The Eagles have finally done it. They have finally pulled the trigger and have sent Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. Now I know what you guys might be thinking, “But Will, you slander Carson Wentz all the time and now you think he’ll be better in Indianapolis? C’mon man!” Hear me out though. Carson Wentz SUCKED last season. There’s no getting around that. Guys like Cam Newton, Drew Lock, and Daniel Jones were better passers than Carson Wentz for the 2020 season. Big yikes.
Carson Wentz finished the season with 72.8 Passer Rating for the 2020 season. That put him at 34th overall in that category. There are only 32 starting positions at Quarterback for the NFL. That means there were two other backup QBs that finished with a higher Passer Rating than him. That’s just an example of how bad the season was for Wentz. With the poor season in the books and the relationships rumored to be souring between Wentz, the Coaching Staff, the Eagles front office, combined with Wentz’s silence even after the conclusion of the regular season, it all but spelled the end of the Carson Wentz era in Philadelphia. Donovan McNabb is probably somewhere wiping the sweat from his forehead in relief.
The Eagles really didn’t have any alternatives but to get a deal done to move Wentz. Offloading Wentz’s contract was the first move in the right direction to get them back on the up and up. While the team will have to eat $33.8 million of the contract this year, they will have that deal off the books for the 2022 season. With the expected increase in salary cap for that season, it will allow Howie Roseman more flexibility in what he’s really good at… Free agency.
For Wentz, he’ll need to get right to work when things really get underway in Indy. He won’t get the excuses or the benefit of the doubt anymore. He won’t have the ability to have the blame laid at the other parts of the team or front office. He’s coming into an already made team that could very well be a Quarterback away from the big dance. At the very least, the AFC title game. Wentz won’t get the a bailout from a bad oline, no weapons, and bad coaching. Comparing the Colts to the Eagles is literally night and day. He’s got to put the work in. And likely for the beginning of his tenure with the Colts, he’s going to hear about these issues from his time in Philly and constantly be compared to the “then and now”.
But it’s not all gloom and doom. The very fact that Carson was traded to the Colts is really a good thing. He has weapons in Michael Pittman and hopefully Parris Campbell if he can stay healthy. We all saw what Jonathan Taylor was able to do this season as a rookie and he’ll more than likely be the main back next season with Marlon Mack expected to hit free agency. Wentz does have one of the better oline’s in the league too. Pro Football Focus has the Colts oline ranked 7th on their end of season rankings. The Eagles… 19th. And we all know the Frank Reich/Carson Wentz connection. Oh and did I mention that the Colts have $43.6 million in cap space?
There’s no more room for excuses for Carson Wentz this time around. But that isn’t a bad thing. Now is the chance for Wentz to really show what he’s made of when he has pieces around him. Can he return to the 2017 season or better? That will be the question both fans and fantasy owners will be thinking about as they prepare for the 2021 NFL and fantasy seasons. I, for one, am hoping for the turnaround. Per Fantasy Football Calculator, Carson Wentz’s current ADP puts him at the 14.05. That’s a prime draft position for a QB 2 with major upside in the Colts offense that you can grab in the later half of your fantasy draft next season.
Granted, it’s likely that his stock could rise after free agency and the draft but it may not increase by much. If you’re looking for a QB to grab, Wentz could be your guy. I think with the combination of weapons, offensive scheme, and the amount of cap space the Colts are playing with, currently 4th in cap space per Overthecap.com, Carson Wentz could have a big bounce back season. I mean, just look at what Philip Rivers did in just his one season with the Colts as opposed to his last season with the Chargers. Rivers QBR improved to 62.5 from 50.5. His Passer rating jumped up from 88.5 to 97. And he threw 11 INTs as opposed to the 20 INTs he threw in LAC. Now imagine what a younger, much better passer in Carson Wentz can do with that offense.
Wentz has the chance to not only rebuild his career and image but to be one of the best lowkey bargains in fantasy this season. This was the move that I was hoping for when it comes to fantasy. Carson has the opportunity to be a top 10 QB next season for fantasy. Everything from the team to the division says that Carson Wentz can get it done. He just has to get his head on straight. As a fantasy owner, you might want to keep your eye on him this offseason. I know I will. I’ll have him locked in as one of my 2021 Comeback Player Candidates at the position to boot.
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