Preseason games can do more harm than good for Eagles

PHILADELPHIA >> A couple of months ago NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said four preseason games were unnecessary.

Couldn’t agree more. We all know what superstar talent costs, particularly the quarterbacks. Why risk those assets in competition even the Comish disapproves of?

Which brings us to the Eagles, Carson Wentz and the upcoming preseason.

Who’s going to say it was a good idea to expose Wentz to pass rushers bringing everything they have for a handful of plays if he’s injured? A friendly reminder: Halapoulivaati Vaitai is playing right guard and rookie Andre Dillard is going to spend a lot of time at left tackle.

Theoretically Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has the final say on who does and doesn’t play in the preseason and the regular season. We know better. Doctors get involved. The bosses in the front office get involved. The owner weighs in. Pederson isn’t too proud to admit his job is to coach the players he’s given.

To no one’s surprise, Pederson said he hadn’t decided if Wentz would play Thursday when the Eagles oppose the Tennessee Titans at the Linc. Two days before the game and he doesn’t know?

Let’s give Pederson the benefit of a doubt. Maybe he bounced his thoughts off upper management and the return email went to his spam folder or something.

When the Eagles get on the field Thursday, give Pederson quarterbacks Nate Sudfeld, Cody Kessler and Clayton Thorson this week, see how the offensive line does and if it’s acceptable, consider playing Wentz next week in Jacksonville.

Pederson made arguments for and against playing Wentz Thursday.

“For, is that it’s been a while since he has been on the field and we want to get him that feel of being back on the grass again in a competitive, live situation,” Pederson said. “Obviously, the reason for holding him is to still evaluate Nate and some of the other quarterbacks with Cody and Clayton. Those are the things we are working through and we will let you know as soon as we get the answers.”

Good points but the bottom line for the Eagles is getting to the regular season with a healthy Wentz. If he’s hurt, it’s going to be a major issue because with all due respect the backups aren’t cut from the cloth of Nick Foles. No amount of preseason is going to change that.

Now more than ever, the preseason is worthless. Flawed as it is, it’s best spent evaluating inexperienced players.

It’s just taken the owners a few decades to realize their franchises will appreciate at a much greater rate if they do what must be done to keep their best players healthy.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz grew up in Baltimore and followed the Colts. Bert Jones was the quarterback, and he had an arm like no other. Like Wentz, he was the second player taken in the draft (John Matuszak went first, Jerry Sisemore third, to the Eagles).

Jones was coming off a season where he was ranked among the league leaders in all the major passing categories. The Colts had the most explosive offense in the league, and they flirted with a trip to the AFC title game, losing in overtime to the Oakland Raiders.

Head coach Ted Marchibroda and the Colts were nursing an 0-3 record in their fourth and final preseason game while the Detroit Lions and new head coach Monte Clark were trying to finish 3-1.

“They needed to win the game and they put Bert Jones back in the game,” Schwartz recalled. “Al “Bubba” Baker separated (Jones’) shoulder and the Colts’ season was lost. That’s something you would never see now. It was different. Training camp was longer. It was two practices in full pads a day. Now we have one practice and not all of them are in full pads. Playing time is probably a little bit more limited in preseason games.

“But the task is still the same – get ready for the regular season. I think we’re a little bit smarter about it now. I think everybody across the league is a little bit smarter about it.”

Jones never was the same, as he injured the shoulder again the following season. With Jones, the Colts made the playoffs three straight years ending in 1977. In the 1978 and ‘79 seasons, the Colts were 5-2 with Jones in the lineup and 5-20 without him.

Wentz is no less valuable to this Eagles team, even though he’s not coming off his best season. One of his goals is to play in every game this season. He hasn’t lasted past Dec. 10 in two straight seasons.

We don’t need to see Wentz in game action until the Washington Redskins check into the Linc Sept. 8. Ditto wide receiver DeSean Jackson, offensive tackle Jason Peters and among other Eagles coming off injuries, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

One injury is all it takes to change the fortune of a franchise.

You don’t want to risk that in the meaningless preseason.