'Great Chance' Zach Ertz Will Play with Eagles in 2021?

There are still issues, however, starting with the coaching staff which has developed plans to move forward with Dallas Goedert as the TE1 for the 2021 season.

Head coach Nick Sirianni also has a desire to play more 11 personnel (three receivers) in an effort to get more speed on the field, per a team source.

Ex-coach Doug Pederson often had a similar sentiment at times but would continue to default to more 12 personnel with Ertz and Goedert on the field together when healthy because they were simply better options for a team that has struggled to find competent receivers.

Things are expected to improve at WR with the presence of first-round pick DeVonta Smith but it's hard to imagine the team's other wideouts who are expected to play like Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, and perhaps Greg Ward or Quez Watkins being better than Ertz which could complicate matters for Sirianni, who has preached a competition mantra since he has gotten to Philadelphia.

Ertz starting the summer with the Eagles is no guarantee he will still be with the team for Week 1, however. From Roseman's perspective, if you've played the game of chicken for this long continuing into August in the hopes an injury elsewhere might increase trade value for Ertz should not be discounted.

Eskin, who doubles as the Eagles' sideline reporter, noted that "there is a great chance Ertz will be on team at start of season," however.

Jason Michael, the Eagles' new TE coach, made sure that the foundation for a relationship did exist if Ertz and the Eagles' brass ultimately kissed and made up.

"I’ve had an opportunity throughout, early when we all first got here, had an opportunity to call and speak with Zach and have continued to stay in touch," Michael told SI.com's Eagle Maven. "Consistent communication with him throughout, so that’s been good just in terms of the conversations that we’ve had."

Ertz counts $12.72 million against the Eagles' salary cap this season and the team would save $8.5M of that by trading or releasing him, not an insignificant figure considering Philadelphia is currently $4,877,971 under the cap, per the latest NFLPA numbers.

The Eagles still have to sign second-round pick Landon Dickerson and would presumably like to add another veteran cornerback at some point as well in the coming days.