Dan Orlovsky is among Carson Wentz’s biggest national media supporters.

The ESPN analyst has made a habit of praising and defending the Eagles’ quarterback since he entered the broadcasting world. As a former NFL quarterback, Orlovsky knows what to look for in the position and he sees a lot of promise in Wentz.

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Naturally, the next step in Wentz’s development will be impacted by the Eagles’ next offensive coordinator. While few names have leaked out since the search process started on Thursday, Orlovsky is very familiar with one of the reported candidates for the job: Jim Caldwell.

Orlovsky played under Caldwell for four of his 13 seasons in the league. The quarterback worked with the play-caller during both of his stints as a head coach in the NFL, and he understands Caldwell’s approach better than most.

Orlovsky believes Caldwell would be a good influence on Wentz.

“The great thing about Coach Caldwell is he truly understands quarterback play,” Orlovsky told NJ Advance Media on Saturday. “And it’s probably his absolute strength.”

Orlovsky noted that Caldwell is good at prolonging a quarterback’s effectiveness.

During Orlovsky’s second stint with Caldwell, the pair worked with Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Orlovsky said Caldwell did a good job of improving Stafford’s efficiency.

“What Coach Caldwell was able to do with Matthew, was get Matthew to understand that the gunslinger stuff doesn’t need to be who you are all the time,” Orlovsky said. “You can still be that [gunslinger] when it’s needed, but then really kind of learn how to play quarterback at an efficient level.”

Orlovsky admitted that Caldwell’s fine-tuning of Stafford’s “gunslinger mentality" took time. The effort was needed from both the coach and quarterback to make it work.

Stafford averaged 4,323 passing yards, 26.8 touchdowns and only 11.3 interceptions per season during his four years with Caldwell. He also completed 64.6 percent of his passes.

Orlovsky believes Caldwell can have a similar impact on Wentz’s efficiency.

“I’m not saying Carson is a gunslinger, but he’s creative,” Orlovsky said. Caldwell “would be really good with allowing that to continue to be who and what Carson is, but [with Wentz] realizing that’s not who you have to be on every single play.”

Orlovsky noted that Wentz began that process on his own during the Eagles’ unlikely playoff push in December. Wentz was forced to play the quarterback position from a mechanical standpoint, as opposed to solely relying on his natural talent.

The next offensive coordinator will need to build off Wentz’s work from the final four weeks of the regular season.

Caldwell could further Wentz’s development and help Eagles coach Doug Pederson create a more efficient offense.

“A guy who has been around … successful football for as long as Coach Caldwell has been, that perspective is only going to be a benefit,” Orlovsky said. “I don’t think Coach is going to bring in anything schematically that’s going to be revolutionary, but I will say he does a really good job of getting plays to make sense.”

Orlovsky was quick to note that Caldwell is very focused on the big picture. He asks the right questions and adjusts his play calls to help the quarterback.

For instance, Orlovsky said Caldwell will create check-down options based on a quarterback’s preference.

While Caldwell wants to make the job easier for his signal-caller, he doesn’t cut corners. He is very deliberate and direct in his planning and messaging.

“It’s very black and white for him, but it’s not hard-headed,” Orlovsky said. “He comes in and tells you, very clearly from the top, ‘This is our expectation, this is how we’re going to do things and this is how you have to get here and that’s something we’re going to do every single day.’”

From an authority standpoint, Caldwell isn’t a screamer or a babysitter, but he holds his players accountable.

“Coach doesn’t let anything slide,” Orlovsky said. “That’s just not who he is.”

Orlovsky said Caldwell’s approach is all about efficiency. He is purpose-driven, and that leads to positive results.

“He’s going to hold you to an expectation level,” Orlovsky said, “and help you achieve that expectation level on a daily basis without babysitting you.”

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Mike Kaye may be reached at mkaye@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Mike_E_Kaye. Find NJ.com on Facebook.