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UPDATE, 12:57: Per Adam Caplan of ESPN, Carson Wentz will start Week 1 against the Browns if he has fully recovered from his fractured ribs:
#Eagles are planning on starting Carson Wentz against the visiting #Browns if he's recovered enough from his rib injury, sources said.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) September 3, 2016
Original story below...
We're all still digesting the news that Sam Bradford has been traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a first and a fourth round pick. And as Saturday morning rolls along, we're learning more about the Philadelphia Eagles' intentions with this trade.
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo!, the trade might be because the Eagles are feeling more confident in rookie quarterback Carson Wentz:
Hold the phone on #Eagles elevating Chase Daniel as starter. I'm hearing this trade is more about Carson Wentz moving up.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 3, 2016
And that's not all - the Eagles beat writers are getting in the action too. From the Inquirer's Jeff McLane:
#Eagles are over the moon about Carson Wentz, even just based on one preseason session. If healthy, he should start in Game 1.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) September 3, 2016
If this proves to be true, it's about as stunning as the Bradford trade itself. Head coach Doug Pederson has been careful not to heap too much praise on Wentz this summer, to say nothing of the fact that the North Dakota State product only took a grand total of 39 snaps in the preseason.
Wentz went 12 of 24 for 89 yards and an interception, with three carries for 15 yards in his lone NFL action. But he also showed some impressive awareness and mobility. Perhaps most importantly, the moment didn't look too big for a guy who made his name playing against Youngstown State and Montana.
As of this moment, Chase Daniel is the starter for the Eagles. But Daniel had a rough preseason, culminating in one touchdown, two interceptions and a 68.2 quarterback rating through four preseason games. More importantly, though, Daniel was brought in to be a solid backup and maybe even to mentor Wentz. But with Bradford gone, playing Daniel over a healthy Wentz makes little sense - especially if Pederson and his coaching staff think the rookie's ready.
Trading Bradford for a first round pick (and then some!) was too good an offer for the Eagles to pass up, regardless of the circumstances. But if the coaching staff is truly ready for their prized rookie to see the field, the trade makes that much more sense.