Eagles' Doug Pederson Shows Support for Carson Wentz, Defends 2016 Draft Trade

Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson has no regrets at all about drafting Carson Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

The Eagles traded five picks to the Cleveland Browns just days before the draft in order to move up from the No. 8 spot, giving up a first-rounder in 2017 and a second-rounder in 2018 to entice the Browns. 

Speaking on a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Pederson said moving up to grab Wentz was the right decision—a move that comes back into full focus with Philadelphia set to face Cleveland on Sunday.

"Oh heck yeah, I'd do it all over again,'' Pederson said. "He's the guy we wanted back then, he's still the guy we want today. And I love everything about Carson Wentz and he's a great leader for our team and our city and I'd do it all over again."

The last time the two clubs faced off was Week 1 of the 2016 season. Wentz passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-10 victory to mark his NFL debut. The latest meeting will be the first since all of the picks involved in the trade have been used—though there are plenty of "what ifs" to wonder about in Cleveland.

Thanks in part to the selections the club gained from Philadelphia, the Browns drafted safety Jabrill Peppers and cornerback Denzel Ward. Cleveland could've had quarterback Deshaun Watson with the Eagles first-round pick in 2017, but traded it to the Houston Texans for the 12th overall pick in 2017 as well as the Texans' first-round pick in 2018—the latter of which the Browns used to select Ward. 

As Cleveland figured out what to do with its myriad draft picks, the Eagles found themselves hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of Super Bowl LII. Wentz, however, was stuck celebrating on the sidelines after tearing his ACL in Week 14. 

In fact, injuries have been all too common for Wentz since entering the league. The quarterback has played a full 16-game season just twice since he was drafted, though Pederson said Wentz's playing style could be behind the ailments. 

"He's such an aggressive style of player that sometimes it can get him in trouble from time to time with some of the aggressiveness," Pederson said. "But he learns to manage it and he handles it, and we've had some injury up front with the offensive line."

In 2020, Wentz is 3-5-1 with 2,091 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His current play has him on track to finish with the worst passer rating (73.1) in his career. 

The Browns, meanwhile, are 6-3 and tied for second with the Baltimore Ravens in a surprisingly competitive AFC North. 

Whatever happens on Sunday, it's hard to argue with the championship results in Philadelphia following the trade. Pederson doesn't have to explain himself much more than that.