Philadelphia Eagles

The 2016 Philadelphia Eagles season isn't anywhere close to being over

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

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The Eagles didn’t throw in the towel on the 2016 season when they traded Sam Bradford.

When Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman shocked the world by acquiring a first-round pick in 2017 and a fourth-round pick in 2018 from the Minnesota Vikings for quarterback Sam Bradford, many thought the deal was as one-sided as when the Chicago Bears gave the Seattle Seahawks a first-round pick for underwhelming former first round quarterback Rick Mirer in 1997. Some even compared it to the Herschel Walker trade in 1989, which oddly enough was also a Viking blunder.

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After the initial shock subsided, there were many in Philadelphia that were upset with the trade, because dealing away the perceived best quarterback on the roster made it appear that the Eagles were simply preparing for the future and throwing away the season. Much of the national media felt the same way, but gather around. Let’s take a look at why this simply just isn’t the case.

For starters, after the trade, the feeling was that Chase Daniel was going to become the starter for most of the season until rookie Carson Wentz was ready. Granted if that were the case, then yes the season may have actually been a disaster; however, with head coach Doug Pederson announcing that Wentz will be starting opening day; it completely changes the complexion of the season.

Here’s a side note. Isn’t it funny how Jared Goff was seen as the finished product and Wentz was the project during draft time? Well, as it turns out, Wentz is starting, and Goff will be relegated to clipboard duty and being third on the depth chart. You got to love the NFL.

By giving Wentz the opportunity to start right away, the Eagles are giving him the old “trial by fire” approach. There is nothing wrong with this approach, just like there was nothing wrong with going with, say, the Aaron Rodgers approach. It’s worked for guys like Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning. Keep in mind Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez led their squads to the AFC Championship games as rookies in 2008 and 2009 respectively, albeit with help from some pretty good defenses.

Haters will say that it failed miserably for guys like Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch and David Carr, but those are completely different scenarios. Ryan Leaf just couldn’t play and was a total head case. Wentz may not work out, but at least he has a good head on his shoulders. He’s already better than Leaf in that regard. In the cases of Couch and Carr, they were both thrown in to the lion’s den without a spear since the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans were expansion teams in their first seasons in 1999 and 2002 respectively. Naturally they were going to struggle.

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The other thing that nobody brings up is the fact that the teams that Wentz will be facing in the NFC East have defenses that are, at best, adequate. That may even be considered being kind. The Eagles, on the other hand, have a defense led by new coordinator Jim Schwartz and legitimate stars like Fletcher Cox and Malcolm Jenkins. It wouldn’t be surprising if this defense finished in the top ten. Finishing in the top five might not be a stretch either.

With all of that being said, there is no reason that the Eagles can’t win a very weak division and sneak into the playoffs with Wentz under center (see the aforementioned Flacco and Sanchez situations above). Not to mention arguably the best special teams unit in the league. The season is not a wash.

For those who still aren’t convinced that the trade was a good move, you may need to get off of your high horses and climb down from your pessimistic ivory towers. They got a first-round draft choice back (Philadelphia will be hosting by the way) and a fourth-round draft pick, and they got all of this for a quarterback who is, in no way, elite. Howie Roseman may have pulled off the heist of the century, rivaled only by Seth Rollins cashing in his money in the bank contract during the main event of Wrestlemania 31 (Yeah I went there).

Now, there’s a good chance that the season won’t be a success, and this team could win anywhere from four to eight games. If that’s the case, at least the groundwork is there for them to be a well-oiled machine in the coming years. For now, everyone needs to take a chill pill and pump the breaks on saying the season is already over (on Labor Day weekend no less).