ESPN picks Carson Wentz to make the biggest leap forward in 2017

A group of six ESPN NFL insiders put together some early predictions for the 2017 NFL season (a mere 95 days away from the date of this post). Some of their predictions were related to the Philadelphia Eagles, so let’s take a closer look.

Carson Wentz poised to break out

Four out of the six insiders picked Wentz as their quarterback set to make the biggest leap this year. One picked Tyrod Taylor and the other picked Jared Goff (lol).

Bowen: Eagles QB Carson Wentz is my pick after the flashes he showed as a rookie, along with the upgrades Philly made at wide receiver. Alshon Jeffery is a great fit for the Eagles' scheme, and Torrey Smith can still blow the top off the secondary with his vertical speed. Both players should facilitate more production from Wentz in his second season.

Sando: Wentz's rookie numbers were modest (16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions), leaving significant room for improvement. The Eagles also added weapons around him, which should help his cause. I'm less optimistic about Blake Bortles, and I think if his efficiency improves, it will have more to do with the Jaguars' defense and running game lightening the load.

Seifert: Wentz tailed off badly as a rookie after a strong start, finishing 2016 with the NFL's fifth-worst QBR (52.8), but he'll benefit from the Eagles' aggressive additions at receiver and also a full year with right tackle Lane Johnson.

Yates: Wentz must rectify his mechanics (which skidded downhill as a rookie), but there's plenty to like about his situation. The team beefed up the backfield by signing LeGarrette Blount, while also significantly improving its receiving corps.

As we’ve said many times before, 2017 is a big year for Wentz. He needs to take a significant step forward. He’s the X-factor when it comes to the success of the entire team.

There’s reason to believe Wentz will improve upon his 2016 performance. He’ll enter the regular season with a full offseason under his belt of knowing he’ll be the starter and getting the bulk of the team’s practice reps.

An improved supporting cast should also do Wentz a lot of favors. The addition of some actual NFL wide receivers and a talented rusher like LeGarrette Blount will leave Wentz with less excuses if he struggles this season.

Wentz will ultimately make or break this current Eagles regime. There’s a lot riding on the 24-year-old North Dakota native.

Alshon Jeffery will be one of the biggest difference makers

Two out of six insiders picked Jeffery as the new player who will make the biggest difference on his new team.

Bowen: If healthy and on the field, new Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is an immediate upgrade for Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia offense. He has the size and frame to run inside breaking routes and cause matchup problems in the red zone. His skill set is a perfect match for Doug Pederson's system.

Schatz: I'm going with Jeffery, because it is hard to overstate just how bad the Eagles' wide receivers were a year ago. Jeffery has averaged 15 yards per catch in the NFL; his biggest problem has been staying on the field.

The numbers indicate Wentz and Jeffery are the perfect fit for each other. There’s a lot of reason to be optimistic about that quarterback-receiver connection.

Jeffery has been very impressive in Eagles OTAs so far. The big-bodied receiver has caught everything thrown his way. He’s showed his signature ability to win 50-50 jump balls in the air. That skill figures to be a big help for Wentz, especially as he continues to refine his accuracy.

Jeffery will be very motivated to have a strong year since he’ll be a free agent after the 2017 season.

Washington poised to take a step back

Four out of six experts picked Washington as the team that got “measurably worse” this offseason.

Seifert: The Redskins' offensive organization and creativity took a hit when McVay departed for the Rams' head-coaching job. Plus, Cousins knows the team's confidence in him long term is measured. That's not a good combination -- and it doesn't even begin to address a defense that, charitably, doesn't look much better than the one that allowed 378 yards per game last season (No. 28 in the NFL).

Graziano: I think the signs are bad in Washington, where Cousins is going to have a tough time repeating his 2015 and 2016 success without Garcon and Jackson (not to mention McVay). This is a team that ran out of gas at the end of last season and lost a lot of key pieces on offense -- and they play in a division where Dallas and New York both should expect to be strong again.

Seifert: The Redskins' offensive organization and creativity took a hit when McVay departed for the Rams' head-coaching job. Plus, Cousins knows the team's confidence in him long term is measured. That's not a good combination -- and it doesn't even begin to address a defense that, charitably, doesn't look much better than the one that allowed 378 yards per game last season (No. 28 in the NFL).

Yates: I can see how Washington plans to replace some of its departed pieces, but it won't be easy. The aforementioned McVay was a terrific match with Cousins. Washington will miss Garcon's reliability and Jackson's big-play spark. The team needs a lot from second-year wideout Doctson, who missed most of his rookie season because of injury.

I actually think Washington had a decent offseason in terms of talent acquisition. They made some nice moves in free agency (Terrelle Pryor) and seemed to have a good 2017 NFL Draft class.

But despite all of that, they’re still Washington. They fired the most successful and well-liked general manager they’ve had in a long time. They alienated their starting quarterback to the point where he asked the owner to trade him. There’s just been so much dysfunction in that organization.

I don’t think Washington will be a total disaster this year. I’d be surprised if they only won four games, for example. But I don’t think they have a very high ceiling either. They could be looking at a 6-10 or 7-9 campaign.

Find a complete list of the topics the insiders weighed in on below. Feel free to make your own predictions in the comments.

The new addition who will make the biggest difference in 2017

The team that will be the Patriots' biggest challenger

The QB who will take the biggest leap forward

Non-playoff team from 2016 that will make 2017 field

Year 2 player who is primed for a breakout season

Best offense and defense in 2017

The team that got measurably worse this offseason

Most improved team this offseason