Philadelphia Eagles: Are NFL teams laughing at Howie Roseman?

Well, it sure is quiet around the NovaCare Complex, isn’t it? At the time of this story being published, it will be the Tuesday that follows another Super Bowl, and with ‘WentzDay’ approaching, a broken-down ‘Wentz Wagon’ is still chugging through the City of Brotherly Love, when many Philadelphia Eagles fans were of the impression that it would have made its way to Chicago or Indy by now.

The problem is, somewhere along the lines, we forgot that it’s Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman that’s doing the negotiating. Perhaps that’s why nothing is getting done?

The rest of the NFL is getting a nice laugh at the Philadelphia Eagles’ expense.

Rumor has it that Howie Roseman has gone so far in some negotiations as asking for two first-rounders and an additional pick for a quarterback who was statistically one of the worst in 2020, a quarterback that’s bothered by competition, has never had to fight for his job, and now, since losing it, has determined that he doesn’t want to fight to get it back.

Here’s a quote from Mike Lombardi via his Twitter account:

"The Eagles asking price, according to one team source, was ridiculous, laughable, and not worth countering. Until they lower their expectations, based on the uncertainty of the player and contract, their initial price will never be obtained."

Chris Emma of 670 The Score recently stated that Wentz ‘wouldn’t fix Bears’ quarterback conundrum’.

"Philadelphia is seeking a package of two first-round draft selections, ESPN first reported, similar to what Detroit received in trading quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, but in the case of Wentz, even one first-round pick would be too much of a premium for the Bears to pay. Wentz makes little sense for the Bears in their current state, as they need a proven quarterback to legitimize a championship window that they believe is still open. Wentz, 28, has regressed since his MVP-level 2017 season, with his performance plummeting to a point in which the Eagles chose to bench him this past season…"

Perhaps it’s this point that drives things home. Pay very close attention to what Emma stated:

"At this point, Wentz is comparable as a quarterback to Mitchell Trubisky. They were the number-two overall picks in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and each has regressed in a similar system and struggled in his own way to connect with his coach. The main difference is that Trubisky is set to enter free agency while Wentz has four years remaining on a lucrative contract."

Ouch. How can you argue with that though? That is unless you’re a Carson Wentz apologist whose argument is more about emotions than reason. Stephen Holder of the Athletic covers the Colts daily. He joined The Morning Team on 94 WIP-FM on Tuesday. Here’s some of what he had to say on the subject.

"I think they do want Wentz under the right circumstances, and the circumstances have a lot to do with the price… I think they’re confident that Frank Reich can get Wentz on track… It will come down to compensation and whether or not it makes sense."

In other words, Howie needs to understand trading Wentz is just as much about a desperate Philadelphia Eagles team as it is about finding a team that needs a quarterback. The Chicago Bears need one, yes, but they’re not desperate. The Indianapolis Colts’ GM, Chris Ballard, is notoriously stingy. He isn’t giving up two first-rounders and an additional pick. Howie needs to get it together.

Reality has to set in for the Philadelphia Eagles. They don’t have that much leverage. Carson Wentz isn’t this crown jewel that Howie and those Wentz apologists see him as. The Eagles and their general manager are the brunts of quite a few jokes right now.

Lombardi is right. If the asking price is what we keep hearing it is and if the Eagles’ brass doesn’t get a clue, 11, a guy who still hasn’t won a playoff game and has a sub-.500 record if you remove the 2017 season from his resume, will still be sitting in Philly at the start of the 2021 season. How tragic will that be if that happens?