Wentz has the look of a winner — in practice
PHILADELPHIA » The drill was like something you’d see when the football comes out at a family picnic. Set up a few obstacles, make guys run around them and see who can catch on the other side.
That’s what the Eagles did to break up the monotony of OTAs Monday.
Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich compiled the running commentary, imploring quarterback Carson Wentz to look off his primary receiver, even though everyone knew it was the dude running through the serpentine.
“Sell it, now,” Reich shouted. “Nice throw, 11. Nice.”
No. 11 is Wentz, the Eagles’ past, present and future quarterback. Connecting with free agent addition Torrey Smith, who made the grab bursting out of his break, was among several entertaining balls he threw with authority through a drizzle.
Wentz hooked up with Smith and the team’s other marquee free agent signing, Alshon Jeffery, on short throws, intermediate routes and audience-pleasing bombs. Some by design, others improvised.
Sure, it was only an OTA. And the first-team cornerbacks were Jalen Mills and Patrick Robinson, not to be confused with Josh Norman or Janoris Jenkins, whom the Eagles must match up against in the NFC East.
But it beat last year. It beat the best Eagles practices last year.
Wentz won’t admit it but last year was pure hell for him after the solid start. It was next to impossible for him to get on the same page with receivers who didn’t want the ball as much he wanted them to have it.
Eagles fans awaiting their first in-depth look at Jeffery, who are asking themselves if it makes sense bringing back Jeremy Maclin, will be happy to know he personally uses every inch and ounce of his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame to own the ball. Like Jeffery did Monday when he went deep on what Wentz called a broken play.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Wentz said while mentioning the limited nature of the non-contact workouts. “He looks like a guy who can go up and get the ball. I’ve seen it.”
You’ll see Jeffery in action catching footballs from receivers coach Mike Groh in some of the same positions receivers see in live action. Jeffery will be stretching, as if feet anchored inside the sideline, and grab throw after throw.
In the live drills Wentz is becoming more and more comfortable with Smith, who not only provides the Birds with the element of speed but runs routes that get him open.
Last year Wentz completed only 11 throws for 30 or more yards, the longest, Darren Sproles’ 73-yard catch-and-run in the rout of the Steelers. Just three of those 11 completions resulted in touchdowns.
Wentz’s 6.23 average yards per pass attempt was 29th in the NFL, and not for lack of trying. Only four quarterbacks attempted more passes.
Wentz began his career throwing touchdown passes of 19 yards to Jordan Matthews and 35 to Nelson Agholor. It ended with a couple of TD throws to Zach Ertz against a bunch of Cowboys substitutes.
It’s early but the receiving corps this year looks so much more capable than last year that you wonder how many points Wentz and this offense are capable of week in and week out.
“Torrey obviously brings a speed threat,” Wentz said. “He’s shown it. He’s got a track record for doing that. So I’m definitely excited. It’s something within our offense to figure out where we integrate that and how we go about it. There were definitely times last year where maybe I could have taken a shot and I didn’t. There were times I took a shot when I shouldn’t have. So it’s just kind of getting a feel for when it’s appropriate to do that.
“But yes, Torrey brings an element there that’s exciting.”
The pressure is on the Eagles to make the passing game work when the season begins Sept. 10 at Washington. Reich and head coach Doug Pederson are responsible for fitting all of the new pieces into a coherent offense — stat.
“It’s almost like when you’re making a meal and you’re bringing in fresh ingredients,” Reich said. “But you’ve got your old staples and you’re trying to put together a recipe that’s going to taste good. It’s going to look good. Add the right seasoning, try to do things, isolate guys, try to do things in formations, taste it a little bit, see if it tastes good, work it a little bit more. Maybe we need a little bit more here. That’s kind of what we’re doing right now, going through that process.”
With the opener just 96 days away, the Eagles don’t have a lot of time to experiment. Organized team activities end this week. The three-day minicamp is next week. After that, there’s training camp and the preseason.
The Eagles like the experience and depth on the offensive line, even with left tackle Jason Peters off on his own doing his thing. Ditto the upgrades at wide receiver.
The Eagles still don’t know what the running backs are capable of. Sproles returned to work this week. He’s still a thirddown back. It doesn’t help practicing without veteran back LeGarrette Blount, who has missed camp due to illness, per a team spokesman. Rookie Donnell Pumphrey (5-9, 176) isn’t getting any bigger.
A deep passing game can hide the sins. The Eagles were reminded of that last year.