First I would like to take a snapshot of the career Wentz has had so far. Drafted 2nd overall in the 2016 NFL draft by the Eagles. At the time their roster had Sam Bradford, and Chase Daniels in the first and second spots. However that would change quickly, after Teddy Bridgewater's knee injury in Minnesota the Vikings gave up a first round pick and a conditional fourth round pick in 2018 for Bradford's services. This left Wentz to beat out a career backup in Chase Daniels. Wentz basically wasn't going to be left on the bench after this trade and he quickly showed enough to warrant faith in him as the starter. Wentz would start 16 games, which he has managed just one other time in his career in 2019. As a rookie Wentz threw a career high 607 passes, which he matched again in 2019, he completed 62% of his passes for 3,782 yards, 16 tds and 14 ints adding 150 rushing yards and 2 rushing tds. Not bad for a rookie which inspired confidence in him going forward. In 2017 he would play in just 13 games due to injury. Nick Foles would then close out the season and lead them on a story book run to Philadelphia's first Super Bowl victory. However that doesn't tell the whole story. Wentz was on pace for an MVP caliber season, while he was completing just over 60% of his passes he was averaging 7.5 yards per attempt, with 33 tds to just 7 ints. He also was enjoying better rushing statistics by averaging almost 1.5 yards per carry more despite more carries. Many believe had he not been injured the Eagles would still have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, however that's an answer that we will never know. Instead Nick Foles was the most popular backup qb in the league but to avoid a qb controversy following more injuries to Wentz in the 2018 season they decided against using the franchise tag to retain Nick Foles who would sign with Jacksonville. Wentz in his defense had again been off to an impressive start to his season completing nearly 70% of his passes, throwing 3 times as many tds to ints and actually averaging more yards per attempt than in 2017. Which only further built the promise around him heading into 2019. Despite Nick Foles finishing out another season resulting this time in a loss the Eagles committed long term to Wentz. They handed him a 4 year $128 million contract with $107 million guaranteed. Proving their faith in the player they drafted just under four years prior. Wentz again topped 60% completion rate, this time tossing 27 tds to 7 ints, topping 4,000 yards for the first time in his career with guys being elevated from the practice squad on a weekly basis due to the sheer amount of injuries they had suffered. As a result of this his yards per attempt, first down %, qbr all dropped while Wentz was also sacked more often. However in 2020 the bottom has dropped out of the team. Wentz has looked terrible while again watching as his offensive line, running back room, and receiver groups have been decimated by injuries. They have had to start backups at every position outside of center and quarterback on offense this year. This has resulted in Wentz being pressured at an insane rate with his sack total already at 35 for 237 yards lost, his yards per attempt are down, in turn his explosive plays are down, first down % is down, tds are down, and ints are up but at what point do you blame the talent around him and stop blaming Carson or vice versa?
Let's take a lot at the depth chart in each season and get a better idea of who he was working with each year and how it affected his performance.
In 2016:
WR:Jordan Mathews, Nelson Agholor, Josh Huff
TE:Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, Brent Celek
RB:Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles
LT Jason Peters
LG Allen Barbre
C Jason Kelce
RG Brandon Brooks
RT Lane Johnson
Their depth on the offensive line was impressive with Isaac Seumalo, Stephen Wisniewski, Big V, and Dennis Kelly all players who started at one point or another in their careers or even this season. Now in 2016 Jason Peters managed to start all 16 games and has done so just 1 more time, in 2018, during Wentz's time as a starter. Barbre would play in just 12 games before Seumalo and Wisniewski took over due to injury. After the 2016 season these two players would ultimately replace Barbre as he was traded away. At center Jason Kelce has been a rock starting every game since Wentz was drafted. Brandon Brooks however has been the model of inconsistency Wentz has been faced with. Brooks is an all pro player when healthy however he has suffered two Achilles tears now, and a dislocated shoulder, causing him to miss the entire 2020 regular season, and the entire 2019 post season. Lane Johnson at right tackle hasn't started 16 games since 2015, the year before Wentz was drafted. Big V would start 10 games in his place. Jordan Mathews, and Agholor missed a combined 3 games, while Huff didn't even make the opening day roster. At tight end Zach Ertz was finally taking the reigns from Celek who was in the later stages of his career and simply wasn't the receiving threat Ertz was. Celek caught just 14 passes in 16 games that year as Ertz and Wentz quickly developed chemistry resulting in career highs for receptions, and tds for Ertz. Both Ryan Mathews, and Darren Sproles missed games as well, but together they managed to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing and produced 11 rushing.
