Carson Wentz Read online

  Wentz poses for photos after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

  Making a Move for Their Man

  The Eagles were convinced that Wentz was their guy. The only thing they had to figure out was how to get into the position to select him.

  Unlike many others in the draft community, Cleveland did not think Wentz would develop into a franchise quarterback. Roseman was able to negotiate a deal with the Browns allowing Philadelphia to move up to the No. 2 overall pick.

  The Los Angeles Rams had already acquired the No. 1 overall pick in the draft from the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee was in a good position to trade out of the pick because it already had Marcus Mariota in place as its franchise QB.

  The path to get to No. 2 and select Wentz required some creative work by Roseman. First, he traded 2015 acquisitions Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso, along with the No. 13 overall pick, to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the No. 8 overall pick.

  The next step was leapfrogging the Cowboys, who held the No. 4 overall pick. Roseman worked his magic once again.

  Philadelphia acquired the No. 2 pick in 2016 and a 2017 fourth-round pick in exchange for the No. 8 pick in 2016, the No. 77 pick (third round) in 2016, the No. 100 pick (fourth round) in 2016, a 2017 first-rounder, and a 2018 second-rounder.

  Suddenly the top two picks were guaranteed to be quarterbacks. The question came down to who would go where. The Eagles got all indications that Jared Goff was going to be selected by the Rams. That meant they would end up getting their man in Wentz.

  Just like that, Wentz became a sure-fire top-two pick. As expected, Goff went first overall with Philadelphia selecting Wentz soon afterward.

  Wentz’s wild rise was complete, and the Eagles got their man.

  Ready to Fly Like an Eagle

  Carson Wentz was eager to go to work as soon as he heard his name called with the Eagles on the clock with the No. 2 overall pick. He pretty much knew that Philadelphia was going to be his new home soon after the team traded up in the draft.

  Wentz was entering a locker room as the future cornerstone of the franchise. The Eagles had a nice mix of young and veteran players, but Wentz knew it was the veterans he had to make the biggest impression on.

  His approach was to take a blue-collar mentality and show that he was willing to put in the work to eventually lead the organization to big things. For Wentz, it was all about respect.

  “You have to earn it, you have to earn that respect,” Wentz said during a group interview the day before the draft. “You have to put in the hard work. You’ve got to have the ‘first one in and the last one out’ type of mentality. That’s how I’ve always been. Obviously, the best way to earn that respect is to do well. Go out and compete, succeed, and I’m looking forward to doing that.”

  Wentz was very engaging with the Philadelphia media, a group known for its aggressive coverage of the Eagles. While on his first conference call, Wentz told the reporters that he heard they are tough and couldn’t wait to meet them.

  Wentz answers a question during a news conference at the Eagles’ practice facility, Friday, April 29, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

  It was like he welcomed the challenge of handling one of the largest groups of beat reporters in the NFL. That’s Carson Wentz, though. He has a quiet confidence in him and a way of endearing himself to people that he encounters.

  From the outside looking in, things weren’t ideal for Wentz when he was first drafted. The Eagles had just re-signed quarterback Sam Bradford, and Doug Pederson brought former Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel with him from Kansas City with the promise that he would be able to compete for a starting spot.

  Bradford stormed out of the Eagles facility when he first heard news of the trade. He refused to return for voluntary organized activities and demanded a trade.

  Executive VP Howie Roseman knew the situation wasn’t ideal, but he was confident that Wentz would weather the early storm. Pederson echoed that sentiment when he was asked about the suddenly crowded quarterback room.

  “Not at all. When you get a chance to meet Carson, you’ll see that he’s going to do everything you ask him to do. He’s going to fit perfectly in that room,” Pederson said during a press conference after Wentz was drafted. “There’s going to be some competition in there, which is great, which I’ve said all along, and just welcome him to the Eagles.”

  Wentz had the same mindset when it came to working with Bradford and Daniel. The draft capital that Roseman and the Eagles dealt away in the trade up to get Wentz made it clear that he was the future. In essence, Bradford was a dead man walking as Philadelphia’s quarterback.

  Wentz, second from left, poses with his jersey along with vice president of football operations Howie Roseman, owner Jeffrey Lurie, and head coach Doug Pedreson before a news conference at the team’s training facility, Friday, April 29, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

  The dynamic was not the best, but Wentz pledged to make it work.

  “The relationship with Sam and the other quarterbacks in the room will be great. It will be a competitive atmosphere,” Wentz said during his introductory press conference. “We will all learn together, grow together, and push each other. Ultimately this will lead to benefiting the team and winning a lot of ballgames.”

  Having spent time waiting his turn at North Dakota State, Wentz understood the idea of developing as a player. Of course, the best way to improve as a football player is to play football, but Wentz was only interested in helping the team become a winner regardless of whether he was under center or helping prepare for game day.

