Faster, better, more secure. Those are the daily goals for quarterback Carson Wentz, who says he is "ready" for the regular season, that he doesn't know the plan for Thursday night's preseason game, and that, yeah, everything is a work in progress.
Wentz meets the media on a weekly basis and, honestly, the questions deal with what he can do better much of the time. Yes, he wants to get the football out of his hands more quickly – "operating fast is always a priority around here," he said – and he wants to reduce his chances for injury and he wants to win every football game …
Geez, though, for a "work in a progress," Wentz is pretty darn good. He's fully healthy, he is in a great frame of mind, and Wentz is very aware of the skill players around him.
"Looking at what we have for me, distributing the ball quick. Get it in the playmakers' hands and let them make plays, trusting what I see," said Wentz, now snapping his fingers quickly, "making quick reaction, quick decisions. So far, so good with that.
"I feel good with where we're at. Not just myself but as an offense from OTAs to where we're at now … everybody is just responding and reacting quicker, so I think we're just going to keep building that. Going against Baltimore (in two joint practices) and seeing different defenses, that's just helped with where we're at."
After three weeks of going against an Eagles defense that knew every route, that heard every audible and check, and understood the nuance of every play, this has been a refreshing two days. Wentz has tested a Baltimore secondary that is among the league's best and he's continued to develop chemistry with his receiving corps.
It's been a positive experience, good enough for Wentz to say he's ready to go for Washington in the September 8 opener at Lincoln Financial Field. Wentz has mastered the Eagles' offensive system and he knows where all of his options will be on each play.
And, yeah, he's going to try to extend plays with his legs if that situation arises. Wentz will play smart football, but he's also going to be aggressive. That's his nature.
Next question?
"I feel really good about where we are as an offense," he said. "I think we have a pretty good plan going into the season."
