There were reports last week that a Carson Wentz trade was imminent, and yet it hasn't happened yet. Perhaps the initial indications were wishful thinking on the part of the Eagles. They might be overestimating his value these days.
Wentz was an MVP candidate not so long ago, and I do think he has a chance to rebuild his career -- in the right situation. But the Eagles are reportedly seeking the kind of compensation the Lions just got for Matthew Stafford, which is flawed for multiple reasons. The big one is that a good chunk of what the Rams paid for Stafford was compensation for getting the Lions to take on Jared Goff's contract. It's not that Stafford was actually worth 2 firsts and a 3rd, it's that Stafford and getting Goff's deal off the books was worth that.
The second reason is that a Wentz rebound is no sure thing. The guy comes off an epically bad season, narrowly avoiding a Triple Crown of ugliness at the quarterback position. Had he not been benched for the season's final month, he'd have achieved it.
In 12 games, Wentz led the league in sacks a year ago. He tied for the league lead in interceptions. He was just one off the league lead in fumbles. A remarkable triple whammy.
| 2020 SACKS | |
|---|---|
| Player | Sk |
| Carson Wentz | 50 |
| Deshaun Watson | 49 |
| Russell Wilson | 47 |
| Daniel Jones | 45 |
| Matt Ryan | 41 |
| Kirk Cousins | 39 |
| Matthew Stafford | 38 |
| Sam Darnold | 35 |
| Justin Herbert | 32 |
| Joe Burrow | 32 |
| Teddy Bridgewater | 31 |
| Cam Newton | 31 |
| 2020 INTERCEPTIONS | |
|---|---|
| Player | INTs |
| Carson Wentz | 15 |
| Drew Lock | 15 |
| Russell Wilson | 13 |
| Jared Goff | 13 |
| Kirk Cousins | 13 |
| Tom Brady | 12 |
| Kyler Murray | 12 |
| Nick Mullens | 12 |
| Matt Ryan | 11 |
| Philip Rivers | 11 |
| Teddy Bridgewater | 11 |
| Sam Darnold | 11 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 10 |
| Justin Herbert | 10 |
| Josh Allen | 10 |
| Matthew Stafford | 10 |
| Daniel Jones | 10 |
| Cam Newton | 10 |
| 2020 FUMBLES | |
|---|---|
| Player | Fum |
| Derek Carr | 11 |
| Daniel Jones | 11 |
| Carson Wentz | 10 |
| Taysom Hill | 10 |
| Lamar Jackson | 10 |
| Josh Allen | 9 |
| Joe Burrow | 9 |
| Kirk Cousins | 9 |
| Jalen Hurts | 9 |
| Kyler Murray | 9 |
None of this is to say that Wentz can't rebound. Some of the quarterbacks also near the top of those lists are pretty good, including the guy who just won the Super Bowl.
But Wentz is the only one at or near the top in all of them. It's not all on his line or head coach. He's going to need the right fit to get things turned around. The Eagles are going to have lower their demands. or they're going to have the league's highest-paid backup quarterback in 2021.
--Andy Richardson