After being spurned on the commerce market by the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson, the Washington Commanders turned to the Indianapolis Colts for a quarterback improve, swapping a package deal of picks for former Philadelphia Eagles franchise QB Carson Wentz in a shock transfer. The commerce, which despatched two third-round picks to Indianapolis, has puzzled pundits, followers, and league insiders alike.
Scout stunned by commerce return for Carson Wentz
The Commanders agreed to accumulate Wentz and his $28.3 million wage from the Colts on Wednesday. The 2 groups swapped second-round picks, the Colts despatched a seventh-round choose — together with Wentz — to Washington, and the Commanders despatched two third-round picks to Indianapolis.
An NFC scout, who was granted anonymity to talk freely with Professional Soccer Community, stated the transfer was shocking for a number of causes, particularly from the Washington aspect of the commerce.
“I used to be very stunned that Indianapolis was in a position to get what they did and transfer his entire contract,” the scout instructed PFN.
Wentz’s profession has crumbled over the previous two years. In 2020, his closing season with the Eagles, Wentz produced a traditionally terrible stat line because the workforce missed the playoffs for the primary time in 4 years. Wentz was benched for then-rookie Jalen Hurts, who finally grew to become the workforce’s full-time starter final season.
Wentz had been traded twice in two years
The Eagles traded Wentz, who sought a change of state of affairs, to the Colts firstly of the brand new league yr final season. Philadelphia acquired a 2021 third-round choose and a conditional 2022 second-round choose in return. The second-round choose grew to become a first-round choice — the sixteenth total choose in April’s NFL Draft — as a result of Wentz performed greater than 75% of the Colts’ offensive snaps.
Whereas Wentz was in a position to play in all 17 video games for the Colts final season, he grew to become a lightning rod for controversy instantly after he arrived within the Midwest. He refused to get vaccinated, spent two separate stints on the COVID-19 record, and injured his foot in coaching camp, forcing him to start out Week 1 with out a lot preparation.
Wentz performed properly in spurts and threw for 3,563 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions on the season. Nonetheless, he fell aside through the closing two video games of the marketing campaign, because the Colts misplaced to the Las Vegas Raiders and last-place Jacksonville Jaguars to wrap up the season. The Colts missed the playoffs and Wentz eclipsed 200 passing yards in simply two of the ultimate eight video games of the yr.
Why Wentz is ‘not ultimate’ for Washington
The scout thinks Wentz’s current decline makes him a clumsy match for the Commanders, who wish to improve over Taylor Heinicke at QB.
“Not ultimate for Washington,” the scout stated. “He’ll improve them on the place, however all issues thought-about, it’s simply robust giving up that a lot and paying that a lot for Wentz for his degree of play the final two seasons.”
The scout compares Wentz to former first total choose Jameis Winston, who wanted to function a backup to Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints in 2020 earlier than taking again the controls of a QB1 job this previous season.
Why Washington ought to have seemed elsewhere
The scout, whose workforce isn’t available in the market for a QB, thinks Wentz would have been higher off rehabilitating his picture — equally to Winston and Mitchell Trubisky — by taking a step again on a depth chart behind one other veteran signal-caller.
Wentz “wanted to go someplace and sit behind a high-level veteran quarterback and play-caller and simply re-learn and re-train,” the scout stated. “He’s a low-end starter kind that has expertise however causes complications and has high-level variances in his play as a result of his decision-making.”
The scout believes the Commanders would have been higher off testing the free agent pool, saving their draft picks and cap house on one other reclamation challenge as a substitute of going after Wentz and his lofty wage.
Mentioned the evaluator: “I’d have simply signed Winston or Trubisky.”
