Carson Wentz - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: Eagles, Gronk, Clayborn

May 20th, 2018 at 11:34am CST by Rory Parks

Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com does not believe that there will be any tension between Carson Wentz and Nick Foles this year, but he does say that Foles is universally loved in the Eagles‘ locker room. Given that, and given that Foles led the club to its first Super Bowl victory in the wake of Wentz’s ACL tear last season, Shorr-Parks suggests that there is at least a small part of Wentz that feels the need to “re-prove himself” to his team. Shorr-Parks wonders if that desire will impact how quickly Wentz returns to the field and how he interacts with his veteran backup this year.

Let’s round up a few more east notes, starting with several additional items out of Philadelphia:

In the same piece linked above, Shorr-Parks says “it appears obvious” that the Eagles do not plan on paying DE Brandon Graham until next offseason at the earliest. Graham will be eligible for free agency at that point, but he is still seeking a long-term extension from Philadelphia prior to that, and Shorr-Parks’ suggestion is somewhat surprising in light of the fact that the Eagles were said to be working on a new contract for Graham in November (and in light of Graham’s on-field performance).
In two separate pieces, Shorr-Parks breaks down the Eagles’ current roster into long shots, locks, bubble players, and wildcards, and he also takes a look at some of the biggest names still remaining on the free agent market and whether Philadelphia could be interested in some of those players. He thinks the Eagles could be in play for some of the top available DBs — like Kenny Vaccaro and Bashaud Breeland — but does not see a fit for top WR Dez Bryant or LB Brian Cushing (though he thinks a reunion with Jeremy Maclin should not be ruled out).
Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com evaluates the Giants‘ top positional battles going into OTAs, and he believes the fight for the backup QB job is the most intriguing. Second-year pro Davis Webb has a stronger arm than rookie Kyle Lauletta, but Lauletta receives high marks for his intelligence and accuracy, plus he was drafted by Big Blue’s new regime. Whoever wins the job will be the favorite to ultimately succeed Eli Manning.
It is unclear whether Rob Gronkowski will report to the Patriots for Phase 3 of the team’s offseason program, which begins tomorrow, though Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says Gronk is still putting in plenty of time at the TB12 Sports Therapy Center, which he says has him feeling good from a conditioning perspective. Phase 3 will be the last chance for Gronkowski and Tom Brady — who is also yet to attend OTAs — to get some multiple-week football work in with the majority of their teammates before training camp. Brady has frequently touted the importance of Phase 3, so it would be notable if he does not attend.
Adrian Clayborn, the Patriots‘ top free agent acquisition this offseason, tweaked his quad during recent workouts, per Reiss. Clayborn could be limited for Phase 3 of OTAs, but he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Extra Points: Kaepernick, Raiders, Greg Little, Cardinals

May 11th, 2018 at 9:23pm CST by Micah Powell

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider were deposed in the collusion grievance filed by Colin Kaepernick this week, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

Expanding on the subject, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recounts that the “Seahawks were planning to bring in the quarterback for a workout, but the team canceled the session when Kaepernick declined to commit to stand for the national anthem.”

Despite the case, Carroll has not closed the door on the former 49ers quarterback joining the team. As Florio writes, however, “It would be awkward, to say the least, for Kaepernick to sign with Seattle after his lawyers questioned Schneider and Carroll under oath…”

Seattle is still the only team to have brought Kaepernick in for a visit since hitting free agency after the 2016 season. This long saga still appears to be far from a conclusion.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Earlier this week, the Raiders signed longtime Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson to a one-year deal. The details of that contract came out today, with the 13-year pro set to make $1.5MM. The contract includes a $200,000 signing bonus and $500,000 total guaranteed. With incentives, the deal could top out at $2.25MM, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Former Browns receiver Greg Little appeared at the Cardinals rookie minicamp, Kyle Odegard of azcardinals.com writes. Little, who hasn’t played a game since the 2014 season, was a promising second-round pick who flamed out after three seasons. The Cardinals offered the 28-year-old wideout a tryout this weekend and impressed new head coach Steve Wilks.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano took a crack at projecting the next big-money quarterbacks. To no one’s surprise, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tops the list in 2020, but the sides are expected to come to a deal before that time. Among the other signal-callers who could surpass Kirk Cousins‘ big deal are Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Nick Foles’ Eagles Future Remains Murky

February 5th, 2018 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

Nick Foles was the MVP of the Super Bowl, but his future with the Eagles is far from certain. On Monday morning, coach Doug Pederson all but confirmed that Carson Wentz will be the Eagles’ starter to open up the 2018 season.

