The moment seems to be growing towards the divorce between Carson Wentz and the Eagles, a separation that the Eagles are not yet ready to accept.
Sources close to the team indicated that general manager Howie Roseman recently spoke with tight end Zach Ertz about how they can make things work with his disgruntled defender.
Ertz and Wentz developed a close connection when Wentz arrived in 2016, so it’s probably not a surprise that GM tried to leave no stone unturned in its quest to try to fix things with the quarterback he spent more than a fortune on in the summer. 2019.
Even if it means trying to get Wentz’s good friend to intervene.
What complicates things further is that Roseman may be forced to trade the Pro Bowl veteran tight end, knowing that he probably can no longer afford Ertz with a salary cap bursting at the seams.
As for Wentz, a potential exchange is not yet on the table.
“It is nothing like what we are talking about now,” said the GM when asked to confirm that he did not rule out Wentz’s deal. “We are talking about a guy who is immensely talented, has a great work ethic and is doing what we can to put him in the best possible situation to succeed …
“I think Carson, anyone who knows Carson, knows how strong he is and how much he believes in his own abilities. In terms of why we didn’t have a good season, it’s not just for a player, and I think when you look at it, the team as a whole has not lived up to expectations. The moves we made did not live up to expectations and putting that on Carson is not fair. “
Asking Ertz for help can also be interpreted as an attempt to keep Wentz in Philadelphia, so the GM is not leaving a stone unturned while trying to find a way to keep Wentz in Philadelphia.
Ertz said on Monday that he and Roseman have a good relationship. In fact, he called it great, despite what seemed like an argument between the two during the training camp last summer.
“He’s someone who gave me a chance when I was 22, he and trainer Kelly brought me (as a runoff choice in 2013) together,” said Ertz. “I am not someone who holds a grudge in any way, and I never got to the point where I felt I needed to hold a grudge. We have a very good relationship. I have a very good relationship with everyone in the building because we have been through a lot together.
“I really love everything that this organization stands for and a lot of that is due to Mr. (Jeffrey) Lurie, Howie and Doug (Pederson) running it in a certain way.”
Rosman also spoke highly of Ertz.
“Zach is one of the really amazing guys that we have had in this organization for the 21 years that I have been here,” he said.
Of course, the Eagles want Wentz back. And perhaps that would have been possible if the franchise had passed from coach Doug Pederson, whose decision – and his alone – to park Wentz on the bench, making him the one who fell in a season that required many left turns to count.
The situation may be untenable, however, and Wentz could force the Eagles’ hand in publicly requesting an exchange.
Then Roseman turned to Ertz.
The tight end was asked if he had seen last weekend’s report that Wentz was going to request an exchange.
“I haven’t talked to him about his plans for the future,” said Ertz on Monday. “This week has been honestly very reflective, but I’m not going to be a spokesman for Carson.”
Roseman hopes that Ertz can at least be the go-between.
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