Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

A strong three-year start earned Eagles QB Carson Wentz a record-breaking extension - PFF

Wentz hit the ground running in his debut season with some stellar performances early in the year, but his sophomore season — the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning one — was what exactly what they wanted when they traded up to get him in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He did eventually go down with an injury, but before then Wentz was a legitimate MVP candidate, dominating in all phases of the game. He was sensational on third-down plays that year, where he led all quarterbacks in passing grade (93.3), big-time throws (15), yards per attempt (9.5) and passer rating (123.7). Since 2006, only one quarterback has achieved a higher three-year overall PFF grade (in their first three seasons) than Wentz’s 82.7 mark. A knack for accuracy has fueled that grade, with Wentz improving from a 15th-ranked adjusted completion percentage of 74.8 in 2016 to a fourth-best rate of 78.7% in 2018.

Nine thoughts on the Carson Wentz contract, including why the Eagles made the right call - BGN

Prescott is a quality game manager type who greatly benefits from being able to hand off to an elite running back like Ezekiel Elliott. He’s not a quarterback who’s going to put the Cowboys and on his back and help Dallas succeed in spite of tremendous adversity. He’s a quarterback you win with ... not win because of. Prescott’s shortcomings were on full display during the 2017 season. By contrast, Wentz had the Eagles in great position to win a Super Bowl despite the fact Philadelphia was dealing with numerous key injuries. I’d argue the Cowboys are stuck in a spot where the Eagles are glad to have them. Prescott isn’t bad enough to be replaced but he’s not actually good enough to make Dallas serious Super Bowl contenders. The Eagles will very much enjoy seeing Prescott get paid than Wentz, if that’s how it plays out.

The Carson Wentz Extension Special! - BGN Radio

Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak react to the Carson Wentz 4-year extension that keeps him with the Eagles until at least 2024 and as expected it’s worth a lot of money! Gamble or bargain or both? The gang discusses that and how it impacts the eventual contracts for Jared Goff and Dak Prescott! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Eagles Mailbag: Where does Carson Wentz rank among other quarterbacks around the NFL - PhillyVoice

Question from Chumbo: If anyone thinks that Carson Wentz is a “top five” quarterback, then they would have to have him over at least one of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, or Russell Wilson. Do you think he’s a top five quarterback? — Is he outright better than any of those guys? Accomplishment-wise, no, except for Mahomes. Is he a better quarterback than them, case-by-case? Maybe. When healthy, it’s debatable with all of them. In terms of would various teams trade their starter for Wentz, considering age, contract status, etc., I’d tier it like so.

Joe Jets Off - Iggles Blitz

The Eagles could look around to other teams. There might be someone they think is ready for a bigger opportunity. There is no rush on this decision. Heck, they don’t have to replace Douglas right now. They could go with the current staff for the next year and then hire someone next May (when teams normally adjust their scouting staffs). It is important to understand that Douglas was an important part of the Eagles front office, but he wasn’t irreplaceable. The team isn’t looking for someone to come in and run the show. The Eagles have built a deep front office with a mixture of skill-sets and backgrounds. One person isn’t going to make or break the situation. The Jets were looking for someone to run their organization. The Eagles are looking for someone to help fill a role as part of a deep front office structure.

Joe Banner on Eagles’ Carson Wentz contract extension: ‘A great deal’ - Inquirer

In other words, if Wentz, who had both of the last two seasons cut short by injuries, continues to have problems staying healthy, the Eagles could get out of this deal in the next four years and only owe Wentz $66 million. Given that Wentz already was guaranteed $31.3 million over the next two seasons on his rookie deal — $8.5 million in salary this year and $22.8 million next year — it’s basically only costing the Eagles another $35 million to keep Wentz in Philadelphia for the next four years. “The way I look at that and the way most contract people would look at it is, for $35 million, they basically bought four more years [of Carson Wentz],’’ Banner said. “That’s not literally accurate. But that’s effectively what happened. That’s the [small] risk if this ends up being a mistake. That’s a great deal if you can take a great quarterback, or even a good one at this point, and get a four-year commitment for that amount of guaranteed money. That’s a great outcome. I’ll take that risk-reward any day.’’

What the Jets are getting (and the Eagles are losing) in Joe Douglas - ESPN

Lurie’s praise of Douglas was more tepid when he spoke at the league meetings this past March. He called Joe “terrific” before turning attention to the “slew” of talented evaluators in the building who have the Eagles well-positioned for when they inevitability lose top executives. In other words, Lurie was preparing the public for the loss of Douglas. That moment is now, with Douglas leaving for the New York Jets general manager gig. Lurie is right about the Eagles having a deep pool of in-house talent to draw from. They hired Andrew Berry as the team’s vice president of football operations in February. The Harvard grad previously worked for the Cleveland Browns as VP of player personnel, the same title Douglas had with the Eagles. Also, some in the scouting community think that Weidl, the director of player personnel, will be bumped up into his old partner’s role.

