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According to The MMQB’s Albert Breer, current Washington Football Team veteran quarterback Alex Smith impacted the Indianapolis Colts’ recent trade for Philadelphia Eagles ex-franchise quarterback Carson Wentz—from a move that happened back in 2013:
“For the Colts, the comp for the return was the 2013 Alex Smith trade,” Breer writes. “The Chiefs got him from San Francisco for two second-rounders that March, a couple months before then new Kansas City GM John Dorsey brought Ballard aboard as his top lieutenant. Smith, like Wentz, was 28 when he was traded and fresh off of being benched.”
Smith is a former #1 overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft, who at the time, was coming off an underwhelming season for the San Francisco 49ers where he threw for 13 touchdowns to 5 interceptions during 10 games (9 starts) in 2012. As Breer notes, just like Wentz, Smith was a 28 year old former top pick of the NFL Draft—similar to Wentz, who went #2 overall in 2016, that had recently been benched on his prior team.
While initial reports were that the Eagles were holding out hope for a ‘Matthew Stafford trade haul” of at least two first round picks, the Colts and general manager Chris Ballard got the deal done for a compensation package (which included a 2021 third round pick and a 2022 conditional second round pick) that was more in-line with what the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2013 surrendered for the 49ers’ Smith.
At this point, it’s not as though the Colts ‘fleeced’ the Eagles though—as Philly general manager Howie Roseman did acquire a conditional second round pick that could very well turn into a first round pick—if Wentz stays healthy and performs reasonably well over the next two seasons for Indianapolis.
However, while Wentz was coming off a dreadful season in 2020 prior to the trade, unlike Smith, he also was a prior 2017 NFL 2nd-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler—having had at least one elite season before being traded.
As such, the Colts’ trade compensation package for Wentz appeared to be reasonable and competitive—with enough there to entice the Eagles to ultimately pull the trigger, but not enough to cripple the franchise going forward—if it doesn’t actually work out with Wentz.