By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
At this time last year, there was a lot of draft buzz for the Eagles, but there was little suspense in terms of who the Eagles were taking. The Eagles had the second overall pick, and a quarterback was coming to Philadelphia. As many had thought, even before the trade, Carson Wentz was the pick.
In his rookie year, Wentz had his inconsistencies, but was plagued by a lack of weapons offensively. This season, that becomes less of a crutch, now that two veteran receivers have joined the fray in Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith.
The construction of this Eagles team isn't over just year. There will be more draft picks coming in, and it's not out of the question that the Eagles don't help Wentz even more with their first-round pick at 14th overall next Thursday. Still, Wentz's sophomore season, and his need to show improvement comes with experience, is crucial.
After helping lead the Eagles to a 3-0 record to start the 2016 season, Wentz had a fairly average rest of the season in terms of performance. After Week 3, Wentz had five touchdowns and no interceptions while throwing for 769 yards. In the remaining 13 games, Wentz threw 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Make no mistake about it, Wentz showed the raw talent is there and the potential is as well. The Eagles appear to be in good hands when it comes to leadership and the physicality of being an NFL quarterback. But the pieces around Wentz just weren't there. Which is why the Eagles put such focus into the free-agent wide receiver market, and landed two of them.
Jeffery gives Wentz a sure-fire No. 1 receiver. Smith brings in a veteran presence. Both were drawn to Philadelphia by Wentz's natural abilities.
It's Wentz's turn to return the favor. While he didn't have a poor rookie season, he wasn't going to be a savior overnight, especially with what was around him.
Wentz showed he could put passes in the right place for his receivers. He showed what he can do with a healthy Zach Ertz. He showed his quick-thinking ability and mobility when opting to tuck and run.
Even with the successes, Wentz worked on some minor things with his mechanics and footwork during the offseason, working with a private QB coach. The year of experience makes a difference too. Wentz certainly knows what to expect from NFL defenses now, and that could go a long way in game-planning and preparation.
It is a season where no matter how the Eagles record turns out or how the team performs as a whole, Wentz needs to make a leap in his own performance to further prove that he is the franchise quarterback the Eagles have dubbed him to be.
