According to NFL Insider Adam Caplan Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich is believed to be Philadelphia Eagles former franchise quarterback Carson Wentz is a player that the Horseshoe could ‘build around’ – should he be acquired in an upcoming trade:
“I’m not going back on what I said two weeks ago, I still think it’s going to be the Colts,” Caplan said during ‘Ferrall Coast to Coast’ on SportsGridThe reason is simply this: Frank Reich, the head coach, wants him. He coached him in Philadelphia for two years as an attack coordinator. They had a close working relationship. Reich thinks the world of him. “
“He (Reich) explained, I’ve been told by Colts’ sources that once they got into their free agent meetings, this is a man they could build around.”
That’s why Caplan predicts that Indianapolis will eventually become Wentz’s trading destination.
28-year-old Wentz is still theoretically talented. He has the draft pedigree as the 2nd overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, as well as a 2017 NFL MVP caliber season to fall back on – when he threw 33 touchdowns to 7 interceptions in 13 starts on an 11-2 Eagles- team before unfortunately sustaining a seasonally torn ACL injury.
He still gets to see flashes of that talent from time to time.
In terms of playing style, he has a bazooka and is the dual threat quarterback type who can play with his arm as well as his feet – with the ability to play under duress (often while throwing) and take advantage of out-of-pocket escape options.
However, there is no sugar coating on it. Wentz was downright terrible last season. He threw for 16 touchdowns to 15 interceptions in 12 starts before being put on the bench in favor of the rookie quarterback Jalen hurts There were also rumors of his coachability and accountability as a quarterback in Philadelphia last season
Make no mistake, though, Wentz is a dynamic quarterback – if he actually goes to the right, that could potentially turn back into an NFL franchise quarterback – and a star passer the Colts could build up after an attack. However, there are some developed bad habits that need to be fixed – quite a few, in fact, so there’s no guarantee of anything.
That said, Reich knows Wentz – because he was his former Eagles attack coordinator from 2016-2017, the last year that was also Wentz’s best NFL career season. The two have already developed a good rapport and a positive working relationship together. The Colts head coach knows what “ really ticks ” Wentz and as a former NFL quarterback himself, he could bring out the best of the 2017 NFL All-Pro perhaps better than almost anyone.
Wentz knows Reich’s system too – and in turn, it’s a very quarterback-friendly offense.
There is a lot of familiarity and a comfort zone between both sides – making it a logical match.
Not without risk
Wentz basically has ‘a breeze’ off his mega contract after two years, but there would still be high cap hits for the Colts during each of those seasons – which would only get worse if he continued to struggle.
While Wentz’s ceiling is very high, his floor (as we saw firsthand last season) remains quite low.
There’s also the whole issue of draft fee, as the Colts – and every other trade bidder, seem to refuse to give up on a first round at this point.
But to get past that, there are limited upgraded veteran quarterback options for the Colts readily available this off-season. Wentz is arguably the best remaining option reasonably out there.
If the Colts (and especially Reich) really think Wentz is salvageable and can get his previous MVP caliber form (* or even close *) back, the risk could very well be worth the reward for Indianapolis – and a whole lot more, if potential franchise cornerstone.