  “I learned patience and how to put the team first. I was doing everything I could to help the team, the other quarterback, and grow myself as well,” Wentz said. “All I care about is winning. If the team is winning, I will do whatever I can to help this team win. It doesn’t matter from third-stringer on up, I will do what I have to do to help this team win.”

  Wentz in action with quarterback Sam Bradford (7) during minicamp at the NovaCare Complex, June 7, 2016, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Cal Sport Media via AP Images/Christopher Szagola/CSM)

  Bradford was impressed with Wentz after they spent time together. Wentz’s work ethic and willingness to learn was encouraging to Bradford in what seemed like an awkward situation.

  “I think he probably went above and beyond what the normal standards would be,” Bradford said during a press conference. “You could tell early on that he wants to be great, he works at it, he cares about it, he put in a lot of extra time, and I think it showed up on the field for him. You could see it on the practice field. It seemed like he was always getting better each day that he went out there.”

  The Eagles made it clear that Wentz was not going to be the starting quarterback. They committed to Bradford and designated Daniel as the backup.

  Wentz knew Pederson and the coaching staff were taking a big-picture approach, but he wanted to compete. There was no way he was going to just roll over and accept being the No. 3 quarterback. He wanted to make it hard for the Eagles to deny him.

  “As a competitor, you want to be out there, but I understand that there’s a lot to that, and I’m going to just come in and learn and compete. For one, that’s not for me to decide,” Wentz said. “If I’m not the best at something, it kind of ticks me off and I want to work my tail off to be the best.”

  The hard work that Wentz put in impressed his teammates. Wentz attacked rookie minicamp and took command of the huddle. It was clear that he was the leader of the rookies.

  Wentz takes a hit from Buccaneers linebacker Micah Awe (44) after getting the pass off during the second half of a preseason game against Tampa Bay , Thursday, August 11, 2016, in Philadelphia. The Eagles won 17–9. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) />
  Wentz delighted the media members who were there to cover his first time wearing an Eagles uniform. Heading into rookie minicamp, his vertical passing ability was something that he wanted to improve upon.

  That’s exactly what Wentz did as he connected with some of his rookie teammates for deep passes. A few of those throws came at the expense of North Dakota State teammate and cornerback C.J. Smith.

  Wentz got his first interaction with the whole team when it was time to report to minicamp with the veterans. They respected his command of the huddle and how well he was able to recite the lengthy West Coast offense play calls.

  Even though Wentz was named the No. 3 quarterback, the ball had a different zip when it came out of his hands. Granted, the issues that he had as far as connecting on deep crossing and dig routes resurfaced.

  Once training camp rolled around, Wentz remained the No. 3 quarterback, but the reps were evenly distributed. Wentz continued to impress with his big arm while Bradford displayed his surgical accuracy.

  The two quarterbacks have different styles but seemed to be caught in a game of “anything you can do, I can do better.” Pederson liked the aggressive nature that Wentz brought when he was on the field.

  “He has a natural ability to throw the ball down the field, and that’s what you like,” Pederson said. “You love the aggression. You want to be able to push it down the field. And some of it is by play design and some of it is just by sheer mistake. But man, I love seeing the ball go over the top at times.”

  Wentz in action during the first half against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, September 11, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

  Wentz made his debut in the first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He came in on the final drive of the second quarter and didn’t leave until late in the fourth.

  The crowd went wild when his name was announced as he trotted onto the field. Pederson told him to give a thumbs up to make sure Wentz heard his voice as the head coach spoke to him via the microphone in his helmet.

  Wentz obliged and gave the thumbs up before huddling up. The fans at Lincoln Financial Field thought the thumbs up was to them and went wild. The relationship between Wentz and the fans was sealed at that moment.

  Wentz showed the same disregard for his body as he did at North Dakota State. Unfortunately, Wentz suffered a cracked rib when he took a big hit during the game. He was on the shelf for the rest of the preseason.

  The Eagles held an open practice at Lincoln Financial Field for the fans the following week. No Eagles player got more cheers than Wentz did, and all he did was walk out of the tunnel in shorts, a hat, and his jersey!

  It was going to be hard for the fans to accept Wentz not being on the field at some point in the 2016 season. Fortunately for all parties involved, they didn’t have to.

  The QB Incubator

  The Eagles set up an environment to support the development of Carson Wentz. They have two former NFL quarterbacks on the staff in head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo played the position in college.

  Just for good measure, backup quarterback Chase Daniel was in place to help Wentz learn the offense and add a set of experienced eyes to support him from the sideline. Wentz saw right away how he could learn from the veteran quarterbacks already on the roster.

  “When I first got here, it was good to have Sam and Chase and the coaches,” Wentz said during the start of minicamp, “But I really talked with Sam quite a bit and Chase and just really wanted to dive deeper into this offense.