In 2017:
LT Jason Peters played in 7 games Big V started 9 games at LT and 1 at RT
LG Stefan Wisniewski started 11 games Issac Seumalo started 5 games
C Kelce 16 games
RG Brandon Brooks 16 games
RT Lane Johnson 15 games
TE Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, Brent Celek
Combined for 110 receptions for 1,202 yards, and 14 tds
WR Alshon Jeffery caught 57 passes for 789 yards and 9 tds with Nelson Agholor catching 62 passes for 768 yards and 8 tds, Torrie Smith was essentially the 3rd WR catching 36 passes for 430 yards and 2 tds.
RB LaGarrette Blount rushed for 766 yards on 173 carries, Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement totalled another 729 yards on the ground and the trio had 7 rushing tds
The talent was clearly at a higher level around Wentz resulting in an MVP level season, and less pressure in the pocket.
In 2018:
LT Jason Peters started
LG Stefan Wisniewski started 7 games Isaac Seumalo started 9 games
C Kelce 16 games
RG Brandon Brooks 16 games
RT Lane Johnson 15 games
TE Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Josh Perkins
WR:
Alshon Jeffery
Nelson Agholor
RB:
Josh Perkins, Mike Wallace, Jordan Mailata, Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement, Mack Hollins, Richard Rodgers, Adam Zaruba, Toby Weathersby, and Bryce Treggs all finished the season on injured reserve. These players missed a combined 137 games. That's not even including the games missed by players who didn't end up on IR.
The more I watch Carson Wentz the more I wonder if he will ever escape this realm of constantly being questioned as a starter. It's been nearly 3 years since the questions about his injuries piling up began, then it wasn't long after questions turned to his overall play, this season they have even turned to asking if Wentz should be benched. I will go out on a limb and say two things I inherently believe to be true. First of all I believe the Eagles truly spent a second round pick on Jalen Hurts due to his overall athleticism and versatility on offense, and had he been drafted on his merits as a qb alone and not as an athlete and potential offensive weapon he wouldn't have even made into the 3rd round. Second of all I believe when Howie Roseman drafted Hurts it was not to replace Wentz in the immediate future....if at all. I think Roseman was hoping 3 years down the line he was faced with a decision of turning over the reigns to a now experienced Hurts, or continuing with Wentz and trading away Hurts. I don't think he was ever expecting Hurts to be a replacement for Wentz, merely a productive player who also adds depth at qb in the mold of Taysom Hill. I believe the way Taysom Hill has been handled in New Orleans is going to start becoming a blueprint for how to construct a roster. Bring in an athletic backup qb as your third option at qb, keep a veteran ahead of him that knows the offense. Develop packages for him to use his athleticism while over time he develops as a quarterback as well. At some point if the plan works correctly you will get to a point where this former backup is now too valuable to use in a variety of roles and needs to either take over as starter, or move on to a qb needy team starting the process over again. Press Taylor was once quoted as saying the future of offense in the NFL is developing packages with two passers on the field. Immediately after his promotion to passing game coordinator he helps draft Jalen Hurts a man who caught passes, ran the ball, and passed the ball in college to prolific results.
With that being said I don't think Carson Wentz is in any danger of being benched even in 2021. I think this franchise is dedicated to Wentz and seeing where his true ceiling is at, and see if he is still the same qb that led them on the start of what became their first Super Bowl run. Wentz is still at this point a 27 year old quarterback who has helped lead Philly on their first Super Bowl run, was nearly a strong MVP candidate that same season until his injury, and he was the first 4,000+ yard passer in Eagles history just last year. Up until 2020, his stat line was: 56 games 2,055 attempts, 1,311 completions 63.79% completion rate 97 passing tds, to 35 ints 14,291 passing yards, 6.95 yards per attempt, adding 206 carries for 785 yards and 3 tds, as well as 2 receptions for 11 yards.
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