The Philadelphia Eagles have traded former second overall pick and franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz, to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick.
The news doesn’t come as a shock as rumours of Wentz’s departure from Philly had been swirling since his benching in Week Thirteen against the Packers.
Wentz’s exit from the Eagles was seemingly inevitable due to the impressive play from rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts impressed in his four starts for Philadelphia, earning a great victory against the Saints in his first start and playing well despite three consecutive losses to the season.
Trade breakdown
Colts receive:
- Quarterback Carson Wentz.
Eagles receive:
- 2021 third-round pick.
- Conditional 2022 second-round pick that can rise to a first-round pick.
All things considered, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman should be happy with the compensation he’s received for Wentz. At times last season, it appeared that Wentz had forgotten how to function as a quarterback. Obtaining a third-round pick and a conditional second-rounder that can rise to a first-rounder is an impressive haul for Roseman who is feeling the flames of the hot seat in Philly.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard is incredibly astute and strategic with his draft picks. Ballard belongs to the school of roster management that is the complete antithesis of a team like the L.A. Rams or the Eagles. The Colts general manager is careful with his draft picks, builds through the draft and only ever departs with picks when it makes sense.
For example, during the last off-season, Ballard traded a first-round pick for All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. A steep price but Buckner’s performance on the gridiron made the deal worth it. Will Wentz fair the same?
A fresh start for both sides
The catalyst for this trade was no doubt Colts head coach Frank Reich.
Reich served as the Eagles offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl winning season in 2017, also known as the year Wentz was an MVP front-runner before tearing his ACL towards the end of the season.
Wentz will be relieved to know that he’s landing in a stable organisation such as the Colts. Boasting one of the best offensive lines in the NFL along with a promising array of young offensive weapons such as Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman, Wentz is set up to succeed in one of the most quarterback friendly offences in the league.
From the Eagles point of view, it is curious as to why the front office fired Doug Pederson on the basis of choosing Carson Wentz over him and then trading Wentz anyway. Moreover, the main reason for the hiring of Nick Sirianni as head coach was to help improve the play of Wentz.
Confusion aside, at least there is now a clear direction in terms of the quarterback position in Philadelphia. The distraction of a quarterback controversy can be an all-consuming destructive force that derails the momentum of entire franchises at times.
Although it would have been painful for Roseman to move on from Wentz, the player whom he likened to the fingers on his hand, it was imperative that the GM bit the bullet and did what was best for the franchise.
