NFL | Maybe next time Eagles coach will keep quiet on his intentions

Doug Pederson (left) was a little blunt with his foreshadowing of the near future for rookie QB Carson Wentz (11) prior to training camp.

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Forget the conspiracy theories.

Skip the insanity pleas.

Plain and simple, the Eagles overplayed their hand.

Dumb move …

With the pronouncement of a likely season-long sit down for franchise quarterback of the future Carson Wentz as a precursor to training camp, the powers that be in the organization thought – check that, expected – everyone to be on board.

After all, the fan base and the Philly media, they’re a patient bunch, right? Plus, the team just rid them all of the supposed cancer that was Chip Kelly, correct?

Well …

Here’s the thing. Yeah, people in and around town may be more forgiving and accepting than they’d lead you to believe through incessant reminders of how “tough” they are. They do tend to give more of a leash than they seem to realize, and make more excuses for their favorite past-their-value performers than they’d ever admit.

But to dangle a prize in front of their eyes and then pull it away and say it’ll be stuffed in storage for a year … you know, c’mon, what did you expect – high fives all around?

Get real. The Sam Bradford support system is only going to cover so much, and at this point the only thing driving the interest meter in regards to the Eagles these days is disappointment to outrage over Wentz reportedly out of the regular-season QB mix before the exhibition season even commences.

Not for nothing, but in trying to make things easier and less stressful for Doug Pederson in his first go-’round as Big Red protégé in the cat-Bird seat, the Eagles opened up an emotional can of worms.

Unnecessarily.

Yo, it’s a given with just about everyone that Wentz is going to have some growing pains, that he’s going to need some time to make the transition from FCS-level college ball to the pros, that he’s probably not as good as Bradford at the moment or as prepared to run the show in the show right now … even in the eyes of the most vocal naysayers of Sammy Sleeves (yep, guilty as charged right here).

So, there was no salient point in trying to keep the proverbial wolves at bay by stating that the No. 2 pick in April’s NFL Draft wouldn’t be rushed or pushed or any other “ushed” into action this season.

Doing so wasn’t going to protect Pederson or anyone else with the Eagles from having to answer questions about Wentz. If anything, all that did was open the floodgates for red-faced debate ever since Andy Reid 2.0 uttered his bubble-wrap mandate.

Not to mention silly suggestions that it was to save Bradford from having to compete for his job – a seven-year NFL vet who has overcome two knee reconstructions to start every game he’s played since being taken No. 1 in 2010 and former Heisman Trophy winner while heading one of the nation’s elite college football programs, uh-huh, yeah, sure, he hasn’t had to earn anything in his playing career … puh-leeze – or to appease owner Jeffrey Lurie since he was the killjoy on a total reboot because he wanted Bradford back in the first place.

All of them ridiculous.

All of them unnecessary … but prompted by the Eagles’ own dumb move.

Next time, just bury the card and say nothing.

---

Yo, it’s a given with just about everyone that (Carson) Wentz is going to have some growing pains, that he’s going to need some time to make the transition from FCS-level college ball to the pros, that he’s probably not as good as Bradford at the moment or as prepared to run the show in the show right now … even in the eyes of the most vocal naysayers of Sammy Sleeves (yep, guilty as charged right here). So, there was no salient point in trying to keep the proverbial wolves at bay by stating that the No. 2 pick in April’s NFL Draft wouldn’t be rushed or pushed or any other “ushed” into action this season. Doing so wasn’t going to protect (Doug) Pederson or anyone else with the Eagles from having to answer questions about Wentz. If anything, all that did was open the floodgates for red-faced debate ever since Andy Reid 2.0 uttered his bubble-wrap mandate.