“I had a chance to talk to Carson actually on the field, on the podium last night after the game. I told him to take this in, enjoy this moment,” Pederson said on Monday morning (via NFL.com). “He’s a great quarterback and he’s a big reason — I told him you’re a big, big part of why this team won this championship, won this game. I told him that hopefully we’ll be back in this game with him leading the way.”

When asked if the Super Bowl MVP can realistically return as Wentz’ backup, Pederson didn’t have much in the way of concrete answers.

“I knew I couldn’t get off this stage without that question,” Pederson said. “You know what? I’m going to tell you right now, we’re going to enjoy it, we’re going to get on this plane, go back to Philadelphia, we’re going to celebrate with our fans back in Philly. We’ve got a long offseason — well, really a short offseason now. We’re just going to enjoy this moment. I’m happy for Nick, I’m happy for the team. It’s not about one guy, it’s about the team. Like I said, we’re going to enjoy these next few days.”

The Eagles would certainly like to keep Foles as Wentz’s No. 2 in the event of another injury next season and he has proven himself to be more than worthy of his $7.6MM cap charge for next season. At the same time, Foles will likely want to be a starting quarterback again and the Eagles could definitely use some additional draft capital as they pick last in the first round and do not own their second or third round picks thanks to trades. In the coming weeks, the Eagles can be expected to keep the phone lines open as teams inquire about this year’s Super Bowl hero.

East Notes: Wentz, Beckham, Patriots

February 4th, 2018 at 11:54am CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles are gearing up for Super Bowl LII tonight, but their prospects for next season got a nice boost this morning. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that, this Wednesday, Carson Wentz will begin weight-bearing exercises with his brace unlocked for the first time since being placed on injured reserve. That marks a big milestone in Wentz’s recovery, because when he is able to begin weight-bearing exercises, his recovery can proceed as if he had torn only his ACL instead of his ACL and LCL.

When it was revealed that Wentz tore both his ACL and LCL, concern as to whether he would be ready for next season’s opener increased, and it is still far from a given that he will be on the field for Week 1 of the 2018 campaign. But Dr. James Bradley, who performed Wentz’s surgery, said that barring a setback, Wentz should be ready to do some work in training camp and be ready to play in Week 1.

Now for more notes from the league’s east divisions:

Mercurial Giants wideout Odell Beckham, Jr. is under club control for one more season — the last year of his rookie deal — and it was not too long ago that he was looking for a new contract worth at least $100MM. But a season-ending ankle fracture in October has thrown a wrench into those plans, and we recently learned that team owner John Mara would not engage in contract talks with Beckham until he discussed the matter with new head coach Pat Shurmur. As Anthony Barstow of the New York Post writes, though, Shurmur is seemingly in Beckham’s corner, and Beckham himself is anxious to put the matter to bed. He said during last night’s NFL Honors show, “Hopefully we get it done, just to get it over with. I really want to do it so I can move past it. It’s too much to be sitting around, thinking where I’m going to be.”
We heard several days ago that the Patriots are likely to lose special teams coach Joe Judge and offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia this offseason — Judge to another team and Scarnecchia to retirement — but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com does not believe either departure is a foregone conclusion. Given that New England will lose top coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, Reiss can envision a scenario in which owner Robert Kraft gives Judge a raise to convince him to stay and head coach Bill Belichick “leans on” Scarnecchia to come back for at least one more season.
This year’s QB market is uniquely loaded with talent, both in free agency and the draft, and if Jets GM Mike Maccagnan cannot find a permanent solution this offseason, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says he should be run out of town. The Jets will certainly be a competitor for Kirk Cousins‘ services, but a Cousins splurge would significantly hamper the team’s ability to improve the rest of its roster. Cimini believes Gang Green should pass on Cousins if the bidding gets out of hand, as he views the longtime Redskin as a complementary piece rather than a savior. Of course, what the Jets do vis-a-vis Cousins depends on how Maccagnan & Co. view the 2018 rookie class.
Speaking of Cousins, we heard this morning that the Redskins may put the franchise tag on him in the coming weeks with the hopes of trading him.

Carson Wentz Hoping To Be Ready For Start Of 2018 Season

January 27th, 2018 at 11:46am CST by Ben Levine

Carson Wentz is hopeful that he’ll be in uniform for the Eagles 2018 season-opener. The quarterback told reporters that he’s focused on returning to the field in time for the beginning of next season.

