Tag: quarterback trade

Carson Wentz has more touchdown passes than Russell Wilson

Carson Wentz hasn’t played since Week 6.

Remember how badly the Washington Commanders wanted quarterback Russell Wilson last offseason? Washington reportedly offered at least three first-round picks for Wilson, who instead wanted to go to the Denver Broncos.

Instead, the Commanders traded for Carson Wentz.

As it turns out, the Commanders may have dodged a bullet here.

Wilson, who signed a five-year, $245-million contract extension with the Broncos, has completed 58.9% of his passes with eight touchdowns and five interceptions through 10 games. The Broncos, who were expected to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs, sit at 3-8 and look like one of the three worst teams in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Wentz, who hasn’t played since Week 6, has 10 touchdown passes on the season. Before Wentz fractured his finger in the Week 6 win at Chicago, he had three solid games and three games in which he didn’t play well at all. Yet, he has thrown more touchdown passes than Wilson.

Can you imagine if Wilson were playing this badly in Washington? And with Taylor Heinicke behind him?

In games against the Jaguars, Lions and Titans, Wentz looked better than Wilson has all season. While Wentz has been replaced as Washington’s starting quarterback, the Commanders can easily move on from him in the offseason.

The Broncos, who are under new ownership, are tied to Wilson for a while.

Wilson may turn things around. His past should give Denver hope. But what if he doesn’t?

Washington fans may not be thrilled with Wentz, but it could be worse. At least the Commanders have their draft picks and cap room to improve a team in the offseason that has currently won six of their last seven games.

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Colts’ owner Jim Irsay: ‘It was very obvious’ Colts had to move on from Wentz

It’s clear moving on from Carson Wentz was Jim Irsay’s decision — not Frank Reich or Chris Ballard’s.

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Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay spoke to the media Tuesday at the NFL owner’s meetings and discussed his former quarterback — and the current Washington Commanders quarterback — Carson Wentz.

Irsay spoke of his disappointment in Indianapolis missing the playoffs after a horrible and embarrassing blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wentz was terrible in that game, something he acknowledged when he was introduced as Washington’s quarterback earlier this month.

Irsay was frustrated multiple times during the 2021 season, with the Colts’ slow start and miserable finish. That frustration led him to one conclusion: Carson Wentz’s stint with the Colts would last only one season and that was not negotiable.

“I wish Carson well, I think he has a chance to go into a different environment and play great in Washington,” Irsay said per Zak Keefer of The Athletic. “It’s just, for us, it was something we had to move away from as a franchise. It was very obvious.”

He later clarified his remarks on Wentz.

“Carson is not the scapegoat,” Irsay said. “It simply didn’t work out for us and what we are trying to accomplish. I mean, he’s a good man, a good father and a guy who put a lot of effort into the year and worked really hard and wanted to have success. It just didn’t work out.”

It seems like Irsay is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. “It was very obvious” Wentz had to go, but he wasn’t the scapegoat? The Colts had more problems than Wentz in 2021. We’ve heard more than a whisper this offseason that the owner wasn’t a fan of Wentz because of his choice to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Now, was Wentz great in 2021? Absolutely not. But all the praise Colts head coach Frank Reich has heaped on Wentz is authentic. It likely wasn’t Reich or GM Chris Ballard’s decision to move on from Wentz after only one season.

If you listen to Reich and Ballard talk about Wentz, then Irsay, you have no doubt where the decision came from. The owner even admitted that the Colts would have likely cut Wentz even if it did cost the team the $15 million Wentz was guaranteed for 2022.

As the old saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

We shall see if the Commanders have better luck with Wentz in 2022. He’s certainly wanted in Washington, something that wasn’t the case in Indianapolis — at least from ownership.

Conflicting messages from Carson Wentz’s one season in Indianapolis

There are some red flags surrounding Carson Wentz. However, teammates offered words of support after his trade.

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Carson Wentz’s NFL career hasn’t gone exactly as planned. The No. 2 overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2016, Wentz burst onto the scene as a rookie, giving Washington fans nightmares of what the next 10-15 years could look like in the NFC East.

Wentz was headed for an MVP season in 2017 before he tore his ACL in a Week 14 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Wentz was lost for years, leaving Nick Foles as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback. Foles would lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

Wentz’s time in Philadelphia was never quite the same.

While he would return to the starting lineup in 2018, a segment of Philadelphia’s fan base always wanted Foles. There was no question, Wentz was the far more talented of the two; however, Foles was beloved.

In 2018, Wentz led the Eagles to a 5-6 record in his 11 starts. The following season, Philadelphia finished 9-7, with Wentz starting every game. Things fell apart in 2020 when the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round.

After a disappointing end to his five years in Philly, Wentz was shipped to the Indianapolis Colts, reuniting him with head coach Frank Reich — his former offensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

His lone season in Indianapolis started slowly but seemed to improve as the season progressed. Unfortunately for Wentz, the Colts fell apart in their final two games, missing the playoffs after an embarrassing 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season finale.

