Skip to main content

Wentz

 

After being traded from the Eagles to the Colts, Carson Wentz went 9-8 as an Indianapolis starter, with a 94.6 QB passer rating.  He threw for 3563 yards with 27 TD’s and only 7 interceptions.  Yet it appears his career in Indy will be limited to 1 season.  His possible exit from the Colts is clearly highlighted not by his above average statistics, but questionable leadership and character, underscored by poor individual performances in 2 critical late season games against the Raiders and Jaguars.  Although leading the Colts to 9-6 at that point (with an 11 win season clearly a possibility entering those last 2 games), the Colts may want to move on, and Wentz will now likely move from young Eagle star and MVP candidate in 2017, to post-injury NFL capable starter in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (his horrific 2020 an anomaly), to now a player who at best will need to fight to remain an NFL starter.

After a fine rookie season in 2016, Wentz was the biggest reason, after 14 games, that the Eagles were prepared to make a playoff run.  He was the clear leading MVP candidate till a torn ACL / LCL in his left knee removed him from the picture.  Still, the Eagles went on a victorious playoff run with Nick Foles the savior, ending 2017 as champions, still in no small part due to the heroics Wentz managed before getting hurt.  His subsequent return in 2018 & 2019 was defined by capable but reduced play, accompanied by a back injury in 2018 & a concussion in 2019.  The combo of injuries in consecutive years and being given too much power in the Eagle organization led to a massive 2020 Wentz failure, where he became un-coachable, a questionable teammate and a struggling player who could not adapt to his reduced physical capabilities.  So in 2020 Wentz regression was historic.  He was traded to the Colts, now led by Frank Reich, the former OC during Wentz’s heyday performance in 2017. 

Indy showed his 2020 to be an anomaly, as the change of scenery returned him to numeric serviceability as a top 15 NFL QB.  But Indy has buyer’s remorse after his friction with ownership / teammates / coaches, battles with COVID-19 (Wentz was not vaccinated), an inability to author the explosive plays reminiscent of his first 2 years, and horrible year end performances vs. the Raiders then Jacksonville... especially that (26-11) Florida finale. 

Cutting Wentz will cost the Colts $15 million in dead cap space, but still save $13 million overall against the cap.  Their initial payment of 1st and 3rd round picks is also lost.  If he cannot be traded, Indy will need to decide if this is the best approach moving forward.  Wentz still has the capability to be a terrific game manager… The question is if and when his mental make up will allow him to adapt to this reduced role. 

Eagles Lesson: Carson Wentz has a place in Eagle legacy as a heroic field general for most of the Eagle regular season starts during their 2017 season.  While the legacy should not be forgotten, he devolved to no longer be that QB that can pull rabbits out of helmets.   Any chance of future success will be predicated on his ability to recognize his limitations, and therefore become the best game manager he can (whichever team that might be).  Every player’s peak will occur based on a combination of his age, injuries & acceptance of appropriate coaching. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eagles win 2023 Draft!

  Going into this 2023 draft / RFA (Rookie Free Agency) period, this author felt the greatest needs were, ironically, the Eagles areas of greatest strength… Offensive and Defensive Lines.   Why?   In addition to the loss via 2023 Veteran Free Agency of two Pro Bowlers (Javon Hargrave at DT and Isaac Seumalo at Right Guard), simple… age.   When managing a salary cap, ya can’t keep everybody), DT Fletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham and C Jason Kelce are likely entering their final seasons in 2023, and RT Lane Johnson appears to have just 2-3 seasons left.    These players have been extraordinary franchise cornerstones: Kelce- future HOF, Johnson can solidify that same stature over his few remaining seasons, Cox has legitimate arguments for the Hall of Fame, starting with being a member of the all-decade team of 2010-2019.   Graham, while not a Hall-Of-Famer, certainly belongs in the “Hall of Very Good” as a franchise icon including owning perhaps the great...
Post a Comment
Read more

Derek Stingley Jr.

  First round draft prospect Derek Stingley Jr. is a paradox.   The LSU cornerback had an incredible freshman season, a clear top of the 1 st round talent even that young.   But since… not so much.   A combination of injuries and COVID have forced his stock down in this year’s NFL draft. Injuries have limited him to 10 games over 2 seasons since the 15 he played his freshman year.   And based upon past performance, opposing offenses have shied away from attacking him, thus yielding less tape to evaluate: The Good (from his freshman tape): He had speed, quickness and recovery speed. He had great coverage technique in breaking with opposing receivers. He brought physicality and proper hand use in coverage. He was a playmaker… He had 6 interceptions. He was an All America cornerback in both 2019 and 2020 He’s the 2 nd highest ranked corner in this draft.   A good performance in his pro day on 4/6 could vault him to #1. The Bad: While he c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Balancing Cap and Roster Management

  Evaluating roster quality is different than evaluating roster longevity (the ability to maintain the status quo, especially with key players).  Understanding where the roster is headed requires diving into Eagles contracts, which can be reviewed on the web site Spotrac .  Looking at the Eagles Salary Cap status exemplifies a quote from Geoff Mosher ( Inside the Birds Podcast done with Adam Caplan ), that “No team borrows against tomorrow like the Philadelphia Eagles.” The Eagles do this advantageously, stealing from tomorrow’s greater salary cap years (where the cap will be higher, so those $ are more plentiful and therefore cheaper to use) to help pay players today.  Concepts like “voidable years,”  “ cap hits, ”   “ roster bonuses,” “prorations,” “option bonuses,” “dead money” and others get leveraged to manipulate future vs. present dollars so the Eagles can seem to endlessly “find money” to sign players.  It’s a team effort spearheaded not onl...
Post a Comment
Read more