Every week, the Carson Wentz saga becomes more and more fascinating. One could compare it to a trainwreck. It’s awful, but you just can’t look away. Things got more intense Sunday when reports started coming in that Wentz could potentially demand a trade:
While questions have persisted about what the Eagles will do with Carson Wentz, the more appropriate question might be what Carson Wentz will do with the Eagles. Sources believe Wentz is not pleased with recent events there.https://t.co/Y0GAX3WqCm
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 20, 2020
At this point, the Eagles must realize they have to decide between Hurts or Wentz. Keeping them both will only continue to cause drama and controversy, even if Hurts is on the bench and Wentz is the weekly starter.
There are a few solutions, but the two most obvious are either trading Hurts and keeping Wentz, or vice versa. Each will be a franchise-altering move, so the Eagles need to have complete faith they’re making the right decision, for both now and the future.
Solution #1: Keep Wentz, Trade Hurts
It’s pretty clear Hurts will be the starter throughout the rest of the season, barring an injury or horrendous play. And that’s good! The Eagles are 4-8-1. They’re in the “race” but fans should want to see them not make the playoffs in order to bring in more young talent and make changes.
Letting Hurts play these last few games will also give the Eagles (and other teams) a chance to see what Hurts can really do. He’s already shown he can be a sparkplug, as his running ability creates sustained drives.
So in the event that Hurts does well and that the Eagles are still Team Wentz, then trading Hurts for draft capital would be the smart decision.
That would allow the team to build around Wentz with young talent, something they sorely need.
Still, trading Hurts essentially makes this a “ride-or-die” situation with Wentz. Normally, that’s fine with a franchise QB, but after how poorly Wentz played this season, there’s so much uncertainty for him going forward.
If he’s starting again next season and plays just as bad, the Eagles will have no one to go to. They’ll be stuck with Carson until it’s financially feasible to get rid of him, because two underwhelming seasons in a row would put his value at an all-time low.
There’s also the psychological aspect that needs to be considered. Is Wentz mentally prepared to be able to come back and regain his old form? To push all the negativity away and fix his mistakes?
If not, then that leads to…
Solution #2: Keep Hurts, Trade Wentz
This feels like the most likely route the Eagles will take if Hurts performs well down the stretch. With all the rumors going around, it seems the relationship between Wentz and the Eagles is becoming more and more strained.
At some point, a fresh start for both parties would make sense, and that point feels imminent. Perhaps Wentz will do the Eagles a favor and simply demand a trade. Even better, he could be willing to rework his contract in order to facilitate a deal.
Wentz’ contract, as mentioned numerous times before, will be the biggest factor in any possible move. Here’s the full look at Wentz’ deal, via Spotrac:
If Wentz decides to do some reworking, plenty of possibilities open up. Indianapolis has been the popular destination for Wentz: he had his best season while Frank Reich was here, and Indy will be in need of a QB if Philip Rivers leaves in free agency.
Other suitors could include New England and Denver. One shouldn’t expect the return to be high. Clearing cap space would be the best return of all.
It’s also important to remember that the Eagles wouldn’t just be getting rid of Wentz, they’ll be making Hurts their full-time quarterback who could change this offense for the better in the coming seasons.
He won’t be on an expensive contract like Wentz, which would allow for more roster flexibility.
The Eagles would be giving up an experienced quarterback who has shown great promise and hasn’t had the best rosters to work with. They’ll also have an inexperienced quarterback who still has a long way to go in terms of his game.
Trading Wentz Is The Way To Go
There are pros and cons to every possible solution listed, but the one that seems to make the most sense is moving on from Wentz.
Before, it seemed like a tall task, but if Wentz is willing to work with the Eagles to find another place for him, a trade feels very realistic.
Working with Wentz and his problems will take a very skilled coaching staff, and I’m not sure the Eagles have that here. Doug Pederson is a solid coach, but the rest of his staff seems to be lacking.
If the Eagles can’t properly help Wentz, then going with Hurts is the clear choice. While Hurts isn’t a slam-dunk player going forward, his ceiling seems to be high enough to bet on him improving and leading the next great Philadelphia team to success.