That finish led to Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard not endorsing Wentz’s return in 2022, despite giving up a first-round pick for him. Reich offered similar sentiments later.

After Wentz’s trade on Wednesday, Zak Keefer of The Athletic wrote an outstanding piece on his one season with the Colts.

Some of the nuggets from Keefer’s story weren’t encouraging from a Washington perspective. Some of the following things were said about Wentz: “lack of leadership, resistance to hard coaching, and a reckless style of play.”

Remember, the leadership aspect was raised during Wentz’s time in Philly.

You now consider Wentz will be on his third team in three years, and you tend to believe there’s something to the rumors. Why would the Colts trade Wentz just one year after giving up a third-round and first-round pick for him?

Why would the Eagles trade him one year after signing him to a massive contract extension?

Wentz’s play is one thing. He is reckless. Early in his career, that recklessness often benefitted the Eagles, as he’d escape pressure and sling the ball downfield for a big play. Those plays have been less recently.

Another interesting nugget from Keefer’s story was Wentz reached out to Irsay to “clear the air” after hearing his time in Indianapolis could be in jeopardy. The meeting didn’t happen, allegedly because Irsay was out of town. The two did speak later.

Was Wentz on shaky ground with management or the locker room? According to several of his former teammates, Wentz was a popular player. Multiple players, including star linebacker Darius Leonard, took to Twitter to wish Wentz well.

Starting wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

Look, there’s no doubting the rad flags surrounding Wentz. You don’t get traded twice in two years after a team spends two premium draft picks in acquiring you. However, it doesn’t appear as if Wentz is despised in the locker room as some hinted at on social media recently.

For Washington, if things don’t work out, the team can cut him at the end of the season and only lose two draft picks. It could be worse. It could always be worse.

 

Commanders offered at least 3 1st-round picks to Seahawks for Russell Wilson

Washington made a really strong offer for Russell Wilson. Unfortunately for the Commanders, it wasn’t enough.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera wasn’t shy about his intent to upgrade at quarterback since the 2021 season ended. The Commanders’ top offseason priority was to upgrade at quarterback, preferably with a veteran.

Two weeks ago, Dianna Russini of ESPN made it clear Aaron Rodgers wasn’t an option. Rodgers officially returned to Green Bay Tuesday.

However, while the Commanders would have loved to acquire Rodgers, they were realistic, instead focusing on another franchise passer in Seattle’s Russell Wilson. Wilson felt more realistic due to his agent naming four teams he’d approve a trade to in 2021. While the Commanders weren’t on that initial list, Rivera felt there were reasons to be optimistic.

Last week, Seattle coach Pete Carroll seemingly shut that door.

On Tuesday, Washington’s hopes and dreams were dashed when the Seahawks traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos.

We know Washington offered “multiple” first-round picks for Wilson. How many were multiple? Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan reported Tuesday that the Commanders offered three first-rounders for Wilson.

Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported those picks were in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

It’s unknown what Washington offered beyond those three first-round picks. Denver’s offered included quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, tight end Noah Fant, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick in return for Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

That’s a strong offer. However, it is a drop in the bucket for a franchise passer. Denver retained much of its core and added an elite quarterback in the process, making them an instant AFC contender.

As for Washington, the last elite passer available is Deshaun Watson. Watson must still sort out his legal issues, but the Commanders reportedly remain interested.

We should know more about Washington’s plans next week when free agency opens. If the Commanders sign a veteran like Mitch Trubisky, you should probably expect one of Washington’s first two picks to be spent on a quarterback next month.

At this point, Washington’s strategy should be to throw as many resources as possible at quarterback in hopes of finding the right guy.

Seahawks turn down Commanders’ trade offer for quarterback Russell Wilson

Washington made a “strong” offer for Russell Wilson. Seattle said, “no thanks.”

Washington head coach Ron Rivera told anyone who would listen the Commanders would swing big on a quarterback this offseason. This offseason, the obvious top targets for Washington and other quarterback-needy teams were Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.

Rodgers wasn’t interested in Washington, and it’s not known if the Commanders even made an offer for the two-time defending MVP. Earlier this week, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Wilson wasn’t going anywhere. Legal issues complicate Watson’s situation.

On Friday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Washington did indeed make an offer to Seattle. And according to Rapoport, it was a “strong” offer that included multiple first-round picks, but trade talks “didn’t go anywhere.”

Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post earlier reported the Commanders made a “competitive” offer for Wilson.

Here’s my question: What was the offer? Was it two first-round picks and perhaps a player, or three first-round picks? There’s no way Seattle was accepting only two first-round picks for Wilson.