“So after we went in there and everything, it was actually the ACL and the LCL,” Wentz said (via the Associated Press). “I’m still feeling confident with it. The rehab is the same type of progression and everything. It’s gone great so far.

“It’s hard to talk timetables because these are always fluid injuries and timetables always adjust depending upon where you’re at…but I feel very confident. I truly believe my goal is to be ready for Week 1. I’m going to push and do everything I can to be ready. I’m very confident in that.”

Wentz suffered a torn ACL in early December, forcing him to miss the rest of the campaign. Despite his absence, Nick Foles and the Eagles still won the NFC Championship, and they’ll face off against the Patriots in next weekend’s Super Bowl. The 25-year-old had a breakout campaign in 2017, completing 60.2-percent of his passes for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Similar to any major injury, it can be tough for an athlete to return to their peak form. However, Wentz is confident that he’ll easily pick up where he left off.

“I 100 percent believe I’ll be back better than ever, stronger ever, and with no looking back,” Wentz said.

Eagles Place Carson Wentz On IR

December 12th, 2017 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have officially placed quarterback Carson Wentz on injured reserve. This was the expected outcome after the Eagles learned that Wentz suffered a torn ACL.

For now, Nick Foles will take over at quarterback with Nate Sudfeld as his backup. Despite some calls for the Eagles to consider the likes of Colin Kaepernick and Tony Romo, it doesn’t appear that they’ll make a splashy signing. In fact, they might not add anyone to the QB depth chart. In the 48 hours that have passed since Wentz’s injury, the team has not scheduled a signal caller for a workout.

The Eagles are a mortal lock for a first-round bye and have a high probability of claiming the top seed in the NFC, but they no longer seem quite as fearsome without the former No. 2 overall pick under center. We’ll get a better idea of what Foles is capable of when the Eagles face the Giants on Sunday.

Eagles’ Carson Wentz Done For Season

December 11th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles announced that Carson Wentz is done for the season with an ACL tear. This was what the Eagles feared when Wentz exited Sunday’s game against the Rams.

On Sunday, Wentz threw four touchdown passes and set the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season. After throwing 33 TDs this year against seven interceptions and positioning himself as one of the league’s top quarterbacks, Wentz’s year is over. The fear for many Eagles fans is that this may end the team’s Super Bowl hopes as well.

A familiar face will now take over as the starting quarterback. Nick Foles, who entered the game upon Wentz’s exit, will be the new starter, coach Doug Pederson confirmed. Nate Sudfeld, meanwhile, will be the team’s No. 2 QB. Pederson said that he has yet to talk to GM Howie Roseman about signing a No. 3 QB.

Although Wentz looked solid as a rookie, few expected this kind of leap from 2016’s No. 2 overall pick. Wentz threw for nearly 3,330 yards in 13 games and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ fourth-best quarterback in the entire NFL, behind only Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, and Russell Wilson. Foles had an impressive run of his own in Philadelphia, but he has yet to replicate his Pro Bowl season of 2013.

The Eagles, who have clinched the NFC East championship, have three regular season games to go against the Giants, Raiders, and Cowboys. They have a 98% chance of a first-round bye (according to the New York Times‘ odds calculator), so there’s not much on the line in these final three contests. However, these games will be crucial in order for the team to gel with Foles under center.

Initial Carson Wentz Tests Don’t Reveal Complete ACL Tear

December 10th, 2017 at 9:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles’ postgame celebration was not exactly indicative of a team that clinched the NFC East and its first 11-win season in eight years, with Carson Wentz‘s reported ACL tear understandably affecting the mood. But the team is holding out hope its breakout star quarterback didn’t suffer a full tear.

Initial tests on Wentz’s damaged left knee did not “definitively” reveal a complete tear, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

While Monday’s MRI will provide a clearer picture and play a big part in shaping the Eagles’ late-season outlook, Rapoport notes the team isn’t giving up on the possibility this isn’t a season-ending malady.

A previous NFL.com report indicated the Eagles did believe Wentz’s season was over, and multiple other sources reported the team fears the worst for Wentz. Rapoport reports the Eagles believe Wentz sustained an ACL injury; they just aren’t certain it was a full tear at this juncture.

Of course, even a partial tear would surely induce a discussion from the team about shutting down its 24-year-old dynamo anyway.