The Eagles Are Betting Carson Wentz Can Earn His Own Statue - The Ringer

The Eagles have done a pretty good job accumulating talent around Wentz. Philadelphia has been one of the most proactive teams at locking up their most promising players relatively early in their contracts at team-friendly prices, and Wentz is just the latest example. Tight end Zach Ertz (who set an NFL single-season record for tight end receptions in 2018), receiver Alshon Jeffery, 2019 second-round receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside, tight end Dallas Goedert, running back Miles Sanders, right tackle Lane Johnson, rookie tackle Andre Dillard, center Jason Kelce, and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox are all under contract for at least the next three seasons. The veterans who have performed at an elite level are at reasonable costs, and if the rookies become above-average starters, they’ll be bargains.

Carson Wentz’s Best Moments So Far - PE.com

Take a look back at Carson Wentz’s top moments in Philadelphia so far.

Carson Wentz’s Four-Year Contract Extension a Smart, Calculated Risk for Eagles - MMQB

In two years, Wentz’s deal may look like a bargain, much like Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppollo look like clearance merchandise now. Even if they are no longer held in the same regard as they were at the time they signed their deals, they are still highly effective, game-winning quarterbacks—the league’s most important position—at a great price. The Eagles will also benefit from the blinking they’ve forced franchises in comparable situations (Rams, Cowboys) to do with their quarterbacks at this stage. At the least, though, Philadelphia made a move on Thursday that slightly deviated from the standard highway billboard. This one was worth popping out of the car to take a look at for a moment.

The Eagles Have Everything Set Up - Deadspin

The Eagles’ long-term commitment to Wentz has the distinction of being smart and a no-brainer. Wentz isn’t just the centerpiece of the Eagles’ grand plan, he’s the fulfillment of it.

Super Bowl window wide open right now for Carson Wentz and Eagles - NBCSP

The obvious takeaway from that list is that the offense is stacked. Imagine if the top three picks from this past draft class pan out. The Eagles would have found the guy to protect Wentz’s blindside for the next decade and two weapons who will thrive during his prime. The other takeaway is that the Eagles might need to start drafting more defensive players at premier spots. But as far as Wentz is concerned, his offense is loaded with talent. Having a quarterback taking up such a big chunk of the salary cap makes it harder to build a team around him. But with the four-year extension, Wentz’s six-year average per year is actually under $26 million per season. There’s a chance this deal ends up becoming a bargain if he turns back into the guy we saw for most of 2017. That was also the guy who had the Eagles in position to make their Super Bowl run.

Jets hire Joe Douglas as their new general manager - Gang Green Nation

Hopefully for the Jets this is a turning point. This has been a long and erratic offseason for the franchise. There were many points where it did not seem like a coherent plan was in place to build a winner starting at the ownership level. Nurturing a championship level organization isn’t easy. Hiring Joe Douglas won’t be akin to waving a magic wand that will bring the guarantee of Lombardi Trophies. But it does feel like an important step forward. This is the first time in quite a while where I can say I am genuinely hopeful after the direction of the New York Jets.

How the contract extension for Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz affects the future for Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff - Turf Show Times

The Wentz deal likely sets the floor for those deals, though I’ve seen some suggest Wentz’s deal could be stronger than Prescott’s. That’s not generally how these things work, so I’d be surprised if Prescott is willing to accept “less” than Wentz. It probably ends up being about the specifics of the deal and how much is front-laden especially in terms of guarantees and performance bonuses. For Goff, it absolutely has to be a floor to negotiate from. Both Goff and Wentz share the same representation in REP1 (who also represents Rams backup Blake Bortles). Certainly, Goff will be asking for more given his lack of injury history and having just carried his team to the Super Bowl.

Ask a former NFL player: What’s the value of a running back today? - SB Nation

That being said, there’s no value in having a highly paid running back if you don’t have a quarterback and offensive line in place beforehand. Even then, I’m not sure you should ever pay a running back past their rookie contract because of three things. First, passing the ball is more important than rushing the ball. You can’t deny the data, and passing efficiency is the most important stat that correlates to winning a game. Having an expensive running back doesn’t fit the overall team needs.

The Carson Wentz extension is very, very smart for the Eagles for multiple reasons.@ColinCowherd explains. pic.twitter.com/KXDuQbhLKH — Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 7, 2019

We have GREAT news! ✊ pic.twitter.com/hJ0mG6PlXx — Vox Media Union (@vox_union) June 7, 2019

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