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Jon Gruden likes Wentz, but says Eagles may have a problem at QB

For the next week, the Eagles can revel in the excitement of moving up to the No. 2 pick to draft a potential franchise quarterback. But once presumptive selection Carson Wentz arrives in Philadelphia, it will be up to coach Doug Pederson to figure out how the crowded depth chart will work.

For the next week, the Eagles can revel in the excitement of moving up to the No. 2 pick to draft a potential franchise quarterback. But once presumptive selection Carson Wentz arrives in Philadelphia, it will be up to coach Doug Pederson to figure out how the crowded depth chart will work.

The Eagles made clear that Sam Bradford is still their starting quarterback. However, considering the assets the team surrendered to draft Wentz, the team must also make sure that their investment eventually bears fruit.

"The problem right now I see in Philadelphia is they have too many quarterbacks to be friendly with," said ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach and Eagles assistant. "How are they going to distribute any reps and get anybody ready when you got Sam Bradford making $18 million, you've got Chase Daniel who's a backup making $7 million, and now you have the No. 2 pick in the draft? I don't know how you're going to get these guys reps and get them ready, but Doug Pederson will have to answer that."

The Eagles could argue that having too many quarterbacks is a good problem to have. A crowded depth chart beats a depleted one. But the Eagles also want to be competitive this season, and Gruden said the biggest challenge Pederson faces is getting the starter enough practice snaps to prepare to play and the rookie enough practice snaps to develop.

"When you look at the amount of reps you can have with your team, that number is substantially less than it was five years ago with this new collective bargaining agreement," Gruden said. "You've got a new head coach who's running a new offensive system - he better get it in there quickly, because the games are about to start - so who's going to get the reps and who's going to get the leftovers?

"You don't have time to get three guys reps. You just don't. If you do, you're not running a real sophisticated offense. It's hard to get one guy to go today, let alone two. So there could be a trade. I don't want to start any rumors in Philadelphia, but if they do draft a quarterback with all they have invested in him, I'm sure they'll want to get him as many reps as possible, and that's going to make somebody I think unhappy and perhaps expendable."

Howie Roseman, the Eagles' executive vice president of football operations, said Bradford will not be shopped. Perhaps knowing this would be a possibility, Pederson commented at the league meetings last month that Bradford should not worry if the Eagles draft a quarterback to play behind him.

"Honestly, if you're the starter, who cares?" Pederson said. "Why are you looking over your shoulder, if you're the starter? And that's the way Sam has to approach this. Even with Chase [Daniel] there. And even if we go out and draft a quarterback this year. If you're the guy, you're the guy. You're looking forward and not behind. If you're constantly looking behind, that's a problem."

Regardless of the depth chart questions, Gruden sounded high on Wentz. He raved about Wentz's off-field intangibles, noting that Wentz is a two-time captain with a 4.0 GPA who was the valedictorian of his high school class. Gruden thinks Wentz can withstand the mental pressure of playing in Philadelphia.

He also thinks Wentz has the tools to succeed in the NFL. Wentz is 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds and ran a 4.77-second 40-yard dash. Wentz possesses an NFL-ready arm and came from an offense that huddled, which Gruden valued.

"I just like a big guy that has athleticism," Gruden said. "This kid carried the ball a lot on designed quarterback runs. He's got a consistent, compact throwing motion. He got a good Senior Bowl week - I thought he stood out there as well. He's got the prototype size, and I talked earlier about the system of football he's come from. You see him at the line of scrimmage take ownership of the game."

But the Eagles are investing considerable resources in a player the Cleveland Browns - a quarterback-starved organization - did not want. Sashi Brown, the Browns' top football executive, said Thursday the trade should not be interpreted as the Browns' believing Wentz won't develop into a top quarterback.

He denied that the Browns were determined to move the pick when it became likely Jared Goff would not be available at No. 2 after the Los Angeles Rams traded with the Tennessee Titans for the top selection. However, the Browns desired the draft capital accrued by making the trade.

"We think Wentz and Goff, at this point, are pretty consensus 1-2 in terms of the quarterbacks," Brown told Cleveland-area reporters. "This shouldn't be interpreted at all as an indictment of their potential of being good starting quarterbacks in this league. As always, there's a risk when drafting any quarterback, even in the first or second slot in the first round."

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm www.philly.com/eaglesblog