Wentz’s knee injury became worrisome when trainers felt it was loose upon examination, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The loose ACL is sign it’s torn, Dr. David Chao of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets, adding concern for Wentz’s left LCL should exist as well. Wentz played four plays after suffering the left knee injury and walked to the locker room, but the MVP candidate was taken out of the Los Angeles Coliseum on a cart, per Fox NFL (Twitter link).

The Eagles’ division-clinching mood was indeed “subdued” as they await word on the MRI, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

A similar sequence of reports emerged last December when Ryan Tannehill was believed to have suffered a full ACL tear only to have the ensuing MRI reveal a partial tear. However, that may not be the most encouraging sign considering Tannehill did not play for the Dolphins again that season, saw his offseason largely marred by this injury and is missing all of this season because of a subsequent ACL tear.

Eagles Concerned Carson Wentz Tore ACL

December 10th, 2017 at 6:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles are concerned Carson Wentz suffered a torn ACL during the third-quarter sequence that ended his game, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Associated Press also is reporting this diagnosis, adding (via Twitter) the star passer will have an MRI on Monday to confirm it. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports the Eagles believe Wentz’s season is over.

Wentz injured his left knee on an awkward-looking play, and Fox’s Erin Andrews reported team officials left an examination on the MVP candidate shaking their heads (Twitter link via Albert Breer of SI.com). Nick Foles took over for Wentz, whom the team immediately declared out for the game after he went to the visitors’ locker room.

Schefter adds that as Wentz exited the field shortly after, his left knee buckled to induce the locker room trip. (Twitter link). Wentz remained in the game for four plays after this hit and threw a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery, helping the visitors to a 43-35 victory in a key NFC game.

This would obviously be a crushing blow for an Eagles team that’s authored its best season since the franchise’s 2004 NFC title campaign.

Wentz threw four touchdown passes against the Rams and set the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season; he now has 33 while having thrown only seven interceptions. The second-year passer has made a tremendous leap from his rookie season and stands as one of the most important players in the NFL presently.

The North Dakota State product has already more than doubled his touchdown-pass output from his rookie season, and if these reports are accurate, will see a brutal end to a breakout slate and a lengthy rehab process. It also continues what’s been a vicious year for quarterback health around the league.

The Eagles clinched the NFC East championship with their win and have won 11 games for the first time since Donovan McNabb‘s last full season as the starter, in 2009. But Monday’s impending MRI could make this a muted celebration for the NFC’s current No. 1 seed.

Hue Jackson Wanted To Draft Carson Wentz?

December 3rd, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

While we’re more than a year and a half removed from the 2016 draft, one team’s actions continue to be discussed. And considering what could happen to the Browns’ power structure at the end of this season, their recent draft decisions could end up being seminal choices.

The Browns have passed on multiple players who look like long-term quarterback solutions in Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, but in Hue Jackson‘s first months in Cleveland, he had his eye on Wentz.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports Jackson actually preferred Wentz to Jared Goff. This runs contrary to previous reports that indicated he (and veteran Browns scouts dismissed before the draft) liked the current Rams passer prior to his team’s trade-down decision.

Jackson’s pro-Goff vibe stemmed from a close-to-the-vest mindset, Cabot notes. He worked out Goff privately but was the only head coach to attend Wentz’s pro day. Wentz assumed the Browns were going to draft him, per Cabot, after he and Jackson developed a strong rapport before the draft.

The private workout he and then-assistant Pep Hamilton conducted with Wentz had the duo “instantly sold” Wentz was the Browns’ quarterback of the future. The Browns, of course, traded that pick to the Eagles for a bounty of draft picks. Cabot reports Browns management wasn’t going to be dissuaded from unloading that No. 2 selection because of the myriad needs their team had, and the Eagles aren’t regretting their decision.

When the Browns and Eagles faced off in the 2016 opener, Cabot reports Jackson felt he received a “chilly” reception from Wentz because of the draft snub and Paul DePodesta‘s infamous not-a-top-20-QB comment. Cabot also reports part of the reason Hamilton left Cleveland for Michigan after one season is how far off the Browns were on their evaluations on that 2016 quarterback class.

This would not be the only time Jackson didn’t get his way regarding a quarterback during his eventful stay in northeast Ohio.

Trade targets Jimmy Garoppolo and A.J. McCarron fell through, the latter in an embarrassing snafu. Cleveland is 0-11 and contemplating major changes this offseason, and Jackson is said to want more decision-making power if he returns in 2018.