By Jack Ryan
Nick Foles is on the verge of getting from his new team what he had none of from the Eagles:
Job security.
The Rams traded a quarterback with one expensive year left on his contract for a quarterback with one inexpensive year on his contract when they sent Sam Bradford to the Birds in exchange for Foles. Now St. Louis would like to get something done to keep Foles more than one year — if the team can do so at a price that makes sense.
The Rams and Foles have had initial talks on a long-term contract and plan to continue discussions this summer, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The question is what kind of financial package would make sense. Foles is slated to make $1.5 million this year on his current contract, which is a bargain for a starting quarterback in today’s NFL. (For that matter, it’s not a bad price for a backup quarterback in today’s NFL.) Obviously, Foles would like to be paid like a starter if he’s going to be a starter.
But the Rams have plenty of leverage in contract talks. If Foles plays as well this season as he did in 2013, when he led the league with a 119.2 passer rating, they can always franchise him to keep him in St. Louis. So the team doesn’t need to rush to get a deal done. And it wouldn’t be surprised if these contract talks end with Foles playing for $1.5 million this year.
