NFL | Man-crushing Eagles may have bit off more than they can chew

North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz is the apple in the eyes of the Eagles' Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson entering the draft.

by Jack Kerwin | ydkjack1@gmail.com

​Ahead of the curve, huh?

Catchy, certain to be “branded” front-office speak aside, what the Eagles have done with their jaw-dropping deal Wednesday was fall prey to one of the most common traps in life:

Emotion.

Not for nothing, but de facto GM Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson can have the nodding-head approval from all the player-personnel experts, media members and fans they like after giving up a good chunk of the farm to move up six spots in the first round of next Thursday’s NFL draft, the reality is they got caught up in the whirlwind of hype surrounding one prospect and what he could possibly represent if the stars aligned … and just couldn’t help themselves.

When the opportunity arose to put them in position to select him, they took every step possible in order to make that happen.

Only, here’s the rub, even with jumping up from 13th to eighth to now, with Wednesday’s trade with Cleveland, second, they still may not get him.

Yep, that’s right. Carson Wentz, the ballyhooed quarterback out of North Dakota State who has leap-frogged up draft-projection boards in cartoonish quick fashion, may be gone by the time the Eagles go on the clock in Chicago.
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The Los Angeles Rams, sitting at No. 1, want a “franchise QB,” too, and while reports have suggested they’re sold on Cal’s Jared Goff as that guy … there is nothing to stop them from changing their mind to choose Wentz instead, or simply stick with Wentz as he may have been their real guy in the first place.

As noted in yesterday’s piece here, there is much to admire with throwing caution to wind and taking a chance to get what you truly want, which is exactly what Roseman and Pederson have attempted to do. No one can deny that takes some serious stones.

But, stepping back and being practical here, they still may not get what they want – which makes this multi-pick swap strictly an emotionally charged, foolish deal that borders on being irresponsible.

This move merely gives them the chance to select Wentz. Not the chance to get him in tow and hopefully turn him into that generational-type performer they believe he can be, but just the chance to choose him.

It was a silly, impractical course of action with everything resting on hope.

Despite so many gridiron gurus coming out of the woodwork to proclaim Wentz a “can’t miss” talent after never having seen him take a snap – live, on TV or on tape – until a few months ago or only hearing his name mentioned recently by “insiders” they trust, he remains a 6-foot-5, 237-pound question mark whose availability to Roseman and Co., ironically, STILL is a question mark.

Didn’t the Eagles already have enough question marks before pulling the trigger on this thing to create more?

Offensive line. Secondary. Fletcher Cox contract situation. Pederson in his first year running the show of an NFL team. Sam Bradford back as starting quarterback.

According to Roseman, Bradford will remain as such no matter who the Birds take at No. 2.

Huh?

Sounds like they’re so far ahead of the curve that they got out of control, crashed through the guard rail and are now careening off the cliff.

Look out below … because they ain’t heading up.

All because of emotion.
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REALITY CHECK

It’s great that so many have dropped their silly preconceptions about lower-level college talent and restraints that say they need years of study to determine a prospect’s legitimacy to fully embrace Carson Wentz. But let’s keep it real here.
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Some of the stuff being pitched on his behalf is ridiculous, especially glowing comparisons to other individuals deemed to be similar, if not “the same.”

Sorry, he is NOT …

Ben Roethlisberger. Try as they might, Wentz supporters have completely snapped the reality string when linking their guy to Big Ben. Hey, forget his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which already has cemented him a future spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Roethlisberger was not a late-rising sensation to hit the nation’s conscience merely months prior to the draft like Wentz has been. The guy was a given first-rounder when he was still a sophomore at Miami of Ohio before coming out after his junior season. Yeah, it’s true, he, like Wentz, played at a “smaller” school. The difference is, Roethlisberger dominated at his level. For three years. Wentz did not, in any year. Just on eye test, it is clear that Wentz, despite physically blessed, does not have the same mobility or arm that Big Ben possesses.

Joe Flacco. Another FCS product, having starred at Delaware after first finding western Pennsylvania lefty legend Tyler Palko a roadblock to him starting at Pittsburgh, he, like Roethlisberger, is bit bigger than Wentz. He, too, was a known commodity well before his final college campaign even started. He, too, was a dominant FCS performer, especially against FBS competition. Eye test? Wentz, even with a good arm, does not have the same kind of arm as the Super Bowl XLVII MVP.

Jared Goff. The prime competition to Wentz for the No. 1 overall selection in next week’s NFL draft, the junior-eligible candidate has been a household name for several years thanks to a brilliant high school career and starting from Snap 1 at Cal, making him the first true freshman at the school to ever take the QB reins in a season opener. For those thinking he just joined the party along with Wentz a few months ago, get a grip. This kid was an NFL prospect before he even headed to college.

Donovan McNabb. Do we even need to get into it?

C’mon, people. Just let the kid play and see what happens. The comparisons, at this point, do nothing but mislead – yourself and others.

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