The deal would have swapped two of the NFL's 2013 breakout stars.
Nick Foles and Josh Gordon were two of the breakout stars of the 2013 NFL season. That may not have been the case had a proposed trade between the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns been consummated. A report by ESPN's Phil Sheridan says the two teams discussed swapping Foles and Gordon prior to the 2013 season.
At the time, Gordon was facing a two-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, leaving the team to question whether the former Baylor star would factor into their future. New Browns CEO Joe Banner, the executive who drafted Foles in Philadelphia a year earlier, wanted to upgrade a quarterback position that featured Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden. While new Eagles head coach Chip Kelly didn't draft Foles, he believed the quarterback had too much upside to deal. It's unclear how serious negotiations became, but the trade was never completed.
The Eagles' decision to reject the deal had a dramatic impact on both teams. Though Foles started the year as Michael Vick's backup, he eventually ascended to the starting job and proceeded to throw 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Meanwhile, Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards after missing the first two games and was named to the Pro Bowl.
Echoes of the non-trade can be heard today. Had the Browns acquired Foles, perhaps they win enough games for head coach Rob Chudzinski to keep his job. Even if they don't, Cleveland may not have been in the market for a new quarterback in the 2014 draft, preventing Johnny Manziel from ever becoming a Brown. As for the Eagles, they would have featured a receiver corps of Gordon, DeSean Jackson and Riley Cooper in 2013. Had the group proved successful, perhaps the team doesn't retain Jeremy Maclin and the 1,318 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns he delivered last year.
Some of the best trades in sports are the ones that aren't made. For the Eagles, not acquiring Josh Gordon appears to have been the correct call.
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