You don’t give up everything the Eagles gave up for Carson Wentz to keep him on the bench.
You have to play the rookie quarterback out of North Dakota State, for better or for worse — he’s the future of the franchise, and he needs to build up experience as soon as possible.
But on Friday, Wentz was the third quarterback on a playoff-contending team. The Eagles had a logjam.
Saturday, that jam cleared: The Eagles traded presumptive starting quarterback Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional 2018 fourth-round selection.
The Carson Wentz era in Philadelphia is nigh.
At this moment, Chase Daniel, the erstwhile backup of Alex Smith and Drew Brees, will get his chance to be an NFL starting quarterback. It’s an opportunity for which that Daniel has waited seven years.
That opportunity will be short-lived — if it comes at all.
When Wentz’s broken rib is healed, he’s the starter — there’s no competition or question.
No matter how well Daniel plays until that time, Wentz is going to start for the Eagles — he’s not only this year’s first-round pick, he’s next year’s too. (Though that blow has been softened by the Bradford trade.)
It’s a risk. In a division like the NFC East, the Eagles have a real chance to make the playoffs this season. They were 7-9 last season and the defense has looked really strong in the preseason. Ten wins weren't out of the question for 2016. Now, they’ll try to reach that mark with a quarterback who played in the FCS last season.
While Wentz has looked the part in the only preseason game he played, the learning curve could be steep — it’s not like North Dakota State was going up against Florida State or Alabama.
No matter, it’s his team now.
Wentz could well start in Week 1, against the Cleveland Browns, the team which traded the No. 2 pick to Philadelphia for the No. 8 pick, No. 77 pick, No. 100 pick, a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 second-round pick.
That, and that alone, is the reason Eagles aren't messing around with Daniel — cost.
The logjam created a problem, though. With Bradford at the helm, the Eagles and Wentz had some breathing room — the rookie didn’t have to play, he could sit on the bench and absorb everything for a season. Instead, he’ll take on NFL defenses with only one preseason game to his credit.
How will Wentz do? That’s anyone’s guess. But the Eagles’ season — which, contrary to popular opinion, carries promise — rides on him figuring it out early.
