https://bleacherreport.com/articles...nce-do-the-eagles-have-a-carson-wentz-problem
Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: Do the Eagles Have a Carson Wentz Problem?
1. The Wentz Paradox
If you took a snapshot of
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz two years ago and compared that picture to the Wentz we see now, the former might well remind you of
Drew Brees; the latter, Drew Carey.
We've seen quarterbacks regress before, but Wentz's decline is one of the steepest in recent cases. The issues, of course, aren't all on him. (His receivers likely would drop a pass if it was handed to them from Jesus himself.) But much of Wentz's struggles
are because of him.
So what happened?
One NFC coach has a plausible theory, which, if accurate, may present a dilemma for the Eagles in the future.
The coach said he's seen what's happening with Wentz before on other teams. It's part of a thorny cycle that goes like this:
A quarterback has accuracy issues. This causes the receivers to lack trust in the thrower.
But also, as is happening in Philadelphia, receivers drop too many passes, and this causes the quarterback to have a lack of faith in the receivers.
So it all becomes one, big messy feedback loop, a thorny cycle of frustration.
At times this season, Wentz's accuracy has been shockingly bad. Of the top 20 quarterbacks in passing yards through Week 11, his 61.2 completion percentage tops only those of Andy Dalton (60.4), Baker Mayfield (59.2), Jared Goff (60.3) and Jameis Winston (59.6). That's not esteemed company.
Making matters worse, the Eagles receivers are
tied for third in drops, per STATS. They are so bad,
memes have been generated about them dropping passes. It's also not just that passes are being dropped; it's the timing of those drops, as they've come in huge spots like
this one and
the latest one. There are others.
If you don't think this dynamic is a problem in the locker room, you're a fool. In fact, some of the consternation has been leaking out for weeks. ESPN's Josina Anderson quoted an
anonymous Eagles player in mid-October saying that "we need to make bleep simpler. Sometimes we need to just handle what is manageable. Even
Peyton Manning knew when to check it down."
Having inked a four-year, $128 million extension in June, Wentz isn't going anywhere soon. It's likely, though, the Eagles will totally revamp the receiving group after the season.
This is the conundrum in which the Eagles find themselves. An increasingly inaccurate quarterback combined with receivers who consistently drop passes leads to this intersection where there's likely a lack of trust between the two—and an inability to escape the paradox.
It's possible the Eagles turn everything around. We've seen it before with
Nick Foles at quarterback. There's a chance.
But something would have to change that hasn't all season.
2. Should Wentz be worried?
We've already discussed this, people. The answer is likely no, the Eagles will not move on from Wentz.
But the situation is becoming more interesting by the week. What if the Eagles don't make the playoffs this season, rework the receivers group this offseason and then Wentz continues to struggle?
(What if I'm Denzel Washington? What if my grandma was an astronaut?)
All hypotheticals, sure, but I guess my point is: What if it's not just the receivers? What if it's mostly Wentz, and the Eagles' pass-catchers are but convenient scapegoats?
(What if there were unicorns?)
Just keep an eye on this scenario. That's all I'm saying.
3. Bargain basement
If you want a good example of how the rookie salary cap absolutely, totally, positively screws players, look no further than this statistic from ESPN.
Four of the best young quarterbacks in the sport are making what in the NFL are minimal wages. Patrick Mahomes ($4.5 million), Deshaun Watson ($3.8 million), Lamar Jackson ($2.2 million) and Dak Prescott ($2.1 million) are all still on their rookie deals.