Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz poised for a big year

Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz poised for a big year

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:49 p.m. ET

The Philadelphia Eagles surrounded second-year quarterback Carson Wentz with a ton of weapons, and he is poised to have a big year.

There were a lot of complaints about the 7-9 Philadelphia Eagles, though, you could argue that the biggest was the lack of weapons for rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. The Eagles selected Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick but failed to surround him with enough pieces to succeed. That weakness on the roster was taken seriously this offseason by Executive Vice President of Football Operations Howie Roseman and Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas.

Both Roseman and Douglas worked together to make sure talent would surround Wentz and give him the best opportunity to succeed in 2017 — and they succeeded in doing so. If you had to pick one quarterback who had the best offseason in the NFL, it has to be Wentz.

The second-year signal-caller went from having the worst wide receiver core in the NFL to a respected room of pass catchers. It all started with free agency, where the Eagles landed the No. 1 free agent wide receiver, Alshon Jeffery.. Along with Jeffery, the Eagles signed deep threat Torrey Smith. Smith will hopefully give Wentz a target that can stretch the field, something Wentz and the offense badly needed last year.

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Philly then attacked the 2017 NFL Draft to help bolster their receiving core. First, they selected former North Carolina wide receiver Mack Hollins in the fourth round. Second, the Eagles took one of my favorite players from the draft, former West Virginia wide receiver Shelton Gibson. The Eagles hit a home run with the home run hitter, and Gibson will add to the vertical passing game with Smith.

Adding to the receivers new receivers, the Eagles have all of their offensive linemen returning. They also added a former first-round pick, offensive guard Chance Warmack. Having a strong line will be huge for Wentz's progression in his second year.

Philly's rushing attack wasn't bad in 2016. However, they just lacked an every down back to carry the load. That is why Wentz got a late offseason present when the Eagles signed former New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount. The 2016 NFL rushing touchdown king was the missing piece of the Eagles offense.

With all of the additions on offense, what does it mean for Wentz? It means good things. He ended his rookie season with only 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Although, many know the numbers did not tell the full story. Wentz has all the talent in the world, but his teammates let him down on a consistent basis.

Free agents (Jeffery and Blount) talked about Wentz's influence on their decision to come to Philly. They see the talent and know that he is a quarterback worth playing for. Adding his talent with his free agent attraction, Wentz can make the Eagles perennial contenders.

The climb to becoming perennial contenders continues in 2017. Look for Wentz to flourish in the Eagles offense this season — especially with his new weapons. I expect Wentz to throw for 4,000 or more yards and 30 or more touchdowns in 2017. Moral of the story, Wentz is poised to have a big year in 2017.

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