It's called the shotgun approach, and what it entails is collecting as many opportunities as possible - no matter where or when those opportunities come - at finding success. It worked wonders for the Seattle Seahawks early in the Pete Carroll-John Schneider area, and in the case of the Philadelphia Eagles, it may mean finding a legitimate Super Bowl-caliber starting quarterback.
The Eagles, after trading up to the second-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft weeks ago, were finally able to do on Thursday what everyone expected they'd do, taking former NDSU signal-caller Carson Wentz mere moments after Jared Goff walked across the stage as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
By taking Wentz, the Eagles have now given themselves three (depending on your view of Chase Daniel, that may be more like two-and-a-half, maybe two-and-a-quarter) opportunities at finding a long-term starting quarterback.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman, addressing the selection Friday morning, admitted that the Seahawks' approach in 2012, and even prior, an approach that landed them Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, was a script that Philadelphia had intended to follow.
Back in 2012, the Seahawks were coming off two moderately successful seasons under Carroll. They'd managed 7-9 records in each of Carroll's first two years on the job, even making an unexpected playoff run in 2010 (thanks in large part to the terrible state of the NFC West and the infamous Beast Quake).
However, clearly unhappy with the options facing him at quarterback after Charlie Whitehurst, a.k.a. Clipboard Jesus, a.k.a. The Least Interesting Man In the World, failed to take hold of the top spot, as well as the uncertain direction of the franchise following a third-place NFC West finish in 2011, Carroll and Schneider decided that it was time for a more proactive approach to the quarterback position. That offseason, they signed former Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn to a lucrative three-year deal and, of course, drafted Wilson in the third round.
Flynn, despite the heft of his contract, lost out to the electrifying Wilson, and the rest, as they say, is history.
For the Eagles, it's unlikely that Wentz will be able to ascend as rapidly as Wilson. Despite his immense physical gifts, Wentz played his college ball in the Football Championship Subdivision, meaning that the speed of the NFL and the abilities of the guys around him will be big steps to overcome.
That's why Sam Bradford, the former first-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, will get the first crack at securing the job. Bradford's unhappiness with the Eagles' decision to draft Wentz may factor in here, but it also may not. With the Broncos trading up to take Paxton Lynch, that leaves few potential trade suitors for Sammy Sleeve's services.
The likeliest outcome remains that Bradford eventually returns once the practices (and the lost checks) are real and helms the Eagle offense for at least 2016.
Bradford is a big factor in this. He's a throw-away to some fans, and it's very possible that he could be Flynn. However, he could also be Kurt Warner, a la the 2006 Arizona Cardinals. Warner was able to hold off highly-touted rookie Matt Leinart that year and eventually wrested control of the Cardinals offense away for good, leading the team to plenty of success, including a Super Bowl bid.
Really, it's up to Bradford how this plays out. It's likely that the Eagles want Wentz to win the job considering his cheap deal and the cost they paid to acquire him, but in all likelihood, they're probably willing to roll with whichever pellet from their shotgun finds the mark.
