The Eagles finally selected Carson Wentz for a few draft picks on Thursday, ending a unique chapter in team history.
The deal will only become official on March 17, when the new league year begins, but once that happens, Wentz will be a Colt and the Eagles will finally move on from a relationship that has seen incredible highs and unimaginable lows.
Here are ten thoughts I left behind the next day:
1. If there is a trade like this, people are eager to judge it and award a degree. It’s not that easy here. In the short term, the Eagles did well. They would never get their ridiculously high initial price, but getting back twice for a player everyone knew they had to trade is fair compensation. They get a third player this year and a second or a first player next year. I think they are more likely to end up with a first. So one and three in a situation where they did not have a lot of leverage or that teams bid is more than fair.
But in the long run, it’s obviously a disaster and an embarrassment for Howie Roseman and the entire organization. They could save some kind of return in a trade, but that does not cover the overall failure. It was not as if they were wearing party hats on Thursday and celebrating in the NovaCare complex. This is a disappointment and they are largely responsible.
2. The conditional choice in this trade creates a strange root scenario for fans. The second player in 2022 will be the first time Wentz plays 75% of the Colts’ attacks, or when he plays 70% and wins the playoffs.
So it’s not as easy as rooting for or against Wentz in 2021. Eagles fans will have to determine that he stays healthy and plays well enough to stay on the field, but bad enough that if the pick becomes a first-time player, it’s not the 20s.
I think that’s what’s finally happening. Wentz will play well, the Colts will come into the playoffs and the Eagles will be left with the choice in the 21-25 series.
3. I do think Wentz will succeed in Indy, but the reason the Colts no longer have to give up on him was because it’s a projection. Will he return to his 2017 form and win the MVP? No, probably not. But I expect him to return to the level of play he reached in 2018 and 2019, when he was still pretty good.
In Indianapolis, he will have a head coach and playmaker in Frank Reich whom he will trust. Reich and Wentz have a strong relationship and if anyone can get Wentz back on track, it’s Reich. Not to mention, the Colts have a good offensive line, some decent weapons and enough space to bolster a roster that was just 11-5 in 2020.
Now, of course, it will be up to the Eagles to see how Wentz succeeds elsewhere, and they will regret that things got so bad that they had to trade Wentz, but they can not regret that they did the trade. Because Wentz wanted a change of scenery and the Eagles really did not have a choice; they had to deal with him.
4. Wentz remained civilized with the Eagles during this process, a source said, but it was clear he wanted to move on from Philadelphia. He and the Eagles went through a lot in their five years together and he wanted to leave that baggage here and get a fresh start.
I was told that Wentz did not demand to go to Indianapolis and that the Eagles would not lose compensation for giving Wentz what he wanted anyway. But let’s be honest: if the Bears thought Wentz did not want to be there, they would not give up the best choice and make the commitment. It actually left only one destination on the table.
5. How did we get here?
That’s really the big question. There is not one simple answer and there is not one person who gets the blame. And honestly, we might never know the full story. But it’s not all Wentz’s fault, it’s not all Roseman’s fault, it’s not all Doug Pederson’s fault. If there is a failure of this magnitude, it really is all above. Everyone deserves their fair debt for their role in weakening the relationship between the franchise QB and the team.
I’m still coming back to the Jalen Hurts selection. That’s not the only reason we ended up here, but it certainly did not help. What an absolute failure on the part of the Eagles to misunderstand Wentz’s mental composition and how he may react to the choice. He’s not Aaron Rodgers; this situation is different. But do not let Wentz get off the hook either. Harden on a certain level and compete. Failure on both sides there and in other areas.
Another: we hear all the reports about Wentz’s sometimes furious personality, his stubbornness, etc., and it depends on him. But the Eagles created an atmosphere where they allowed and allowed Wentz to be entitled.
6. I hear all the time that the Eagles won the Super Bowl without Carson Wentz. Nope.
Let’s be clear: The Eagles will not win the Super Bowl in 2017 without Wentz.
It’s not to take away what Nick Foles did and who knows if Wentz could play well enough to win the big game. But Wentz started the Eagles 11-2, and his incredible play elevated them to the No. 1 position, giving them the home field advantage that drove them to Super Bowl LII.
7. I do not know if the Eagles will set up another quarter in the first round, but I know they will at least think about it. A source said they keep all their options open, so that at least means they are not completely sold by going into the future with Hurts as their fullback. And if you are not completely sold …
The Eagles owe it to themselves at least to do their homework on this quarter. I’m not sure what they’ll take away from it, but if they fall in love with Justin Fields or Trey Lance or Zach Wilson, they should consider taking him at number 6. And if they are willing to take a quarter at 6, they must be willing to raise a few picks to make sure they get him.
8. The Hurts choice still amazes me. It did not look good when they made it in April last year, and now that the whole organization has been torpedoed, it looks even worse.
9. With all that said, I actually hope the Eagles hurts the chance to be the guy. They liked him enough to draft him in the second round, and he showed enough last year to be at least intriguing in 2021. Of course, there was great concern; his accuracy is at the top of the list.
But Hurts has a full season this year, he will likely have a healthier attacking line, probably better weapons and a new head coach who will have months to draft an offense. I do not know how good it is going to be, and I do not think his ceiling is currently as high as Wentz, but I am eager to see what he can do.
10. It’s up to Roseman to fix this team. If you’re not too confident in the Eagles’ GM, I understand that. But it does not look like he will be fired anytime soon. The Eagles had ten drafts last year and they have at least nine in 2021. So these are a lot of lottery tickets. The Eagles just have to strike at them more often.