The Eagles are playing the long game, this much we know. Despite some fleeting hope regarding the team's chances at a division title in 2016, the decision to trade up and draft Carson Wentz bought the Eagles' brass some time as they wait for the quarterback of the future to get ready.
All of this especially benefits one man: Doug Pederson.
Pederson enters 2016 as a guy who was coaching high school football less than a decade ago and has spent just seven years in the NFL coaching ranks, three as an offensive coordinator. Not exactly a resume that most head coaching candidates would brag about having.
You see, while Wentz develops on the sideline, holding a clipboard, Pederson will be doing the same, developing his own offense and calling plays for entire games for the first time in his coaching career. Pederson's lacking of coaching experience has been overlooked thanks to Howie Roseman's wheeling and dealing, and Sam Bradford's "holdout" has removed the spotlight from the storyline regarding the head coach who may or may not be in over his head.
One guy who may know something about that has an offense down the hall from Pederson's. Jim Schwartz had more seasoning under his belt when he was hired by the Detroit Lions to be their head coach in 2009. After five seasons, Schwartz was canned, thanks to his team playing an undisciplined, inconsistent brand of football.
With his success as a coordinator, it is clear that Schwartz is a smart guy and learned a thing or two from his failed tenure in the Motor City. The Eagles hiring Schwartz to help guide Pederson is a move that received a lot of praise, and rightfully so. He can lessen the learning curve and take over one half of the team while Pederson tries to set up his offense, just like when Jim Johnson and Andy Reid started together in 1999.
The biggest issue for Pederson right now is learning how to call a full game of offensive football. He has said that he called the plays during the second half of the Chiefs final dozen games of last season. The numbers say his unit scored more points in the second half than the first when Reid was calling the plays, but it's hard to believe he didn't rely at least a little bit on his mentor.
But in the long run, Wentz's development is priority number one and by all accounts, Pederson has the tools to teach the young signal caller. However, what he is lacking is a star pupil on his resume. Wentz is the first blue-chip passer to come under Pederson's wing. Since being named the Eagles QB coach in 2011, Pederson has worked with Michael Vick and Alex Smith as the starting quarterbacks for his teams. Pederson's former teammates and coaches believe the ex-quarterback is smart enough to instill his knowledge of NFL defenses and coverages into the North Dakota State product.
When you take a look around the roster and coaching staff that Roseman and Pederson have assembled, it's easy to see Pederson's lacking of experience sticks out like a sore thumb. The 2016 Eagles are an experienced bunch and with Bradford at the helm, could make the playoffs if enough things fall in their favor. But they'll do it, dragging their coach along for the ride.
Tucker Bagley is a columnist for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @tbagley515.