  “Sam had some good insight on our offense and also he was in a number of (other) systems as well, so they were really good conversations and really built a good relationship with him and I’m looking forward to playing with them.”

  Entering training camp, Pederson had no intentions of playing Wentz early in the season. In fact, Wentz was not even supposed to suit up on game day.

  The idea of having a player that a team traded up to select at No. 2 not active on game days was mind-boggling. Yet that was Pederson’s plan.

  Wentz goes over plays with quarterback Daniel Chase during a game against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Sunday, September 11, 2016. (Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)

  The decision didn’t seem to be one that offensive coordinator Frank Reich was on the same page with. He opened up about wanting to see an actual competition to determine the starter, rather than have the job given to incumbent quarterback Sam Bradford.

  In all honesty, Reich was right. Bradford, Daniel, and Wentz should have all been given a chance to win the job.

  With Bradford’s extensive injury history, it was likely that he would go down at some point during the season. If Bradford went down, Chase Daniel would have been given a chance to take over.

  Meanwhile, Wentz continued to spend extra time in the film room studying with all of the pieces in place to ease his transition. Like Pederson, Daniel served as a backup to some pretty good quarterbacks, including Drew Brees and Alex Smith.

  Pederson always appreciated how Daniel helped Smith prepare for game day. He expected to see the same thing happen in Philadelphia. With Daniel having spent three seasons with Pederson in Kansas City, he was well-versed in the offense that was brought to the Eagles.

  Knowing the terminology like the back of his hand, it was easy for Daniel to help the other quarterbacks understand the scheme. It also helped that Philadelphia used a lot of concepts similar to the one Wentz ran in college.

  Wentz listens to head coach Doug Pederson during rookie minicamp at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia. (Christopher Szagola/CSM via AP Images)

  Wentz is familiar with the West Coast system. He learned the offense while he was at North Dakota State. Wentz had the freedom to change pass protection, change the play call, and run read-pass options.

  Even though he went to a smaller school, Wentz was more prepared than other players such as Jared Goff who played in air-raid offenses and looked at a card with a picture on it to get the play call.

  The Eagles staff honed in on Wentz’s familiarity with the West Coast concepts by giving him more reps in minicamp and training camp. Wentz began to get more comfortable with the playbook, which helped him play fast.

  Another part of Wentz’s development in the QB Incubator was his mechanics. With so much going on and so much information to process, a lot of times a quarterback falls victim to being swallowed by the moment.

  Wentz heads out to the practice field during training camp, Tuesday, July 26, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

  “Just trying to make sure his lower half of his body is in a better posture. Specifically trying to keep his feet tighter to the ground,” Pederson said during training camp. “He can get a little jumpy, a little hoppy. He can also be a little upright in his frame, so try to keep him in a bent posture a little bit. Sometimes he can get a little tall, and sometimes that affects your throw.”

  The mechanics became an on-going issue that would be tweaked over the 2016 season, leading to Wentz going and working with a QB coach before the start of his second season.

  DeFilippo worked extensively with Wentz during practice to improve his footwork in the pocket and help him focus on keeping his eyes down the field.

  The focus on seeing the field while moving within the pocket didn’t pay off as much initially, but it definitely showed when Wentz took the field for the 2017 season opener against the Washington Redskins.

  Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson talks to Wentz during practice at training camp, Monday, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

  The Eagles’ first touchdown of the season came when Wentz managed to escape pressure in the pocket and ran to his left side only to see wide receiver Nelson Agholor turn up the field. Wentz reset his feet just like h
e and DeFilippo worked on before unleashing a beautiful deep pass to Agholor, who caught the ball and ran to the end zone for a 58-yard touchdown.

  Creating big plays through the quarterback scramble drill when things break down became a staple of the Eagles offense. Wentz suddenly became a quarterback who was known just as much for the ability to freelance as he was for his pocket passing ability.

  Wentz’s improvement from his rookie season to a second-year quarterback was an integral part of Philadelphia’s success. The Eagles staff honed in on taking Wentz’s game to the next level.

  They implemented more situational periods of practice to focus on making Wentz and the offense more efficient on third down. The focus on working through reads quickly and going where the scheme took him allowed Wentz to spread the ball around more and created opportunities for all of the pass catchers to be involved.

  Philadelphia’s offense became much more efficient on third downs because of the focus on improving in that area. Wentz delivered in 3rd-and-long situations for some of the most significant plays of the season.

  Pederson and the staff helped Wentz elevate his game from promising rookie to lead one of the league’s most balanced attacks. The arrow was definitely pointing up for Wentz.

  Wentz throws a pass as offensive guard Allen Barbre (76) tries to block Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97), Sunday, September 25, 2016, in Philadelphia. The Eagles won 34–3. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)