Cleveland Browns

Carson Wentz is not a franchise QB, according to Browns executive

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Carson Wentz, according to the very knowledgable Cleveland Browns, is not a franchise quarterback.

According to the Cleveland Browns, arguably the worst quarterback evaluators in the NFL, Carson Wentz isn’t a top 20 quarterback.

Because the Browns know what they’re talking about, apparently.

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Tony Grossi, Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta claimed that the reason the Browns didn’t target Wentz in this year’s draft was because they did not believe he was a franchise quarterback.

“We have to make judgments on the individual players and we’re not always going to be right,” DePodesta said. “But in this particular case, we just didn’t feel it was necessarily the right bet to make for us at this time. Again, it comes down to individual evaluation of a player. We will not always be right on those type of things.

“I think the hardest part, and where we have to stay the most disciplined, as much as you want a player, you can’t invent him if he doesn’t exist. In a given year, there may be two or three NFL-ready quarterbacks at the college level. In another year, there literally may be zero. There just may be not be anybody in that year who’s good enough to be a top 20 quarterback in the NFL.

“Even though you have a desperate need for one, you have to resist the temptation of taking that guy just because you have a need if you don’t believe he’s one of those 20 guys at the end of the day. I think that’s the hardest part, just maintaining your discipline because you have the need. That’s what we did this year.”

So there you have it. The Philadelphia Eagles have wasted their future on a non-franchise quarterback!

Or have they?

According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles may have hit the jackpot with Wentz thanks to his size, athleticism and arm talent. PFF also believes Wentz has higher upside than Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.

Wentz may not have played a lot in the preseason, but in the one game he did play in, he looked sharp, displaying all the attributes noted by PFF.

The Wentz era hasn’t even begun yet, so it’s hard to criticize the Eagles’ decision to trade up for him. However, if there is one franchise that should have no right to criticize another’s quarterback situation, it’s probably the Browns.