Why It's Time for Eagles to End the Zach Ertz Madness

Why it's time for the Eagles to end the Ertz madness originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Enough already.

It’s time to move on. 

For everybody’s sake. 

I get why Howie Roseman hasn’t made any moves yet with Zach Ertz, even though it’s been almost six months since his tearful farewell to Philadelphia. 

Roseman’s first responsibility isn’t to make anybody happy, it’s to do what’s best for the football team, and throughout free agency, throughout the draft, throughout the spring, there was always the chance he could find a team out there willing to ship the Eagles a draft pick or player in exchange for the disgruntled three-time Pro Bowl tight end. 

There had to be somebody out there who needed a tight end a year removed from an 88-catch season, who just turned 30, who has the 4^th-most catches ever by a tight end in his first eight seasons. 

But half a year went by, no trade offer materialized, and here we are a month before training camp and Ertz's name is still there on the Eagles' roster.

It’s time to get this resolved. Time to figure out an end game. Time to grant Ertz his freedom, if that’s what he truly wants. 

Now, I still don’t see why the Eagles and Ertz can’t find some common ground that would keep him in Philly for the final year of his contract. I’m a big Dallas Goedert fan. He’s already a top-10 tight end . And Richard Rodgers is a nice player as well. But there’s no question this is a better team with Ertz on the field. As disappointing as last year was for him, Ertz can still play, and what better for a young, inexperienced quarterback than a tight end who’s still as good as anybody moving the chains on 3^rd-and-5?

The Eagles have been clear about wanting Ertz back, and Ertz has been clear about how much he loves the city. They should be able to work something out. Not to mention that if he stays here, he gets $8 million. If he's released, that $8 million evaporates and he's not getting anywhere close to it wherever he lands. So both sides have something to gain by getting this figured out.

If not? If Ertz truly feels so betrayed by the Eagles that he just can't wear that No. 86 jersey again? Then it’s time.

Let him go. Stop waiting for an offer that probably won’t even come.

There’s a point where you just have to do the right thing for an all-time Eagles great. Let him get on with his life. Let him get on with his career. Let him find a team that wants him. Let him find a place to start over.

There is exactly one person in Eagles history who’s caught a game-winning touchdown in a Super Bowl. There are two who’ve caught 500 passes – Ertz and Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael. Ertz will be in the Eagles Hall of Fame one day and depending on how the next few years go, he could find himself in the other Hall of Fame one day.

Sometimes, a player means so much to an organization that you have to forget everything else and just do what’s right.

Ertz is that sort of player.

Is Roseman really going to let this drag out into training camp and hope some team gets a tight end injured and all of a sudden is willing to give up some late-round pick for Ertz? Do the Eagles really need the distraction of a holdout or a miserable veteran in camp while a 1^st-year coach is trying to build something? Would the Eagles really make Ertz wait until August to find a new home after all he’s done for this franchise? 

If he really wants to go, let him go. Enough holding an all-time Eagles great hostage in a never-ending bid to maybe finagle a 6th- or 7th-round draft pick out of somebody.

Some things are more important than some longshot chance at a Day 3 draft pick. 

Sometimes you just have to forget everything else and do what’s right for a player who’s meant so much to this franchise and this city.