Eagles coach Doug Pederson says Carson Wentz must take the reins
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Maybe the biggest difference between Year 1 and Year 2 for Carson Wentz, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday, is that Wentz reports for minicamp April 17 as the team's acknowledged leader, instead of the new rookie hope.
"I think for him, coming in the second year, from a leadership standpoint, as a quarterback, sort of the face of the franchise, the organization" is the gist of the challenge Wentz faces, Pederson said at the NFC coaches' breakfast, closing out the NFL owners meetings. "That's a different thing.
"He embraces that. I think this will be big in terms of the way he talks, and handles the guys around him. … I think he's obviously capable of doing that. I think, too, by him going through 16 games last year, there's always a level of maturity; we're always looking to improve and to get better there."
Pederson isn't allowed to talk to Wentz right now, per the collective bargaining agreement, but he said he is confident that "Carson will be ready to go April 17th. He'll be wanting to get on that field in Phase 1."
Pederson said the Eagles had nothing to do with Wentz's seeking out motion mechanics instructor Adam Dedeaux for some tutoring; the team doesn't know what he has worked on there, but presumably, it incorporates the plan quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo gave Wentz when the team left NovaCare a few days into the new year.
"Not concerned with that at all; I know Carson. I know his chemistry, his makeup," Pederson said. "He's got a lot of confidence in Coach DeFilippo and Frank (Reich, the Eagles' offensive coordinator)."
Pederson reiterated that his offseason advice to Wentz wasn't about mechanics.
"It's like I tell every player – get away, relax. I don't want to see you; you don't need to see me. Get out of the building, go on vacation, heal up, rest, do all of those things that you need to do and be fresh when you come back April 17th. Take some time for yourself," Pederson said.
"For him, it's hard, because he wants to throw every day. … Don't touch a ball -- just stay away."
Wentz's arm was fine after throwing 607 passes in his rookie season, completing an NFL rookie-record 379, for 3,782 yards, Pederson said. "There was nothing wrong with him; he was healthy. He played 16 games; I'm not going to sit here and tell you that he was 100 percent feeling great, but at the same time, he's just like every player. I mean, Jason Peters wasn't feeling great. It's a 16-game schedule, you know? But he was fine; he was great."
Wentz said this week he appreciated that the team asked for his input on wide receivers. Pederson, asked about Wentz evaluating potential draft picks, laughed off the question.
"I'm gonna go to Joe Douglas and Howie Roseman," Pederson said. "I love (Wentz's) enthusiasm."