Jaguars sign QB Nick Foles to huge deal, taking team out of running for draft trade-up

With the NFL’s salary cap going up quite a bit and a seemingly limited number of quality players available this free agency period, teams have been throwing around stupid money today. Former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles is the latest recipient of an absurd deal, going to the Jaguars for a dump truck full of gold.

That’s more per year than Derek Carr gets, and in fact some of the quarterback deals signed since then (Stafford, Cousins) make Carr look like a bargain. It’s not the best guy who gets paid, it’s the last guy who gets paid. Even Trent Brown’s contract may soon look like a team-friendly deal.

It remains to be seen whether Foles’ deal helps the Jaguars become a contender in the AFC, but it does ensure that the team will not be in the market for a quarterback in this upcoming draft and certainly won’t be trading up for one. Should the Raiders not like their options at Pick #4, trading down is a possibility, and teams usually trade up for a QB they like.

Other teams who could still be in the market to trade up and get a signal-caller include the Giants, Dolphins, Indigenous Persons, and maybe even the Bengals. If Kyler Murray does not go first overall, expect a bidding war for the Raiders’ top pick. The Raiders could benefit greatly from such an occurrence.