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Carson Wentz on the money at Eagles workout

There was no contact or pads, but Nelson Agholor said the QB was throwing “dimes” with precision.

Carson Wentz's pass hung in the air long enough to focus on the receiver who was streaking down the field. It wasn't Alshon Jeffery or Torrey Smith, who were acquired this offseason to upgrade the position. And it wasn't Jordan Matthews, who was Wentz's favorite target among the receivers last season.

Nelson Agholor was the wide-open receiver who would settle under the quarterback's perfectly timed toss and cruise untouched into the end zone. That it was his second 50-plus-yard "touchdown" catch only cemented that Wentz and the Eagles offense were having a strong practice.

"Dimes. That's what he does," Agholor said. "He throws dimes."

At least he did Wednesday. Wentz didn't look especially sharp during the five previous practices that were open to reporters this spring. That he remains a work in progress probably doesn't need repeating.

But as the Eagles put a bow on this week's minicamp - a final, shortened session is scheduled for Thursday - and head into a five-week dead period before training camp opens in late July, Wentz's efficient performance had to have been a welcomed sight.

"When you've got the ability that that guy's got and you're continuing to grow in this offense, you're going to have days like that," reserve quarterback Matt McGloin said. "When you know he's on, he's on. It's awesome to watch."

While McGloin had a front-row seat, Wentz said that he needed to watch film to accurately gauge his outing. A practice without contact and pads is hardly worth overanalyzing. And Wentz, who appears to have the equilibrium of successful NFL quarterbacks, wasn't going to bask in the glow of one positive session.

"I thought we were fairly sharp. We definitely weren't perfect," Wentz said. "I think we've had our fair share of pretty sharp days. And then there's days where the defense kind of gets the better of us as well."

Wentz almost never individualizes his evaluations. That is why it is important to note that if he had what may have appeared to be poor practices in previous days, there could have been myriad reasons outside his control. The same theory applies after strong performances.

But what matters most is that Wentz and the Eagles see improvement, however incremental. Each day brings a different set of challenges. On Wednesday, it was third and fourth downs. On other days, it could be the two-minute drill or the red zone.

"You try and just take it one play at a time and isolate those," Wentz said. "But when you're out on the field you get the full effect of everything, so it's hard to say what's good and what's bad, so to speak. Whatever it is, I know we can be better."

Eagles coach Doug Pederson, when asked how he measured his quarterback's performances, said that he focuses on Wentz's decision-making, accuracy, and timing. He said he wants to see if his eyes are in the right spot.

"Learning from last season, learning from the mistakes made and the good plays from last year," Pederson said. "And then just putting all that together."

If Wentz wasn't asked another question about his mechanics this offseason, he'd probably die a happy man. Some of the obsession over his throwing delivery has to do with playing quarterback in Philadelphia, but it's a valid topic because there were times, especially as last season progressed, when his mechanics were off.

"I think it's been touched on a lot," Wentz said. "Everybody in this game, in this position, is trying to get better. . . . You're never a finished product."

Of the changes made, specifically to his footwork, Wentz said that he's "pretty fluid and natural now." But there have been moments this spring when his passes have sailed or fluttered. No quarterback throws a tight spiral every time, but are Wentz's wobbles cause for concern?

"There are a lot of quarterbacks that throw a wobble pass here and there and are still pretty accurate," Pederson said before Wednesday's practice. "He was 11 of 12 [Tuesday], so I'm not concerned with a wobble here and there."

Wentz is an instinctive, athletic quarterback. To turn him into a pocket robot would be fencing him in and possibly lead to a fixation on mechanics. Wentz can throw as well as most quarterbacks from the pocket - and will have to work in that box most of the time - but throwing on the move and freelancing are often where he thrives the most.

On Wednesday, though, most of his best passes came from the pocket. He fired a BB to Zach Ertz over the middle against a zone defense. He threw to the tight end's outside shoulder on a 15-yard "out" just inbounds. He dropped a toss to Jeffery over the outstretched hand of a defender. And he later hit Ertz with a dart that was hurled just as the tight end went into his break.

There were a few ill-advised throws. A deep heave fluttered short of Smith and was intercepted. But Wentz brought so much more to the offense than just his arm. He successfully audibled in and out of plays. He scrambled when there was nothing there. He drew the defense offside with a hard count.

And he hooked up with Agholor, a receiver who didn't catch a pass more than 40 yards last season, for two bombs. There may be legitimate reason for optimism if the much-maligned Agholor was to develop a rapport with his quarterback.

Wentz confirmed that he has invited the Eagles receivers to his home state of North Dakota for informal workouts during the break.

"Believe it or not," Wentz said, "there's beautiful summers up there."

He shouldn't need to sell the trip, especially when he's dropping dimes.

jmclane@phillynews.com

@Jeff_McLane