The Sports Xchange

New St. Louis quarterback Nick Foles is entering the final year of his rookie contract and the Rams have made signing him to a long-term deal a priority this offseason.

Ideally, the two sides will come to an agreement before the season starts, and according to reports, St. Louis has reached out twice to Foles’ representatives to initiate talks. The Rams want to lock up Foles to avoid having to use the franchise tag on him, should the 26-year-old’s market value increase.

Foles, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in an offseason trade that included quarterback Sam Bradford, will make $1.5 million this season.

In three seasons with the Eagles, Foles threw 46 touchdown passes and only 17 interceptions. In 2013, he led the league with a 119.2 quarterback passer rating.