How likely is a sophomore slump for Carson Wentz?

Should we be worried about Carson Wentz taking a step backwards in year two?

It wasn’t long ago we were debating two draft prospects at the quarterback position, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. The theory was the Los Angeles Rams would take Goff with the first-overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. He figured to be the guy who was most capable of showing he belonged in the NFL immediately. Wentz was believed to be the guy with the most upside and who the Philadelphia Eagles wanted all along. We didn’t know much else about how the draft would play out, but we figured we knew that much.

Occasionally, we’ve heard that the Eagles would have taken Wentz if they had picked first. He was the guy they truly wanted. He was a day-one starter and played at an MVP level for the first three games of the season. Goff would sit and eventually take the starting role later. When the smoke cleared, we had seen exactly what we expected from both. There were ups and downs, and neither was immune to the rigors of learning how to navigate themselves in the NFL.

The debate’s been reopened:

Most would probably grade Wentz as being a little ahead in his development, but recently the debate’s been reopened. One scouting report believes Goff may take the next step and even have a better year than Wentz in year two of their NFL careers.

"Jared Goff will have a better year than Carson Wentz.Define “better year” however you want as long as we’re not talking about wins and losses (team stat), Goff will take the next step this season with an improved offensive line and a competent coaching staff around him. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Cooper Kupp lead the team’s receivers in catches. –Matt Miller. Bleacher Report"

How likely is a sophomore slump for Wentz? Training camp is around the corner. His second season is on the horizon, and again, we’re discussing his slow release. We continue to hear about mechanics. We continue to hear that, occasionally, the ball sails, and he misses receivers by several yards.

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Goff isn’t immune to criticism either. His final season at the collegiate level would see him earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He spent the majority of his initial season at the profess backing up Case Keenum before starting the final seven games, most of which was underwhelming. There was an impressive performance against the New Orleans Saints where he threw for 214 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, but things stalled. He finished the season with 1,089 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Don’t expect a slump in year two for Wentz.

Wentz set a league record for completions (379) with nothing to work with. The Eagles have cured that by drafting several offensive weapons and adding a few more via free agency. Wentz, well aware of the criticism of his mechanics, has hired biometrics guru Adam Dedeaux to help in fixing his throwing motion and his fundamentals. He’s entering year two in the same system with the same coaching staff. That’s huge for a young signal caller. Wentz has the stuff to be one of the greats. Whether his career ends up being better than Goff’s is a long way from being decided, but truthfully, does it really matter?

Still, if you’re wondering about a sophomore slump, you can rest easy because that’s highly unlikely.

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