There is a full commitment to the former North Dakota State star, and Pederson said the stage is not too big for Wentz.
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“He didn’t play at a D-I school, but they obviously see a lot in him”, Browns cornerback Joe Haden said. “It’s pretty normal. I’ve been preparing, even though I haven’t been playing”. “This is just the beginning of the new normal”. The biggest task is getting rookie quarterback Carson Wentz up to speed.
“I think they’re going to keep things basic for him, but I’m just going to go out there and play as fast as I can and pressure him as much as I can, make him uncomfortable”. “I’m excited for it”. For Philadelphia, the trade opens up a roster spot just, frees up Bradford’s salary and, most importantly, provides the team with a future first-round pick. But Bradford was shipped to Minnesota last week, and Pederson thought enough of Wentz’s preseason to name him the Week 1 starter. They know what he can do after seeing him in practice. Wentz did not sound as if he felt he needed to prove anything to those teammates to engender confidence, and a popular refrain from many teammates Monday was support for Wentz.
Pederson was prepared to have Wentz spend at least the first half of the season on the bench, watching and learning, before taking over next season or – if Bradford had an outstanding season as some (mainly me) were predicting – 2018. “The communication has been great”.
“That preseason game I walked away feeling extra confident”, Wentz said.
Wentz had taken on a leadership role on the team even when he was the No.3 quarterback. That process still occurs now that Wentz is the starter. “That’s just the type of person, that’s the type of quarterback, that’s the type of guy that we knew we had in Carson Wentz”. And we’ve harped on takeaways, but now those takeaways need to turn into scores.
The interaction with coach Pederson, offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach John DeFillippo has been all positive.
“A great opportunity for him”.
“Chase is a team guy”, Pederson said. One day at a time with him.
“I go off the belief. where you want to go in with the plays you’ve been repping all offseason and training camp”.
“That was the plan all along”, Daniel said. “With coach Reich, coach Flipp, it has all been positive”.
If the 23-year-old rookie doesn’t look ready against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, it won’t be due to a lack of the preparation.
Despite the personal importance of the game, Wentz is just trying to focus this week.
Wentz and the rest of the eagles will take to the field this Sunday at noon to host the Browns.
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He understands that young quarterbacks often fall victim to “bumps in the road”, but Wentz said he will “take them in stride” and learn from whatever mistakes arise. Jackson and the Browns front office staff of Sashi Brown and company made a decision to go in a different direction and took the offer Philadelphia presented to them which includes a first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. “It’s just football. If you trust what you are doing, good things will happen”.
