We Are Only A Week Away From Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz will eventually get his shot to start at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. During the upcoming training camp however, just witnessing the future can mean big things for the franchise.

Carson Wentz represents the future of the Philadelphia Eagles. As the quarterback of the future, Wentz is faced with the inalienable task of bring the Eagles a championship. That’s not the here and now however. For most Eagles fans, watching Wentz in practice and throughout the preseason is going to be the first glimpse at the young signal caller, aside from highlight clips. After all, the North Dakota State Bison weren’t televised nationally frequently last season.

Dividing the preseason snaps among the quarterbacks is going to be an interesting endeavor for head coach Doug Pederson. How many snaps constitute acceptability on offense or defense? Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has familiarity with leading a locker room. Pederson has not had the control over the roster in this manner at any point of his coaching career.

Wentz is getting snaps at some point this preseason. While incumbent starter Sam Bradford likely keeps his job to start the season, Wentz is the main attraction Eagles fans want to see in the preseason. Ultimately that snap count is going to dictate the talk, and hype, of the rookie. Should Wentz struggle in the preseason, we can chalk it up to inexperience against elite competition, thus justifying Pederson’s approach.

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Charcandrick West proved for the Kansas City Chiefs how an impressive preseason could lead to starting later in the season . Getting the majority of the snaps at running back last preseason during the first and third games, West eventually became the Chiefs’ primary ball carrier as the season concluded. This was despite popular belief that Kniles Davis was the backup to Jamaal Charles. While it’s a different team and an entirely different position, West earned the backup spot through hard work and dedication to his craft.

So how does this pertain to Wentz with the Eagles?

For starters, just like West, Wentz is competing for a starting job in 2016. Despite what Pederson says, every player on the roster is trying to crack the starting lineup. It would be foolish for a coach to deny a player that opportunity, even if they aren’t necessarily the best at their position. From the first day of practice, to the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Wentz’s snap count will be heavily focused on. Despite their stigma, first round quarterbacks haven’t had the success most assume. So is Pederson doing the right thing by elongating Wentz’s learning period? That depends on how truthful his statements really are.

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What Pederson’s comments could surmount to is a classic example of coach speak. Gus Bradley in Jacksonville did the exact same thing with quarterback Blake Bortles. Does Pederson truly believe he’ll sit Wentz once the season starts? I highly doubt it. Particularly since the Chiefs, with Pederson as the offensive coordinator, kept three quarterbacks on their active roster at the 53 man cut-down date. Instead, it’s my belief that Pederson wants Wentz to be slowly groomed. Neither Pederson nor Wentz is in any danger of losing their job in 2016. Setting expectations low is a surefire way of not being disappointed.

Even if Pederson didn’t have much of a say on the depth chart in Kansas City, he has a basic understanding how it works. Particularly when the future of the franchise is sitting behind a less than stellar veteran. In a week, we get to see just how vulnerable the two veterans ahead of Wentz are. For quarterbacks, training camp starts immediately. We will be inundated with updates of 7-on-7 drills and first-string offense against second-string defense drills. It’s imperative that we don’t over-hype the performance of any particular player based on a few drills.

There’s reason for optimism in Philadelphia. There’s also cause for speculation and trepidation. For the Eagles, Wentz should represent the unknown, in a good way. Yes he’s going to have his struggles. Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz is going to throw the kitchen sink at our quarterbacks in practice. Expecting mediocrity could be the best way to temper expectations. His role during his rookie season, along with the expected performance of Bradford and Daniel, leads some to a fear-induced panic. As Aaron Rodgers infamously said, “Relax”.

The offseason is finally behind us. Wentz is finally able to show Philadelphia his skill-set in an attempt to justify the haul given up to own his rights. It’s important however to preach patience. Lets allow the coaching staff to have ample time to do their job before we bring the D batteries to training camp practices. After all, Wentz might greatly benefit from not having a welt in his throwing shoulder as a result of a stray Duracell. Instead, let’s step back, enjoy the onset of a new era of Eagles football, and let the future work itself out. That shouldn’t be too much to ask for a fan-base such as the Eagles, right?

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