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The Washington Commanders may have found the QB they've always wanted, and that guy is Carson Wentz.
Wents is known for his powerful arm, but he has also brought with him a high level of football intelligence and an intense work ethic.
The Commanders traded for him last March, and they hope he can stabilize the team's revolving door at the QB position.
Alex Smith was acquired with a lot of promise in 2018, but injuries nearly finished his career. The Commanders selected Dwayne Haskins in 2019. He was let go before the completion of his sophomore season. Last year, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick came in, but he sustained a season-ending hip injury as the season opened.
Wentz wants to halt that skid.
“I'd like nothing more than to play here for a long time and have a lot of success,” Wentz told ESPN.
He signed for three more years, but there are no guarantees after 2022. It remains to be seen if he becomes the long-term solution, but Washington liked what they have seen so far. Wentz provides a lot of optimism for this squad.
What the Commanders have observed piques their interest. Coach Ron Rivera emphasized Wentz's work ethic and how he takes charge of their offense.
“I really like his command of our offense,” Rivera said. “When you listen to him in the huddle, you listen to him talk to his teammates about certain aspects of the play. I know it gives me confidence, but when he is in the huddle calling the plays the way he does, I know his teammates can feel the confidence.”
Having said that, Wentz was not flawless. On occasion, the defense intercepted him, and he misfired on several throws. It will definitely take time to see where he steers Washington.
“The beauty of coming to a new spot is you get to reinvent yourself,” quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese said. “You get to start from scratch, if there any things you didn't like about yourself at other places. I know for myself, I'd say let's make sure that doesn't happen [again]. No one is holding you to an old standard.”
As he tries to re-ignite his career, Wentz will carry the dreams of a franchise that has not advanced past the wildcard round since 2005.
But there is hope that surrounds the 29-year-old QB, and there is power behind it, too.
“He's just so powerful,” Zampese said. “The ball gets up and down so fast to downfield targets. For most [QBs] on a 10-yard route it's easy; it gets to 15-20 yards and it's like, ‘ah.' [Wentz] zips the ball in the same [on longer routes]. We can access the field at a quicker rate than maybe some other places can.”
The coaches would love to see more of that. With Carson Wentz under center, the Commanders are looking to go long and go fast. Wentz is the kind of QB who loves the deep ball.
Zampese and Rivera won't try to change that.
“I want that guy,” Zampese said. “We've been looking for guys like this; there aren't too many like that. It's easier to get a guy to back off than to push a guy the other way. This is hog heaven for us. This is exactly what we wanted.”
