This offseason is going to be the catalyst for Howie Roseman’s Eagles. It’s either going to spur a dominant end to the five-year window envisioned when Carson Wentz was drafted, or, see it end with more questions than answers. The man at the epicenter of it all however is still the franchise quarterback…and he just so happens to be in a very interesting spot.
It’s easy to forget, but Carson Wentz is entering his contract year. The Eagles have one more rent-free season before they really need to dive deep into their pockets, but in this instance, it may make more sense to bite the bullet.
The pride of North Dakota State has had a very exciting start to his NFL career, but it’s been a tale of two halves. On one hand, there’s the man who would’ve been named the 2017 MVP if not for an ACL tear in week 14. There’s the man who even when recovering from the said ACL tear in the toughest of circumstances, with a new offensive coordinator and a stifling offense, still put up numbers that rivaled Tom Brady’s MVP winning campaign in 2017. A man who despite clearly not being 100%, set new career-high in completion percentage with 69%. A man who is the true leader of this team and has done nothing but leave fans breathless on a weekly basis when at his best.
On the other hand, there’s a quarterback who has completed just one full season since entering the NFL. Returning in week 3 after his ACL tear, it was apparent that Wentz wasn’t going to be the same player…for that season at least. But there was a stark contrast in his play that in my opinion (as broken down below) may have contributed to the back injury that ended another promising year.
So now, the Eagles are in a very interesting spot. They’re strapped for cap space, have a variety of important holes to fill and some tricky contracts to handle. But would signing Wentz to a long-term deal now be cutting their nose to spite their face?
Think about it. The Eagles would have far more leverage in a contract negotiation right now because making a case for Wentz to become the $200M man is very difficult. His play, while exhilarating, has been erratic and careless at times, while the two season-ending injuries don’t exactly paint much of a reliable picture. The deal would have to be incentivized with snap count bonuses, maybe some accomplishment bonuses and perhaps even an option clause. The Eagles would be in control and in theory, the dream scenario would be to sign Wentz to a cheaper, back-loaded, incentivized deal now, knowing full well that the bounce-back season could be nothing short of spectacular, now he’s fully healthy and has a full offseason to work with his offensive coordinator and teammates.
The inverse of this would be letting it all hang in the balance. Letting Wentz play out his contract year is a huge risk because
Of course, the Eagles could always pick up his fifth-year option after next season and then if needs really justify, place a franchise tag on him one year after. This buys the Eagles some time, but buying is the operative word. It’s expensive, it’s guaranteed and there’s no wriggle room.
The quarterback position is the most important in the NFL. If you’re truly besotted with Carson Wentz and believe he is the guy to lead this franchise to glory for the next ten years, then there should be no hesitation in at least exploring a potential early-extension, because it benefits the team in the long run.
If you’re not completely sold on that idea, are you sold on the concept of spending over $55M for three years of quarterback play, which, given your concerns, could be a huge risk?
What would you do in this situation? Let us know in the comments!
Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
