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Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich had his Week 1 press conference this morning, immediately following Jim Schwartz's. Unlike Schwartz there weren't any jokes, but there was plenty of praise of Carson Wentz.
On the Sam Bradford trade and Wentz's development
Reich said the Eagles were taking it "one step at a time, it's a long process that started the day we drafted Carson. No one was expecting it but every move that gets made you look forward to working with the guys who are here, so that's the mindset going forward."
"If there are 5 to 7 key boxes you're looking to check off for a guy to be an elite QB he checks all the boxes. He scores 9 or 10 on a lot of those boxes."
"There's no doubt in my mind he's ready to play. But we'll see how it plays out."
On if there was a moment that said to him that Wentz is ready
"I felt when we evaluated him that he was already. I wasn't always 100% with coach Pederson's plan but I thought it was a great plan." Reich said he is pleased with the way the QB situation has played out, and that he thinks Wentz is the real deal.
"Some guys just have it. It doesn't matter what level you played on. But he's like anyone else he has to go out and prove it. This is a big man's game, this is a physical game. You work that along with what I would say are very high grades in process speed, leadership and playmaking ability and all those other X factors, those are a lot of good things to check off."
"First thing that jumps out on Wentz's college tape was natural ability."
"You watched his film and you watched his body movements, his body language.... there's certain plays where you go 'no one else can do that.' Each game there's 10 plays that make you go 'that's why he's the #2 pick in the draft'."
On advice for Wentz for his first game
"Not every play is the play of the game. This is true of every young player, you don't have to be the hero, just play good football."
"There's nothing that builds excitement and energy on the football field like execution. We want to keep it simple and focus on executing. Doug's brought in a great system."
"Just run our offense and execute it and good things will happen."
On using Dorial Green-Beckham
"Some QBs have a natural touch and feel for [the fade] and Carson has a natural touch and feel for it." Says it should be a quick transition with Green-Beckham in the red zone, pointing out that DGB (he actually called him DBG) has been grabbing fade routes for years, so that for both players it should come naturally to them.
On Wentz and running too much
"Coach has been talking to him since the day he got here. I have been talking to him. [QB coach] John DiFilippo has been talking to him.... I think he has gotten that message, I think he understands the responsibility."
On prepping for Cleveland
Reich said he has "a lot of respect for [Browns defensive coordinator] Ray Horton. He's not afraid to be aggressive and attack."
He was asked about how you prepare for the first game against a team with a new coaching staff. Reich said that early in the year it's harder to scout teams with new coaching staffs, but that it cuts both ways because opponents have same problem with the Eagles. "Part of the game is scheme, part of the game is matchup."
He also said they will try to get Darren Sproles involved "in every way we can."
On using a fullback, yes, a fullback
"We can always use Trey [Burton] back there, we can always use an offensive lineman or defensive lineman."