Philadelphia Eagles Season Preview – Quarterbacks
By Leo Kennedy
With Philadelphia Eagles training camp in full swing and the regular season fast approaching, it’s time to start looking how the roster will play out. With several new Quarterbacks and a new head coach, the Eagles’ situation at the QB position will be as fascinating as ever.
After a whirlwind of an offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles‘ quarterback situation, things are finally starting to settle in. In a move that surprised many, and angered some, General Manager Howie Roseman sent five draft picks to the Cleveland Browns. In return, the Philadelphia Eagles received the 2016 2nd overall pick and a 4th round pick in the 2017 draft.
It was no mystery why Roseman made the move, he was attempting to secure the Eagles’ next franchise Quarterback.After a briefly successful stint with Michael Vick, two seasons with Nick Foles, and a shaky season for former first overall pick Sam Bradford, Roseman realized that he had to disrupt the status quo in a big way.
The St. Louis Rams took California’s Jared Goff first overall, leaving North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz for the Philadelphia Eagles. Although many were skeptical of Wentz due to his career being in the lesser FCS division of College Football, scouts praised his large, athletic frame, his accurate arm, and his ability to run a pro-style offense.
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Sam Bradford, fresh off signing a 2-year, $36 million contract extension in March, was upset by the move and requested a trade. In late April he informed the team that he would not be attending the Eagles’ offseason activities. After a holdout that lasted several weeks, Bradford came to the realization that “Philadelphia is still the best place for me” and reported to OTAs.
Carson Wentz was not the only new Quarterback who joined the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. The team signed Ex-Kansas City Chiefs’ backup Chase Daniel to a 3 year deal to fill the hole that was created by the departure of Mark Sanchez to the Denver Broncos.
Daniel will not be competing for a starting role, but it was a very wise signing by the Eagles’ front office. Daniel is a solid veteran back up, and having played under the Philadelphia Eagles new Head Coach Doug Pederson before, will be extremely valuable in helping Bradford and Wentz learn Pederson’s complicated offensive system.
Although this camp has not been a competition in the traditional sense, Pederson has made it abundantly clear that Bradford will be under center Week 1, all eyes have been on the QBs and how they are stacking up against each other. Both Bradford and Wentz have been impressive thus
far and seem to be operating well under the team’s new leadership. As of now, Bradford has completed about 60% of his passes and has a high TD to INT ratio, 8 to 1. Wentz, who has had an addtional practice over Bradford, has completed about 68% of his passes and has yet to throw an interception.
Both Quarterbacks seem to be adjusting to Pederson’s playbook well. Pederson’s system is extremely complex and puts a lot of faith in the decision making abilities of the QB, the polar opposite of Chip Kelly’s hurry up, no-huddle offense of the past few seasons. Under Pederson, the complicated calls will be given in a huddle and feature varied snap counts, while putting an emphasis on the QB’s ability to audible based on the defensive positioning. As Bradford put it “You’re in charge of getting into the right play and getting out of a bad play. You’re responsible for everything out there.” Time will tell, but expect to see Bradford taking charge and running a much more efficient offense than in years prior.
Next: Eagles Special Teams Preview
Although Bradford is all but guaranteed to be the starter this upcoming season, his history of injuries is always in the back of Philadelphia Eagles fans’ minds. Hopefully this slower tempo offense will offer Bradford more protection and he will be able to play his first complete season since 2012 with the Rams. However, if Bradford goes down again this year or isn’t performing up to Pederson’s high standards, fans could see Carson Wentz at the line of scrimmage far sooner than expected.
Join us tomorrow as we break down the Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers.