Getty Images It was apparently a no-brainer for the organization. For the locker room, it’s a different story. Joseph Santoliquito of PhillyVoice.com has published a potentially explosive article that contains quotes from “more than a half dozen players, plus other sources close to the team,” all of whom insisted on anonymity, regarding quarterback Carson Wentz. The coaching staff and front office continue to anoint Wentz as the starter. Nick Foles seems to be on his way out, regardless of the specific mechanism by which he exits. Per the report, however, Foles is “universally loved” in the locker room. And Carson Wentz is not. While he has been described as “incredibly hard working,” “determined,” and “highly intelligent,” Wentz also has been dubbed as, quoting from the story, “‘selfish,’ ‘uncompromising,’ ‘egotistical,’ one who plays ‘favorites’ and doesn’t like to be ‘questioned,’ one who needs to ‘practice what he preaches’ and fails ‘to take accountability. '” “Carson Wentz’s biggest enemy is Carson Wentz,” one unnamed source told Santoliquito. “He’s had his ass kissed his whole life, and sometimes acts like he’s won 10 Super Bowls, when he hasn’t played in, let alone won, a playoff game yet. Everyone around him wants good things for him. He did more thinking on the field than he did playing [in 2018]. You don’t have to be a brain surgeon or a football expert to see how differently this team plays and reacts with one guy as opposed to the other.” That part is true. While Wentz may be the better quarterback than Foles, the Eagles seem to be the better team when Foles plays. The problem with Wentz, per the report, comes from alleged tendency to “complicate” the offense. Wentz could “complicate 2+2,” one source told Santoliquito. One criticism of Wentz comes from the perception that, while Foles runs the offense and goes through the required progressions, Wentz all too often throws to tight end Zach Ertz. There also was a sense this season that Wentz’s desire to match what Foles accomplished last year, winning the Super Bowl after Wentz tore an ACL, made Wentz do too much. “He has to return to who ‘Carson Wentz’ is,” an unnamed source told Santoliquito. “That comes with relaxing and not forcing things. It also comes with being able to take constructive criticism. He has to learn that it’s not always about him and that’s partly what hurt this team this year. We know what type of player he can be, and who he normally is. He needs to realize it’s the Philadelphia Eagles not the Philadelphia Carsons. . . . A little humility goes a long way.” Could these criticisms prompt the Eagles to reconsider their commitment to Wentz? Probably not. If nothing else, however, these are things that the team and Wentz may need to hear and to heed in order to get back to the success the team had under Wentz in 2017, before the injury. The Eagles also may need to change how they coach Wentz. The article suggests that former offensive coordinator Frank Reich and former quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo were able to steer Wentz the right way, but that Wentz “bullied” offensive coordinator Mike Groh in 2018. Wentz has the skills to be an MVP. Beyond finding a way to stay healthy, however, he apparently also needs to find a way better connect with teammates, especially with the quarterback they apparently prefer on his way out.<doc-sep>Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ... Claims that the Eagles’ Carson Wentz is selfish might not be wrong, but they’re overblown - Daily News We’re not saying it was inaccurate. Just incomplete, and sensationalized. It also was remarkable for what it lacked. Journalistically, there is little reason to question the veracity of the comments nor the method by which they were gathered. Santoliquito has been a solid journalist in Philadelphia for years; in fact, he has been employed by this company. However, journalistically, balance and fairness are lacking in the story. Intentionally. The story was published Monday morning. An Eagles source said the site left a voicemail just minutes before it was posted. Santoliquito admitted Monday afternoon that he left a voicemail just 40 minutes before it was published, then wrote in the story that the Eagles did not reply to his voicemail. This not only is unacceptable, but seeking comment in this manner was unnecessary. He could have spoken to the team and Wentz several times during his reporting process. Did Carson Wentz “over target” Zach Ertz? - BGN Earlier today a bombshell was dropped by Joseph Santoliquito of PhillyVoice, accusing Carson Wentz of being selfish and egotistical, and that he was causing problems behind the scenes. There’s a lot in it that’s straight opinion, and everyone is entitled to theirs. The validity of those complaints is up to the reader. (I enjoyed the player who, when given the chance to “define what accountability means” by Doug Pederson, opted to say absolutely nothing.) But some of the complaints are based on stats, and the stats don’t fit the narrative. Carson Wentz Philly Voice Report Emergency Pod - BGN Radio On Episode 33 of BGN Radio, host Brandon Gowton is solo for an emergency podcast that tackles the controversial report in the Philly Voice that quotes sources labeling Carson Wentz as “selfish” “uncompromising” and “egotistical.” He’s Not Perfect!!! - Iggles Blitz Listen, I don’t doubt that Wentz does rub some teammates the wrong way. When I was around him at the Senior Bowl in January of 2016, you could see Wentz was a natural leader and a strong personality. Players gravitated to him. But guys like that aren’t for everyone. They will ruffle some feathers. And I’m sure Wentz was in a weird place since mid-December of 2017. He had the Eagles off to a great start. He was on pace to be the league’s MVP. Wentzmania was sweeping the NFL. In the blink of an eye, he was rehabbing a knee while his teammates went and won the Super Bowl. I’m sure Wentz was pushing himself incredibly hard this offseason. I’m sure he was a pain in the butt to some people around him as he worked relentlessly to come back from his injury. Wentz wanted his chance to go win the Super Bowl. A big part of his success is the fact he’s very driven. That can probably make him difficult to deal with at times. Thoughts on Carson Wentz’s being characterized as ‘selfish’ and ‘egotistical’ - NBCSP He’s definitely a Type A personality and we’ve seen instances of it popping up before. It’s important to note, that’s not always a bad thing. During the 2017 season, then-OC Frank Reich even hinted at Wentz’s stubbornness. In October 2017, Reich said Wentz told them he had a lot of arguments with his OC in college, but the Eagles viewed that as a good thing because he knew what he wanted. Reich was then asked if he got into arguments with Wentz. Here’s what he said: “I wouldn’t call them arguments. We’re all stubborn. Coaches, players, you’re very confident in what you know and what you believe and what you want. And so we have good discussions and we take a lot of input from Carson, like we do all of our players. Certainly, from the quarterback position, there’s a unique contribution I think that you can make and that he can make, but he’s still — what we appreciate about him is that he’s mature enough to understand there’s a process.” So when the story says new OC Mike Groh was “bullied” by Wentz, I wonder what constitutes bullying. Kapadia mailbag: What to make of Carson Wentz’s standing in the Eagles locker room? - The Athletic The bottom line here is that there is a dynamic that plays out with the quarterback and the rest of the roster in every NFL locker room. The quarterback always gets the credit when the team plays well, is paid the most money (this will be the case with Wentz soon enough), gets the most endorsements, etc. There were a lot of teammates — Fletcher Cox, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz — who voiced support for Wentz on social media after the Philly Voice article was published. I’m sure there are others who find Foles more relatable. That can be true and also not that big of a deal. There are 53 different personalities in every locker room. Not everyone is going to see each situation the same. My sense is that Wentz still has plenty of support in the locker room, and the Eagles’ future will be bright with him as the quarterback. Next season will be fascinating. Wentz’s resilience and leadership will be in the spotlight. Foles will likely be gone. Wentz will be out to prove he can stay healthy and return to his 2017 form. Fran Duffy’s Senior Bowl Position-By-Position Preview - PE.com So I didn’t write a full position by position preview for this week’s Senior Bowl, but I figured that I would post a quick position by position thread on here with some quick thoughts on what we will all see this week in Mobile. Redskins QB Alex Smith at Wizards game sporting massive brace/external fixator - Hogs Haven Now over a month after his release he is out in public at today’s Washington Wizards game wearing a huge brace/external fixator to secure his broken leg. Smith’s recovery is expected to take up to a year, and the entire 2019 season. A Blown Call Crushed the Saints, Sent the Rams to the Super Bowl, and Exposed the NFL’s Officiating Crisis - The Ringer The furor over the missed pass-interference penalty in Sunday’s NFC championship game is the rare NFL story in which everyone is in agreement. The fallout will affect the legacies of several players and coaches, and it shines a light on a problem the league has been negligent