Carson Wentz trade details: What did the Colts get in return for former Philly QB?
The Washington Commanders were willing and able to throw the bank at the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson, but they ended up having to settle for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz.
The only silver lining is that they retained all of their first-round picks, which they would have parted ways with in a trade for Wilson. Wentz might not be the star veteran the offense had hoped to have in Wilson, but it's still an upgrade at the quarterback position. So what did it cost to acquire the former Philadelphia Eagles and Colts star?
Carson Wentz Trade Details
#Commanders get
- Carson Wentz
- 2022 2nd Round Pick (47th)
#Colts get
- 2022 2nd Round Pick (42nd)
- 2022 3rd Round Pick (73rd)
- 2023 3rd Round Pick (Becomes a 2nd with 70% snaps)
The Indianapolis Colts traded Carson Wentz along with a 2022 second-round pick to the Commanders for a 2022 second- and third-round pick and a 2023 conditional third-round pick, which will become a second-round pick if Wentz plays at least 70% of the offensive snaps next season. The Colts basically got three second-round picks, but more importantly, freed up some much-needed cap space.
Not only did the Commanders take Carson Wentz out of the Colts' hands, but they are absorbing his entire salary for the 2022 season as well. That's a total of $28 million, including his roster bonus of $5 million. The Colts now have an astonishing $69 million in cap space.
All in all, it was the right move for the Colts to let Carson Wentz walk. Ever since they lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars and were eliminated from the postseason, owner Jim Irsay has been vocal about Wentz failing the team. Irsay wasn't the only person in the building fed up with Wentz. Several people were reportedly frustrated with Wentz's lack of leadership skills and described the quarterback as "difficult to coach."
Who will replace Carson Wentz in Indy?
The Colts now have over $70 mill in cap space.
No first round pick.
Jimmy G? Jordan Love? Jameis Winston? Mitch Trubisky?
Super curious as to which route they take
The only current quarterback on the roster is Sam Ehlinger. The quarterback played three games last season and recorded rushes for nine yards. He had a strong preseason and training camp last year and earned the QB2 spot, which is what he'll likely be in 2022.
Could the Colts bring in a new quarterback in the draft? It's unlikely, since the Philadelphia Eagles own their 2022 first-round, which, ironically, they acquired by trading Carson Wentz to the Colts. The Colts could opt to bring in a free agent veteran quarterback like Mitchell Trubisky or Jameis Winston to compete with Ehlinger.
Either way, the Colts won't be going out of their way to acquire a new franchise star at this point. Instead, they can use their draft picks and newfound cap space to build the team up over the next year and then go find a quarterback next offseason.