The Philadelphia Eagles re-signed Sam Bradford to a two-year deal with $22 million in guaranteed money this offseason. They signed Chase Daniel to a three-year deal with $12 million fully guaranteed in free agency. Then, the team made a drastic move up the draft board to select Carson Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft.
That's a whole lot of resources invested into one position.
The thinking was that Bradford would remain the starter through at least the 2016 season while Wentz acclimated to the NFL. That belief was reinforced last week when new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson revealed his QB death chart: "Sam, Chase, Carson."
However, new first-year offensive coordinator Frank Reich doesn't believe that the job will just be handed to Bradford.
"No, that's probably not the right impression," Reich said. "I've been around this business a long time as a player and as a coach, and one of the things I've really come to appreciate is it's not a contradiction to say you've got to have order. Because if you don't order it's chaos. So, if you're the head coach you gotta come in and you've gotta establish order. There has to be organization, there has to be order, but the other thing that - as coaches - that you've got to establish is a culture of competition. This is one of the most competitive industries in the world and so, to say that there's not competition, that's just the furthest thing from the truth.
"So, I don't see the problem with creating order and competition at the same time, personally. Every one of us as a coach and a player, you're working harder to get better, but in that process you have to establish order and things have a way of working themselves out."
Despite Reich's thinking, it is expected that Bradford will be Philly's opening day starter. While scouts loved Wentz's physical tools before the draft, he was considered a raw talent who needed time to develop. But Reich believes that the young passer is smart enough to make the transition quickly.
"He's got a contagious personality, he's a winner, incredibly smart," Reich said of Wentz. "For a young guy, about as smart as you could be. Showed all the right signs in every way."
