Pros and cons of Commanders trading for Carson Wentz
By Jerry Trotta
Con: Decision-making/Not a clutch performer
For all of the strides Wentz made taking care of the football with the Colts (he threw seven interceptions compared to a league-high 15 in 2020) his refusal to take a check down and live to fight another down was appalling.
We could point to a number of examples, most of which resulted in turnovers, but this interception in overtime vs the Titans in Week 8 was unforgivable. Pause the video at the four-second mark and look how open Jonathan Taylor was.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1454908818685530117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1454908818685530117%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhorseshoeheroes.com%2F2021%2F11%2F01%2Fcolts-carson-wentz-missing-jonathan-taylor-game-losing-pick-brutal-video%2F
Instead of connecting with his all-world running back, Wentz forced a throw to Michael Pittman, who was blanketed by three (!) defenders, and got picked off. It’d be one thing if the Colts needed a first down to keep the game alive, but it was 1st and 10 and a field goal would’ve won the game after their D came up with a stop.
A win would’ve brought Indy within one game of the division lead. Instead, the Titans established a two-game lead and never looked back.
It also speaks volumes that Wentz performed considerably worse after halftime this campaign, as six of his seven INTs came in the third and fourth quarters. For all of his compelling attributes, he has a propensity to come up short (sometimes in the form of a maddening turnover) in high-pressure situations.
Pro: Cost/Leadership
This might be considered setting a low standard, but not after an anonymous NFL executive said the Commanders could “justify” trading a first-round pick (the No. 11 overall pick in this instance) for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Wentz, on the other hand, could likely be acquired for as little as a third-round pick after Indianapolis unloaded a 2021 third-rounder and a conditional second-rounder in 2022 that’s evolved into a first after he played 70% of the snaps.
However the Colts value Wentz, his contract, poor play down the stretch of 2021 and their reported intentions of wanting to cut bait with him should give Washington the upper hand in negotiations.
In terms of Wentz’s leadership, check out this quote from Taylor:
Jonathan Taylor on SiriusXM NFL Radio: “I’m assuming that (Carson Wentz) is going to be back because I love him in the locker room, I love him on the field.”
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) February 9, 2022
Notes QB extended many plays and made others with his legs, adding a dimension #Colts have lacked.
After Colts receiver TY Hilton liked a tweet that bashed Wentz following the Jaguars loss, Pittman immediately came to his QBs defense on Instagram.
If you watched “Hard Knocks,” you noticed that the reports of Wentz’s poor leadership with the Eagles were greatly exaggerated. Between keeping a high morale on the sidelines and celebrating defensive plays, Wentz knows how to lead.