The NFL Combine officially kicked off on Tuesday with head coaches and general managers from around the league — and of course the quarterbacks were a main topic of discussion.
Here is what you need to know from Tuesday at the Combine and how it relates to the Eagles:
Carson Wentz: Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke at length, and somewhat candidly, about the future of Carson Wentz.
It did not sound good.
Ballard did not give a ringing endorsement of Wentz by any stretch, openly saying the team still has decide if they want him back. Ballard stumbled on a question about whether the Colts have faith in Wentz to win for them going forward. He also said that it will come down to a decision between him, owner Jim Irsay and head coach Frank Reich. Ballard insisted the team just giving up a first-round pick for Wentz will not factor into the decision on whether he is back. Ballard also declined to comment on whether any of Wentz’s teammates have said they wanted Wentz back, an answer that sure seemed to indicate they have not been giving him high praise behind closed doors.
One interesting nugget Ballard did drop was that he met with Wentz for an hour on Tuesday and described the meeting as going very well.
It is not a lock that Wentz is gone but the overall tone of the press conference certainly didn’t sound good for Wentz. It is likely going to come down to whether the Colts can find a replacement they believe is better than Wentz, which might not be easy to do considering the team’s lack of a first-round pick to trade. The bottom line, however, is that is seems Irsay wants Wentz gone — and as the owner he is likely going to get what he wants.
Aaron Rodgers: Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was peppered with questions about quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He said there had been no change in Rodgers’ status and that they are still waiting to hear what their franchise quarterback wants to do. Gutekunst did say it would be helpful for the team to know before the new league year, which is on March 16th, so they can plan accordingly. Gutekunst also added that Rodgers’ situation does not impact the status of receiver Davante Adams, who is set to become a free agent — although it is hard to believe it doesn’t. The Packers seem to be in a wait-and-see mode that is preventing them from really starting their offseason until they get an answer from Rodgers.
Calvin Ridley: An interesting name to keep an eye on for Eagles fans is Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley. Ridley missed 12 games last season for the Falcons due to personal reasons and his future with the team seems to be very much up in the air. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said nothing have changed with Ridley’ status on the team, as he is under contract for the 2022 season. Fontenot did, however, say that there would need to be moves made to get the team from the $7 million hole they are currently in with their cap space. Ridley, who is on his fifth-year option, counts $11.6 million against the Falcons cap. The dynamic receiver seems to be very much available in a trade — and with the Eagles need for a No. 2 receiver, they are likely going to be monitoring the situation very closely.
Doug Pederson: Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson must have felt like he was back in Philadelphia on Tuesday as he was repeatedly asked questions from Eagles reporters about his time with the team. Pederson had nothing but good things to say about his time in Philadelphia, mentioning a few time — as if to remind people — that he did win the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
One interesting takeaway from Pederson’s press conference is that it seems he is going to have much more say in personnel with the Jaguars than he did with the Eagles. Pederson said it is important for him to have some say on what players he is coaching, and mentioned a few times how great his relationship with general manager Trent Baalke is.
Much has been written about Pederson’s departure from the Eagles, but more than a year after his firing, it seems pretty clear that Pederson wanted more say in personnel and his coaching staff — and the Eagles didn’t trust him enough to give it to him.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com