The Carson Wentz era begins!
The Philadelphia Eagles gave up a whole lot in order to draft Wentz No. 2 overall back in May. They got who they believe is their franchise quarterback of the future. But not having first-round pick in 2017 hurts the rest of the team’s rebuild.
Wentz isn’t ready to win now, freaking out when facing a rush at North Dakota. So the original plan for Wentz to sit behind Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel was a good one. Watching this preseason, you can see that Wentz still freaks out when there’s a rush coming.
But going into Week 1, the Eagles got a chance to get their 2017 and 2018 picks back. The Minnesota Vikings were desperate for a quarterback after Teddy Bridgewater went out for the season. So the Eagles traded Bradford to the Vikings for a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional 2018 pick.
And the fact that Daniel didn’t look too good this preseason makes it easier to see where he’s picking in 2017. The Eagles will likely pick late in the first round and early in the second round after the trade. So Pederson is giving Wentz the keys not to be accompanied by a short leash.
Pederson told ESPN “This is what I believe in. This is what this organization believes in. I’m very comfortable with our football team and Carson being our starter. “I want to exude that confidence in him. I don’t want him looking over his shoulder at all.”
If Wentz is mentally tough enough to endure a tough rookie season, the future is bright in Philly!