Colts: Latest Carson Wentz update proves Chris Ballard is driving a hard bargain
By Jerry Trotta
The Indianapolis Colts have been negotiating with the Philadelphia Eagles about a potential deal for quarterback Carson Wentz for several days now, and the latest buzz suggests that zero traction has been made during that span.
If you’ve paid attention to GM Chris Ballard’s quotes about his quarterback search — or his philosophical approach to running an organization — that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
After all, he’s been adamant about not “living in a desperate world” and not making a trade just because it would help the team in theory.
And, with Wentz…who can really say for sure?
That way of thinking might seem crazy, but meeting the Eagles’ ridiculous asking price for Wentz, which reportedly included two first-round picks, is what would actually be asinine.
Of course, all this comes after he looked as unsure as any gunslinger in the league this past season.
According to the latest update on the negotiation front, Ballard is really doing an excellent job in terms of haggling the Eagles to scale back their evaluation of their former No. 2 overall pick.
RE: Carson Wentz trade.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) February 15, 2021
If Colts had best offer, it’s likely a deal would be done at this point. Wentz’s preference would be Indy, which would expedite agreement. Probable cause for delay.
If Colts’ interest is mild, then there is little he could do to prevent trade to Bears.
The Colts are holding steady in their ongoing negotiations for Carson Wentz.
The Colts reportedly offered two second-rounders with potentially a third or fourth in their counter proposal, but something tells us that a trade would’ve been completed already if that was the case…unless, of course, Philadelphia is actually holding out for a first for a QB who finished 34th in passer rating (72.8) and threw the most interceptions (15) across just 12 starts.
There’s just so much unknown here that all you can really do is speculate about what’s going on behind the scenes. What we do know, however, is that Ballard and the Colts have set their evaluation of Wentz, and their overall lack of conviction in him suggests they won’t be the ones to budge first.
With the Bears reportedly growing impatient with the Eagles’ refusal to modify their initial asking price and taking into account a general lack of interest from other franchises, it seems like Indianapolis is currently the only team negotiating for Wentz, which gives them all the leverage.
Well, have to include Ballard in evaluation, too. But I was told weeks ago Reich would have the same issues the rest of the league would have based on film alone.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) February 15, 2021
It would appear that Ballard is aware of this and has no problem driving a hard bargain as a result, and why shouldn’t he?
The 53-year-old knows fans want the Colts’ quarterback conundrum to be resolved as soon as possible, but this update confirms they should put their patience shoes on, because Ballard isn’t making a deal unless it’s absolutely perfect in his eyes.