Another question: Who leaked this offer? It really wouldn’t make sense for the Seahawks to leak the news. However, for Washington, it makes perfect sense. Rivera has been outspoken about acquiring a veteran quarterback. He has some fans excited, while others were more realistic.

Washington may have leaked the offer to appease fans, conditioning them for disappointment. Maybe it was all a part of the grand offseason plan. Attempt to trade for an elite quarterback, knowing the outcome, while planning on signing a veteran like Mitchell Trubisky and/or drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

It’s not a bad strategy, exhausting all options while being somewhat transparent with fans knowing you’d likely have to settle for Plan B or Plan C at quarterback.

Hey, at least you tried.

ESPN projects what could be a busy offseason of quarterback movement

There are lots of questions surrounding several veteran quarterbacks currently under contract. Does Washington have a chance at landing any of these veteran passers?

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Will Aaron Rodgers be traded or return to Green Bay? Will Russell Wilson leave Seattle? What happens with Deshaun Watson?

These are among the top questions as we have officially entered the 2022 NFL offseason. ESPN dove into the future of eight quarterbacks with questions surrounding them in what could be an unprecedented season of veteran quarterback movement.

Dan Graziano, Jeremy Fowler, and the reporters who cover each of the eight teams who feature quarterbacks on this list discuss the offseason ahead for these passers.

The veteran quarterbacks with the most significant offseason questions are Rodgers, Wilson, Watson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr and Carson Wentz.

As you might expect, the Washington Commanders were mentioned in this story. But fans will not like what Graziano sees for Washington.

He wrote the following, linking Garoppolo to the Commanders:

The teams I keep thinking of for Garoppolo are Carolina and Washington, both teams that have a desperate need for a QB solution but for various reasons might not be able to land one of the big guys.

This isn’t the first time Garoppolo has been linked to Washington.

The most popular name attached to the Commanders in recent weeks is Wilson. However, no one believes Seattle trades Wilson, who has two years remaining on his contract. After all, who are you going to replace him with? You can receive three first-round picks and a veteran starter, but it means nothing if you don’t have a quarterback. Wilson is one of the best in the NFL, which is why it’s doubtful he is moved.

Washington coach Ron Rivera has likely been working hard behind the scenes to assess the availability of some of these quarterbacks. While all eight of these passers would represent an upgrade for the Commanders in 2022, only Rodgers, Wilson and Watson would be worth giving up multiple first-round picks.

It should be an interesting offseason for the Commanders.

Could Carson Wentz be an option for the Commanders in 2022?

Washington desperately needs a quarterback and will explore all options — including the less-than-desirable ones.

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When Carson Wentz was with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Washington fans were discouraged after seeing Wentz shake off defenders, duck and sling the ball deep downfield for touchdowns. The Eagles had their man for the next decade, and the rest of the division was in trouble.

Now, here we are in 2022, and Wentz could be heading for his third team in three years. Inconceivable, right?

The fall of Carson Wentz from MVP finalist in 2017 to benched in 2020 — and later traded — is a strange one. Last offseason, Wentz was sent to the Indianapolis Colts for first- and third-round draft picks.

Wentz played well early in 2021, and his numbers were outstanding. He passed for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. However, Wentz’s play late in the season was a significant factor in why the Colts missed the playoffs, and general manager Chris Ballard was not pleased with his quarterback.

“Sitting here today, I won’t make a comment on who’s going to be here next year and who’s not going to be here next year,” Ballard said recently via Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star. “That’s not fair to any player. I thought Carson did some good things, and there’s a lot of things he needs to do better. Our passing game has to be better.”

Surely, the Colts wouldn’t trade or release Wentz after a disappointing ending to a solid season. Well, chatter around the NFL leads many to believe Wentz could be on the way out.

The Washington Commanders need a quarterback, and Wentz will be affordable. Would Washington consider making a move for Wentz after likely striking out on bigger targets such as Russell Wilson?

This is a complicated question. Most everyone in Washington is gone that remembers the Wentz from 2017 and 2018. Here’s a sample of Wentz’s magic vs. Washington from that period.

Wentz isn’t that same player anymore. Yes, there are flashes, but injuries have taken a toll on Wentz, and he doesn’t appear to be as confident as a player as he was in the early years of his career, which began in 2016.

No one knows what the Colts will do at the quarterback position. As Washington fans know, it’s hard to find a capable NFL passer. Wentz is certainly a capable player who would provide an upgrade over the 2021 options. And, the Commanders will do their homework on every potential option — including Wentz.

Ultimately, I don’t see a match here. I’m still hesitant to believe the Colts will part ways with a player they traded two high picks for just one year ago. Ballard traded for Wentz because head coach Frank Reich’s work with the quarterback early in his career. Now, perhaps Indianapolis drafts a quarterback high in the 2022 NFL draft and decides to move on from Wentz next year.

As for the Commanders, perhaps the free-agent route paired with a rookie may be the best option if they can’t land one of the top targets.