The Eagles have taken a short-term and long-term approach to the quarterback position this offseason. Prior to free agency, the Eagles re-signed Sam Bradford to a two-year contract to be the starter in 2016 for a team that will compete for the NFC East title. In free agency, head coach Doug Pederson brought over Chase Daniel from Kansas City to serve as the backup to Bradford. In this weekend's Rookie Camp, the Eagles get a look at the player they selected with the No. 2 overall pick in Carson Wentz, who has the potential to be a franchise difference-maker down the line.
Philadelphia's approach with Wentz isn't unusual. I looked at the starters from the 2015 season and tracked how long each of them learned behind the scenes as a backup before leading the team on the field.
| Sat Out At Least One Full Season |
|---|
| Tom Brady, Patriots (Drew Bledsoe in 2000) |
| Drew Brees, Saints (Doug Flutie in 2001 with Chargers) |
| Brian Hoyer, Texans (Tom Brady in 2009 with Patriots) |
| Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (Alex Smith in 2011) |
| Josh McCown, Browns (Jake Plummer in 2002 with Cardinals) |
| Carson Palmer, Cardinals (Jon Kitna in 2003 with Bengals) |
| Philip Rivers, Chargers (Drew Brees in 2004) |
| Aaron Rodgers, Packers (Brett Favre in 2005) |
| Tony Romo, Cowboys (Vinny Testaverde/Drew Bledsoe in 2003) |
| Tyrod Taylor, Bills (Joe Flacco in 2011 with Ravens) |
| Sat Out At Least 8 Games |
|---|
| Kirk Cousins, Redskins (Robert Griffin III, 14 Games in 2012) |
| Jay Cutler, Bears (Jake Plummer, 11 Games in 2006 with Broncos) |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets (Jamie Martin, 12 Games in 2005 with Rams) |
| Nick Foles, Rams (Michael Vick, 10 Games in 2012 with Eagles) |
| Eli Manning, Giants (Kurt Warner, 9 Games in 2004) |
| Sat Out 1-7 Games |
|---|
| Blake Bortles, Jaguars (Chad Henne, 3 Games in 2014) |
| Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings (Matt Cassel, 3 Games in 2014) |
| Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (Tommy Maddox, 1 Game in 2014) |
| Alex Smith, Chiefs (Tim Rattay, 4 Games in 2005 with 49ers) |
| Started In Week 1 |
|---|
| Sam Bradford, Eagles (Beat out A.J. Feeley in 2010 with Rams) |
| Derek Carr, Raiders (Beat out Matt Schaub in 2014) |
| Andy Dalton, Bengals (Beat out Bruce Gradkowski in 2011) |
| Joe Flacco, Ravens (Beat out Kyle Boller in 2008) |
| Andrew Luck, Colts (beat out Drew Stanton in 2012) |
| Peyton Manning, Broncos (in 2008 with Colts) |
| Marcus Mariota, Titans (Beat out Zach Mettenberger in 2015) |
| Cam Newton, Panthers (Beat out Derek Anderson and Jimmy Clausen in 2011) |
| Matt Ryan, Falcons (Beat out Chris Redman in 2008) |
| Matthew Stafford, Lions (beat out Daunte Culpepper in 2009) |
| Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (Beat out Matt Moore in 2012) |
| Russell Wilson, Seahawks (beat out Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson in 2012) |
| Jameis Winston, Bucs (Beat out Mike Glennon in 2015) |
Fran Duffy is the producer of "Eagles Game Plan" which can be seen on Saturdays during the season. Be sure to also check out the "Eagle Eye In The Sky" podcast on the Philadelphia Eagles podcast channel on iTunes. Prior to joining the Eagles in 2011, Duffy was the head video coordinator for the Temple University Football team under former head coach Al Golden. In that role, he spent thousands of hours shooting, logging and assisting with the breakdown of the All-22 film from the team's games, practices and opponents.
