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“Patience is a virtue and the best things in life are worth waiting for”- Julie Spira

I bring up this quote because it seems that the common Philadelphia sports fan has very little of this anymore as it pertains to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the yearly disappointments that we have endured. This seemed to get magnified after Wednesday’s blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns, in which the Eagles obtained the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Now, common perception among NFL insiders is that the Los Angeles Rams will take QB Jared Goff from Cal with the top selection, allowing the Eagles to take QB Carson Wentz from North Dakota State. There are a lot of people saying that we gave up too much, in addition to questioning whether or not it’s worth it to have this pick. I think we need to take a few steps back, remember the last time we drafted at No.2, and what we obtained from that pick. Yes, I’m talking about Donovan McNabb. Before I go into the current draft situation, I want to relive this pick again for those who have forgotten how good we had it during the Andy Reid Era.

In 1999, rumors were swirling that Philadelphia would take Texas Longhorns RB Ricky Williams. Williams was fresh off of a Heisman Trophy campaign the previous year, that saw him break the NCAA career rushing record. However, the Eagles stunned everyone on draft day when they drafted QB Donovan McNabb out of Syracuse instead. I remember it like it was yesterday, because people were saying the same thing about McNabb that they are about Wentz. What followed this pick was a period of time in which McNabb sat for the first year under then QB Doug Pederson, before ultimately leading the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games, and a Super Bowl appearance in 11 seasons with the team. However, as his production slipped, he was eventually traded to the Washington Redskins in 2009. Since that point, the Eagles have gone though six starting quarterbacks in the last six seasons, and not has shown that they could be the franchise QB.

Fast forward to 2016, enter Carson Wentz. Doug Pederson is now the head coach for the Eagles, and he is a big part of the reason that this trade ultimately happened. After crisscrossing the country with the other members of the Eagles front office and working out the top QB prospects, Howie Roseman pulled the trigger on the trade which may very well land us our new franchise signal-caller. While this might be a big risk, in the end the payoff could well outweigh the risks. The Eagles already have Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel in the nest at this point, and adding Wentz will either bring out the best in him or he will succumb to the pressure of being in Philadelphia. If history is any indication, then this could end up being just as successful, if not even more successful than taking McNabb. So again, I implore you Eagles fans………… patience is a virtue.

Tags: Carson Wentz, Donovan McNabb, Eagles, Eagles Draft, Eagles Trade News, Eagles Trade Rumors, NFL Draft