Murphy: Eagles saying right things about Wentz's ascension

Now that the day had arrived, everybody could finally admit they'd seen it coming. If anybody in the Eagles' locker room felt as if their bosses had pulled the rug out from under them, they did a good job of faking a sense of balance. Doug Pederson met with his players at 8 a.m., congratulated all of them on making the team, and announced the commencement of the work week. From that point on, it was like any other Monday. Practice, meetings, workout, lunch. The events of the previous 48 hours may have pushed the limits of operating procedure even by the zany standards of the NFL, but, then, what about this last year in Eaglesdom hasn't pushed them?

"I've pretty much seen it all now after being here for 10 years," veteran tight end Brent Celek said.

The reality is that the new era began in April, when the Eagles made their improbable move up the draft board to select Carson Wentz. The players in the locker room have had plenty of time to acclimate themselves to the realization that a page was being turned. Human nature suggests that wherever 53 people are gathered, at least one or two of them will wonder about the overall direction of things. If those one or two existed amidst this particular sample, they either did not admit it or did not make themselves available to the media in the hour or so the locker room was open for interviews. Somewhere out there might be a parallel universe where Sam Bradford is starting at quarterback and Laremy Tunsil or Jack Conklin is lining up at guard and the Eagles are proceeding the way most teams who win 27 games in a three-year span elect to do. But there also might be a universe where all of us have eight legs and soccer is the national pastime. What can anybody do except make the best of the universe that is actually theirs?

Chase Daniel probably put it best when asked if he was disappointed that Pederson had chosen Wentz as the starter in the wake of the trade that sent Bradford to the Vikings in exchange for first- and fourth-round draft picks. When Daniel signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Eagles, he did so with the hope that he would compete for the spot at the top of the depth chart. At the same time, when the Eagles made their move for Wentz, he seemed to understand the reality of his situation.

"I think any competitor would be a little disappointed, but believe me, it's not going to get in the way of my preparation, it's not going to hinder me in any way moving forward," Daniel said on Monday. "Carson's ready for this. It's about him now, and we're going to move forward like that."

That was more or less the company line up and down the room. Tight end Zach Ertz was one of Bradford's most vocal supporters in the locker room this offseason as the Eagles pondered how to proceed at the quarterback position. When the Eagles re-signed Bradford to a two-year deal, Ertz was one of a number of players who expressed a belief that the team could contend for a title with No. 7 at the helm.

"The expectations aren't going to change, in my opinion," said Ertz, who learned of the trade when Bradford called him around 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, a couple of hours before the news broke. "Sam was one of my closest friends on the team, so obviously I was disappointed I lost a very good friend, but Sam understands the business, I understand the business, we're still going to be friends for a long time. We're not focused on the past, we're focused on the future, and that's Carson right now."

About those expectations . . .

It's interesting to note that within the evidence that might justify a belief that the Eagles can compete in 2016 is evidence of the challenge that will face them even if Wentz does prove to be a quick study. In 2008, Matt Ryan went 11-5 and made the playoffs. In 2012, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson did the same, while Robert Griffin went 9-6 and led his team to the postseason. In 2011, Andy Dalton went 9-7 and made the playoffs. Joe Flacco went 11-5 and made it to the AFC title game as a rookie in 2008. Mark Sanchez went 8-7 and went to the AFC title game as a rookie in 2009. Of those players, only Flacco's Ravens and Wilson's Seahawks have managed to build on that early success. The Falcons have won one playoff game since drafting Ryan, and have not had a winning record since 2012. The Bengals are 0-5 in the playoffs since drafting Dalton. The Sanchez and Griffin eras in New York and Washington are long over. The Colts made the AFC championship game in 2014 but started 2-5 last year before Luck went down with an injury, and they certainly did not look poised for greatness when the Eagles saw them this preseason.

"This kid, he's a great football player," Celek said of Wentz. "I think he can make all the throws. He's a smart kid. He can make all the right decisions. Obviously as a rookie, it's not like he's going to play perfect, it's not like any of us are going to play perfect, but we all have to try to play a little better around him to help him."

It's been a fascinating year to follow the Eagles, and that certainly isn't going to change now.

@ByDavidMurphy

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