Already time for Wentz to make big memories

PHILADELPHIA » Even if the Eagles didn’t spend wildly for his rights, Carson Wentz was destined to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft. With that, there was a consensus: He would be a special NFL quarterback.

The only question: When?

It was a reasonable debate. Wentz only played one full season at midmajor North Dakota State. He broke his wrist and played just seven games as a senior. At first, the Eagles had him buried at No. 3 on their own depth chart. No one was rushing anything.

Football, though, operates on its own schedule. From the way the oddly shaped ball bounces to the randomness of injuries, to the nature of NFL parity, opportunities do not arrive on schedule. They just develop. And for Wentz, they have developed early. They have developed early enough that before the end of this, his second pro-football season, he could have velvet-rope access to the legendary quarterback club.

Patrick Peterson is the Arizona Cardinals’ six-time Pro Bowl cornerback, as capable a defensive back as there is in pro football, right in the middle of his career. Sunday, he watched in appreciation as Wentz passed for 304 yards and four touchdowns, yielded 9-for-14 third-down efficiency, stepped around would-be tacklers and whistled lengthy complete passes. He’s sold.

“He’s a guy that’s very mobile and athletic,” Peterson said. “He has great pocket presence and does a good job of putting his guys in position. He managed the game very well. He’s soon to be a top-tier quarterback as he continues to grow. His ability to get his receivers open with his legs was the most impressive. We sent pressure at him a couple of times and he was able to escape a little bit, especially in the second half.

“When we have him bottled up, we have to make sure we get him down on the ground. Like I said, he’s a guy that has great pocket presence, and he understands where the pressure and blitzes are coming from. He knows where the outlets are and he moves very well.”

Wentz is having a fabulous season. His 1,362 passing yards are sixth most in the NFL. With 10 touchdown passes, he is one of six quarterbacks in double figures. But his impact is not easily measured with numbers. It’s how he reacts when the rush is coming, how he produces on thirdand-long, how he manages the game from the line of scrimmage.

“You see Carson day in and day out,” Jalen Mills said. “His car is always in the first parking spot. That is how you know he is the first guy in the building. And way past guys getting in the ice tub, getting recovery and getting back to the parking lot, the lot is empty and you still see his car there. He is the first guy in and always the last guy out. When players see that coming from the quarterback, it shows us that he is that dedicated. And means a lot to us.”

There is value to working early and late, and the Eagles appreciate Wentz’s dedication. But the value is heightened when the atmosphere is ideal for success. This is one of those seasons, particularly in the NFC East. The Giants are done; Eli Manning can no longer play. The Eagles won on the road in Washington. And the Cowboys are learning what Wentz and the Eagles someday will discover, too: That the great seasons, and Dallas had one with Dak Prescott last year, sometimes just evolve.

The Eagles are into one of those seasons. That makes it Wentz’s time to maximize the moment. While just a second-year player, Wentz spent five years at North Dakota State and he will turn 25 in December. He is in, or at least nearing, his physical prime.

Since well-conditioned NFL quarterbacks can thrive deep into their 30s, Wentz will have time, and the Eagles’ patience, to improve. But Howie Roseman fit Wentz with three accomplished NFL point-producers last summer in Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and LeGarrette Blount. All are contributing. All are making Wentz look better, and vice-versa. But all are on short-term contracts. This is their time, too.

“As a team, we’re just built differently,” Wentz said. “We know what to expect, and we’re just hungry. We’re hungry. We’re never going to get too high after wins or never are going to get too low after loses. We’re just going to keep plugging along.

“We know we’re a special team. We just have to keep going and prove it every week.”

In theory, the Eagles could be better later in Wentz’s career. But that’s not necessarily how it works. It might be a little early, but his opportunity to be great has arrived already.