By Annie Ross
In case you have been in a cave for the past two months, here is a synopsis of how the Eagles got to draft Carson Wentz last night:
The Eagles traded five draft picks (Nos. 8, 77 and 100 in 2016, their first-round pick in 2017 and a second-round pick in 2018) for a Day 3 selection in 2017 and the No. 2 overall pick, which they used on Wentz.
With potential trade partners for Sam Bradford drying up as the draft progresses, it appears increasingly likely that the veteran opens the season as the Eagles starting quarterback. The money due to Chase Daniel also suggests that if and when Bradford succumbs to injury again, the former Chiefs quarterback would take over under center. That means that Wentz shouldn’t see the field much this season, perhaps starting a few games at the end of the year if Philly falls out of contention.
If the Eagles could script out Wentz’s development, the second overall pick wouldn’t see the field in any meaningful way until 2017. For a quarterback that played his college ball at North Dakota State, an FCS team, a year spent acclimating to the speed of the NFL before facing live action could prove vital. However, the leash for Wentz doesn’t extend much further beyond that. Given the investment, he needs to become an above average signal-caller before the end of his second year. Wentz has the physical tools to make the leap, but Philly doesn’t yet know whether it can coach him up — new head coach Doug Pederson has never a mixed track record in that department– or protect him on the field.
