It should never have come to having this conversation. Especially not at this point of the season.
As the Eagles prepare for their final month of the season, however, it is one that is happening.
Are the Eagles better off missing the playoffs and focusing on getting a higher pick, or should their focus still be making the playoffs?
The logic for focusing on a higher pick is there, and the conversation is an interesting one, but make no mistake about it — the Eagles badly need to make the playoffs and get quarterback Carson Wentz his first taste of postseason experience.
To be clear, internally, focusing on the higher draft pick is not something the Eagles will consider. It would be very surprising if the team ever "tanked" under Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie. For better or worse, this team is going to try to win each week and enter each season trying to win the Super Bowl.
But at 5-7 with four games remaining, it is hard to ignore the obvious. The Eagles are not a very good team and are completely devoid of young talent. There are no sure-things on this roster under the age of 25. Running back Miles Sanders might be the closest thing the Eagles have to an elite, young player. Outside of that, everyone on this roster is either on the older side, or in the area that Derek Barnett and Wentz are — the potential is there, but the results are not.
With that in mind, the Eagles currently have the 12th pick in the draft. If they go 2-2 the rest of the way, which is likely worst-case scenario considering their opponents, they will likely end up with a pick somewhere between No. 14-17. If they make the playoffs, that pick is going to be — at worst. — No. 21. It could potentially change if they were to win a game.
Although that seems unlikely, the reality is that right now, the team has to focus on trying to develop the quarterback that they have tied themselves to — and that means getting into the playoffs and getting Wentz postseason experience needs to be the top priority.
Although he has a Super Bowl ring, Wentz is in serious danger of ending his fourth season in the NFL without ever having played in a postseason game. His career is certainly a complicated one, but when the Eagles drafted him at No. 2 overall, the idea of him not having played in the postseason his first four seasons would have terrified fans and the front office. Injuries have played a role, obviously, but overall the facts are the facts, and Wentz still hasn't suited up and started a playoff game.
Until he does, it will be hard to take the Eagles seriously as Super Bowl contenders. In fact, history suggests if it doesn't happen this season, it might not ever happen.
Since the NFL went to their current playoff format in 1990, every Super Bowl winning quarterback other than Jeff Hostetler played in a playoff game within his first four seasons, and Hostetler won his like Nick Foles did in 2017. Take him out, and no quarterback since 1990 has won a Super Bowl after having not played in the postseason their first four seasons. Not win a game — just play in one.
That is why getting Wentz into the playoffs is still top priority for this team. They can re-tool their offense, get a new offensive coordinator, fix the defense and enter next season as an absolutely juggernaut — but if they enter the postseason in 2020 with Wentz not having any playoff experience, it might not matter. Especially when you consider his current track record in big games.
For better or worse, the future of this team is tied to Wentz. A high-draft pick that results in a stud, young player will help him, but not as much as winning the division and getting into the playoffs will.
Which is why over the final four games, even if it means going one-and-done and having a worse draft pick, it is still very important this team gets into the playoffs and gets Wentz the postseason experience he needs.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
