Getty Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Philadelphia Eagles.
A new report saying Jimmy Garoppolo of the Las Vegas Raiders underwent foot surgery has forced Carson Wentz back into the news cycle. The one-time franchise quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles is (quite arguably) the best backup option on the market, and there is a good chance a desperate team might sign him.
SB Nation’s Blogging the Boys laid out an argument for the Dallas Cowboys to sign Wentz, suggesting he could be good backup to Dak Prescott: NFC East familiarity, talent and head coach Mike McCarthy.
“It wasn’t that long ago that Wentz was playing MVP-worthy ball for the Eagles,” Jess Haynie wrote in a story published May 20. “We certainly haven’t seen that version of him consistently in a while, but Wentz still posted a 94.6 passer rating with the Colts in 2021. You still see him do things in games, even last year with Washington, that only a handful of NFL quarterbacks are capable of with his pocket movement and throws on the run.”
Wentz does come with a laundry list of red flags — his injury history and inconsistency and “he hasn’t been known as a good teammate,” Haynie wrote — but his raw talent remains trapped in his 6-foot-5, 237-frame.
“That’s what makes Wentz such an intriguing guy for depth,” Haynie wrote. “His inconsistency as a starter is rightfully concerning for a team with championship goals, but his ability to come in and do some special things is rarely found by most backup quarterbacks.”
Carson Wentz with a DIME to Trevon Diggs 🎯
Wentz — six years removed from his “MVP-worthy” season — has been linked to multiple teams in free agency, including the Raiders, the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams. Wentz, 30, is open to “any role,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Updated free agent QB Carson Wentz on @SportsCenter…He’s been working out in L.A. in preparation for the season, he’s received interest from teams and he might wait longer into offseason to see what develops. But he’s open to any role, I’m told (starter or backup)
DeAndre Hopkins Not Interested in Cowboys?
DeAndre Hopkins remains unsigned in free agency after getting released by the Arizona Cardinals on May 26. The five-time Pro Bowler listed Jalen Hurts as one of the quarterbacks he’d most like to catch passes from in 2023. Hurts is coming off an MVP-caliber year, with no signs of slowing down after inking a $255 million extension.
But, it was the way Hopkins reacted to another quarterback — Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys — that went viral last week. He seemed to shake his head “no” when asked on the May 26 “I Am Athlete” podcast about the idea of playing with Prescott.
DeAndre Hopkins shaking his head no when asked if he’d wanna play with Dak Prescott 💀💀💀
Eagles Officially Open OTA Schedule
The Eagles began OTAs (organized team activities) on May 30 at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia. The team has opted to skip a traditional minicamp in favor of doing six lighter practice sessions over the next two weeks. Head coach Nick Sirianni is sticking to what worked last year.
#Eagles open OTAs today. They’ll have 6 sessions over the next 2 weeks (out of possible 10). Have also opted not to have a minicamp (unlike the 31 other NFL teams).
Their sked is similar to last year.
Thursday’s workout will be open to reporters, as will one more next week.
“I say that a lot and you guys hear me say that a lot but it is, it’s just completely setting the standard of every little detail of how you want it, right and that’s just not in plays,” Sirianni told reporters. “But again, it’s how we practice, it’s how I want the coaches to run practice and different things like that, so it’s every portion of the building.”