Philadelphia Eagles Rumors: Is Carson Wentz Already Taking Shots At Sam Bradford?

After the Philadelphia Eagles selected North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz with the No. 2 overall selection in Thursday’s 2016 NFL draft, rumors have already started to swirl regarding how he is going to get along with current Eagles starting quarterback Sam Bradford. After re-signing Bradford and signing former Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Chase Daniel, the Eagles now have a lot of money tied into the quarterback position. While Daniel appears to be content with the Eagles selecting Wentz, Bradford has already requested a trade. Wentz has remained gracious and humble in all of his interviews, but he may already be taking subtle shots at Bradford.

In a video interview posted by Crossing Broad, Wentz was asked which NFL quarterbacks he studies. When Bradford’s name came up, he did not exactly give him a vote of confidence.

“Obviously I know he was a top pick and everything. Obviously I know he was with the Rams and everything. But I haven’t watched a ton of film on him. I watch film on guys like Brady and Manning and Rodgers and those types of things.”

While Wentz did not actually come out and directly insult Bradford, he is subtly saying that Bradford is not among the top quarterbacks in the league. And even though it is obvious to anyone that watches football that Bradford is not a top-tier quarterback, many people would have expected Wentz to give a politically correct answer.

Wentz on if he watches Bradford pic.twitter.com/5d7FvkWEWW

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) April 29, 2016

Some may view Wentz’s response to the question as harsh, but he is just a fierce competitor. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Eagles have apparently coveted Wentz for the past few months. While he was originally expected to be a mid first-round draft pick, his stock rose over the past few months. In order to acquire Wentz, the Eagles had to trade a lot of value to the Cleveland Browns to move up to the No. 2 overall pick.

Regardless of how much the Eagles like Wentz, Bradford is still expected to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2016, as reported by CBS Sports. While the Eagles would love to have Wentz learn under Bradford for a year, it appears as though that may not happen. According to Sal Paolantonio of ESPN, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told Bradford and Daniel their plans to draft a quarterback.

“He told me that he told Bradford and Chase Daniel up front that they were going to draft a quarterback. And they were going to try to nurture him for the future, and they expected Bradford and Daniel to be part of that, but that this year Bradford would be the starter. And they were shocked when they told Bradford that they were going up to No. 2 and they were making the trade and investing five picks, and Bradford’s reaction was one of anger, and he abruptly walked out of the offseason training program.”

And Pederson probably did tell both quarterbacks about the team’s plans to select a quarterback in the draft. The problem is that Bradford likely assumed that the Eagles would draft a quarterback in the later rounds, as opposed to the No. 2 overall pick. While it is in Bradford’s best interest to play well this year, he knows that he is not in the Eagles’ long-term plans. Even if he plays well next season, he is likely to be put on the trading block so Wentz can take over.

Carson Wentz is a savage.

Check out this #FranchiseSwag answer when asked if he studies film of Sam Bradford https://t.co/CBGQ8F8vH4

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) April 30, 2016

While solid play from Bradford next season could earn him a starting job in 2017 for another team, he would have to start over again. Bradford’s years with the St. Louis Rams were anything but consistent, and he has to learn an entirely new offense with the Eagles in 2016. If Bradford is moved after this season, that means he will have to learn yet another offense in 2017. In 2015, it was an entirely different offense with former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. Bradford is looking to find a consistent offense, and it appears as though that option is not available to him in Philadelphia.

Whether or not Bradford is with the Eagles this season remains to be seen, but it appears as though his relationship with Carson Wentz is going to be a rocky one. Even if Bradford does not start for the Eagles this season, it is unlikely that Wentz will be the starter on opening day. The Eagles are looking to take things slow with Wentz, so Daniel will be the starter in the event that Bradford is not with the team.

[Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images]