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The Philadelphia Eagles have traded three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick, the teams announced Friday.
Arizona is acquiring Ertz with the idea of making him a featured part of its offense, and Ertz has told others in the past that the Cardinals appealed to him, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Cardinals have yet to enter into any contract negotiations with Ertz, who wanted a new deal with the Eagles, sources told Schefter.
Ertz goes from the Eagles (2-4) to the only undefeated team in the NFL, with Arizona at 5-0.
The Cardinals lost their primary tight end target, Maxx Williams, for the season to a knee injury this week. Even though the Cardinals target their tight ends the third-lowest amount in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, Williams was on pace for career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns.
Ertz, who caught four passes for 29 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ 28-22 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, is not eligible to play for the Cardinals against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
He has 18 receptions for 189 yards and two TDs this season.
Ertz can fill Williams’ role and potentially more. They have similar stat lines, but Ertz’s career production outpaces that of Williams, making Ertz’s addition an intriguing move for the NFC West-leading Cardinals.
It gives the Cardinals’ seventh-ranked passing game even more firepower to complement the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore. Ertz also bolsters Arizona’s eighth-ranked run game.
The relationship between Ertz and the Eagles became strained last offseason when they were unable to agree on a contract extension. While counterparts Travis Kelce and George Kittle were being locked into long-term deals with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, respectively, talks between the Eagles and Ertz failed to gain traction.
The…
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Source : espn