in addressing for far too long. NFL to again discuss reviewing PI calls after Sunday’s no-call in NFC title game - ESPN The NFL will discuss this offseason whether to make pass-interference penalties reviewable, a source confirmed in the wake of the infamous no-call that helped decide Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. However, that has already been a big topic of discussion for the past several years within the NFL’s competition committee -- with coaches such as the New Orleans Saints’ Sean Payton and the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick among many longtime advocates for expanded replay. How can the NFL make sure the Saints officiating mess doesn’t happen again? - SB Nation The New Orleans Saints should probably be preparing for a Super Bowl 53 matchup against the New England Patriots. Instead, it’s the Los Angeles Rams who won the NFC Championship, largely due to blatant pass interference that was somehow missed by officials. With 1:49 left in a 20-20 game, Drew Brees threw a pass to Tommylee Lewis up the right sideline, but the receiver was blasted out of bounds by Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman before the ball arrived. Everyone — including the Rams — knew it should’ve been pass interference. The Saints should’ve been set up with a first down at about the 6-yard line. It would’ve given them the chance to run out the majority of the remaining clock to set up a chip shot for Wil Lutz to win the game. ... Social Media Information: BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio<doc-sep>
At this time last year, the Eagles were headed to the Super Bowl. Now they’re coming out to publicly defend their franchise quarterback following a bombshell report cited team sources questioning his role as a team player. After Carson Wentz ended the season injured for the second straight season — with backup Nick Foles unable to repeat his magic this postseason — a story published Monday painted a picture of a selfish quarterback who caused friction behind the scenes. “Carson Wentz’s biggest enemy is Carson Wentz,” a source told PhillyVoice, which cited more than six players and other sources close to the team who spoke anonymously for the report. “He’s had his ass kissed his whole life, and sometimes acts like he’s won 10 Super Bowls, when he hasn’t played in, let alone won, a playoff game yet. Everyone around him wants good things for him. He did more thinking on the field than he did playing [in 2018]. You don’t have to be a brain surgeon or a football expert to see how differently this team plays and reacts with one guy as opposed to the other.” But Wentz’s teammates were quick to have his back. Third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld, offensive linemen Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks, tight end Zach Ertz and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox all tweeted their support of Wentz on Monday morning in response to the report. “I’m around Carson arguably more than anybody on the team and I feel obligated to say how false and simply wrong the claims made about him are,” Sudfeld wrote. “Whoever wrote that article needs to check their ‘sources’. #fakenews,” Johnson wrote. “Carson has been and is our leader and our QB. Y’all know where to find me if you have any issues.” “Reading through this Carson Wentz thing and as a leader on this team none of that is true,” Cox wrote. “Carson is a great teammate and great player we are all behind him 100% he’s our guy and will come back and prove the world wrong. If you got a problem feel free to @ me I’ll respond.” The only player to respond to him was Brooks, who wrote, “What my guy @fcoxx_91 said!! !” Ertz, who was mentioned in the story as Wentz’s favorite target to a fault, also backed his QB. “Don’t believe everything you read!! !” he wrote. “Carson has been nothing but a GREAT person, GREAT teammate and GREAT leader since Day 1. Our locker room stands behind him all the way. We can’t wait to get back to work and be the best team we can be in 2019!” After going down last year with a torn ACL, opening the door for Foles to lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl win over the Patriots, Wentz’s 2018 season ended with a back injury. Foles took over again and sparked the Eagles before they fell to the Saints in the divisional round of the playoffs. Foles is set to be a free agent, but Monday’s report made it sound as if some in the organization would like to have him back. The story said Wentz “bullied” offensive coordinator Mike Groh, tended to “complicate” the offense and failed to take accountability. “He needs to realize it’s the Philadelphia Eagles not the Philadelphia Carsons,” a source told PhillyVoice. “A little humility goes a long way.”