The Philadelphia Eagles are said to be relieved that the Sam Bradford holdout is over as newly minted NFL star Carson Wentz reportedly fails to meet expectations. While the rookie quarterback initially gained praises for his skills in the gridiron, it looks like fans spoke too soon of his ability to rule the NFL. Was it a mistake for the Philadelphia Eagles to sign Carson Wentz with a massive contract instead of acquiring a more experienced quarterback in the market?
The training camp performances of the NFL stars this offseason have become the measure for the rookies of their abilities to cope with the change of pace from college football to the professional league. For the Philadelphia Eagles, who had high hopes to build a team around Carson Wentz, the past weeks have reportedly been a splash of cold water as they realize that their quarterback investment is not yet ready to play with the big boys. Rumors are rife that the Philadelphia Eagles are planning to keep the rookie inactive regardless of his health status next NFL season.
Does this mean that the Philadelphia Eagles now regret their investment in Carson Wentz? Are they now more inclined to give in to the demands of Sam Bradford after proving that their rookie star is a bust?
The answer is no. While it is true that the Philadelphia Eagles are considering placing Carson Wentz in the list o inactive stars, the reason behind speaks more of their desire to keep him in the long-term. As a huge investment, the NFL team wants to guarantee that the young quarterback is fully ready and capable to take on the hits in the professional league before they field him.
"It's very clear the Eagles want to be extremely patient with Wentz, a player they view as the long term centerpiece of the franchise, but not in any way some kind of short term fix," shared Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice. He further noted, "Even if Bradford gets hurt, count on pricey backup Chase Daniel to take over the reins as the starter. There's a very good chance Wentz won't even dress on game day, as teams typically only keep two quarterbacks active."
However, it looks like one quarterback disagrees with this possible decision of the Philadelphia Eagles. According to Ben Roethlisberger, the best time for Carson Wentz to join the NFL games is now. That is, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback feels that the rookie is ready to play with the pros.
"If you look at what Carson did in college, a lot of it ... he's not afraid to get under center ... he did it," noted Roethlisberger. He added, "He can drop back and pass. He can do the play-action stuff. He can do the boots and nakeds -- things you just don't see a lot of in typical college football for the most part. There are still teams that do it. But I think he's as prepared as anybody because of the type of system he played in and the work that he put in to get himself NFL ready."
What do you think? Should the Philadelphia Eagles sideline Carson Wentz? Or should he be allowed to compete for the starting job against Sam Bradford?
