Philadelphia Eagles and Carson Wentz: So Much for the Plan
By Mike Lacy
Despite the Philadelphia Eagles’ stated plan to take things slowly with the rookie, it seems that Carson Wentz could be the starting quarterback in week one.
The Philadelphia Eagles‘ handling of the quarterback position has been unconventional, to say the least. A quick recap for those who lost track: First they re-signed incumbent starter Sam Bradford to a lucrative two-year deal. Then they signed backup quarterback Chase Daniel from Kansas City. And then, they traded a slew of draft picks – including their first rounder in 2017 – to move up and select Carson Wentz with the second pick in the draft.
Some people seemed confused what the Eagles were doing, but it seemed obvious: They wanted Bradford – a competent if unspectacular starter – to play this season (and possibly next) to give the team a fighting chance in what looks like a weak NFC East. Daniel would serve as his backup, while also helping teach the rest of the players the offense.
Meanwhile, Wentz would sit on the bench. The Philadelphia Eagles’ front office seemed convinced that young quarterbacks were best served sitting at the beginning of their careers, and that more harm than good can come from throwing a quarterback into game action before he is ready. For Wentz, coming from an FCS school in North Dakota, it seemed especially prudent to take things slow.
As of a few days ago, all seemed to be going according to plan. Bradford had a strong preseason and was set to start. Meanwhile, Wentz suffered an injury in the first preseason game and would presumably need more time before he was ready.
The Vikings threw a wrench into those plans when their starting quarterback suffered an injury and they decided that Bradford was their best choice of replacement.
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They offered the Philadelphia Eagles a 2017 first round draft pick and a 2018 fourth round pick (which could go as high as a second) in exchange for Bradford. Plan or no plan, the Eagles couldn’t turn down getting a first round pick for a guy they would probably try to trade after the season anyway.
With Bradford gone, it appeared that the Philadelphia Eagles planned to sacrifice the 2016 season. Daniel would be the starter at the beginning of the season, and based on everything we’ve seen from him, the Eagles’ offense would likely struggle.
Apparently, the team is going with a different tactic. After the trade, reports came out that Wentz would become the starter as soon as he was healthy. If his rib injury allowed him to play in week one, he would become the starter.
I question the wisdom of this change of course. All offseason, we heard that Wentz would be best served not playing. But now, they’re apparently okay with playing him immediately, which seems especially strange considering that Wentz barely played in the preseason and has been limited in practice.
There are a few possible explanations for this change of heart.
The previous plan was mostly for Sam Bradford’s benefit
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Bradford before they knew they’d be able to draft Wentz. It’s possible that had they known they could trade up to draft Wentz, they wouldn’t have signed Bradford. Once they were stuck with both quarterbacks – and after Bradford reacted poorly to the situation – they tried to spin the situation as a positive.
Chase Daniel has been worse than expected
According to most reports, Daniel was inconsistent during training camp practices and looked mediocre at best during preseason games. Although based on his history, I’m not sure why they would expect anything different.
Carson Wentz has looked better than expected
Supposedly, Wentz has looked great in practice. While I wouldn’t expect the coaching staff to say that their prize rookie looks horrible, they could have said that he needed more development time (especially if they didn’t want Bradford to feel threatened).
I wonder just how good Wentz has looked. He played in one preseason game, and while he made some plays, he didn’t necessarily look ready to be the starter either.
Throwing away a season is a tough sell
Maybe 76ers fans are okay with their team giving up an entire season (or three) to help the long-term plan, but most Eagles fans probably wouldn’t be as patient. The Eagles’ roster is also full of veterans who don’t have many more chances at a Super Bowl. They probably wouldn’t appreciate the team not making a legitimate attempt to win.
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There’s no way they can start Daniel and claim that they’re still competing. Wentz may not be ready, but theoretically, he’s going to develop into a star passer at some point (Howie Roseman’s job pretty much depends on it). He may endure some growing pains along the way, but if the alternative isn’t going to be any better, then why not go with the guy with the (much) higher ceiling?
In the end, it really doesn’t matter what the Eagles’ original plan was or why they changed it. What matters is that as soon as Carson Wentz is healthy, he’s going to be the starting quarterback. The Eagles just have to hope that this new plan works out.