital necessary to offer a deal that Philadelphia might not be able to refuse.

Thankfully, Gruden worked for ESPN for many years so we can go back and see Gruden’s opinion of Foles entering the league. While there were some negatives, there was a lot Gruden liked about Foles.

In 2012 when Gruden called an Eagles game in which Foles was starting, Gruden said the following during the broadcast.

“He turned his back to the defense, flashed his eyes out to the fake, and threw a perfect strike to Maclin,” Gruden said. “Those are the throws that get you excited about Nick Foles, the 6-foot-5 pocket passer.”

”He can handle a lot,” Gruden said. “He made some good audibles. He’s a sharp young prospect.”

And on the negative side.

“You can’t telegraph throws,” Gruden said of Foles. “He stared down receivers.”

Also, here is Foles at Gruden’s QB Camp. At 2:45 Foles details his pre-snap thoughts.

It is very possible Gruden’s opinion of Foles has changed since the game in 2012 considering Foles has now won many miraculous playoff games and a Super Bowl.

Only Gruden knows how he feels about Foles, but that doesn’t mean Raider Nation can’t have its opinion too, so give us yours.