Rise & Grind: Who will be the Eagles quarterback in 2015?

Free agency blowing up three days early made the NFL mad about some vague arbitrary process. The rest of us were able to shrug it off by gobbling up every tweet and every “report” without chewing (and not really giving a shit about the league’s lesser rules). Things got even more interesting on Monday when another Eagles trade rumor found its way to the buffet table.

Rumors about the Eagles trying to deal Foles reinforces the popular notion that the team’s planning for a Chip Kelly-Marcus Mariota reunion in the draft. We haven’t had any solid lead to confirm that, but there’s an unmistakable smell coming from the kitchen that says it’s a real possibility.

Philadelphia really only has two routes it can go for a quarterback this year. The Eagles can draft Mariota or one of the other prospects available this year (would fellow Pac-12 alum Brett Hundley be a possibility?), or they can go back to Foles and the recently re-signed backup Mark Sanchez. There aren’t really any other options among active NFL quarterbacks.

The Eagles had roughly $45 million to spend in free agency this year, and they haven’t wasted any time writing checks. Sanchez is the only deal that’s official at the moment, but as of 4 p.m. ET, Byron Maxwell can sign his six-year, $63 million deal. Frank Gore can sign too, unless he spurns them for the Colts. All indications are that the Eagles aren’t done spending money either. That makes you wonder if this shopping spree isn’t fueled in part by the knowledge that they plan on having a rookie quarterback on top of the depth chart and his scaled salary on the books for the next three seasons or more.

The Titans made a timely move in all of this, putting out word Monday afternoon that they had a private workout scheduled with Mariota. Maybe they really are interested. Maybe not. Either way, it ups the stakes for Philadelphia to trade up with the Titans, who have the second overall pick.

For now, we’ll keep waiting to see what Kelly serves up next.

Is Jay Cutler on the trade block or not?

Reports that the Bears were trying to trade America’s most unhappy quarterback emerged yesterday. Then, ESPN refuted those reports, which is just enough to leave you wondering.

Jaguars and Julius Thomas agreed to a deal

Another one of the biggest names in free agency is accounted for now. There’s a lazy narrative from some corners of the media that Thomas will be a bust because a) he’s not catching passes from Peyton Manning and b) he’s going to Jacksonville. PISH POSH!

Give the guy a chance. It’s a great addition for second-year quarterback Blake Bortles, and the Jaguars roster has some interesting young playmakers. Keeping Marcedes Lewis as the second tight end won’t hurt either. It’s natural to assume big-ticket free agents are a red flag for teams like the Jaguars, teams that are so bad for so long, but this Jaguars team is different from perpetual losers like the Browns or Raiders or Rams. There’s strong leadership in place, a committed owner who stays involved but doesn’t meddle, and they’re adding veterans to complement a young roster.

Deadline for restricted free agent tenders passes

Players with less than four years of service -- generally those who entered the NFL as undrafted free agents -- become restricted free agents when their contracts expire. While other teams can attempt to sign them, their original clubs can apply some level of protection known as tendering.

Players can be tendered at three levels: (1) original round tender, (2) second-round tender and (3) first-round tender. Each of these levels comes at a different price, escalating by round. If another team signs a tendered player to an offer sheet, the original club can either choose to match or allow that player to leave. In the latter case, the player’s original team receives a pick commensurate with the tender level.

Several notable players received tenders before the deadline:

These players can pursue a longer deal with their original team or other franchises.

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