Browns at Eagles
Rookie Carson Wentz will begin his NFL career in earnest on Sunday as the second overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft leads the Philadelphia Eagles against the visiting Cleveland Browns. Wentz was expected to be eased into action before the Eagles traded incumbent starter Sam Bradford to Minnesota for a 2017 first-round pick and 2018 fourth-round selection in the wake of Teddy Bridgewater's season-ending knee injury.
"Things changed around here pretty quickly. I think there were a lot of people that were surprised, but now, it is just move forward. Move forward, on to the next," said Wentz, who is facing the team that traded the second overall pick to the Eagles and had its chief strategy officer (Paul DePodesta) declare that the North Dakota State star wouldn't be a top-20 quarterback in the league. The 23-year-old Wentz won't be the lone high-profile second overall pick of a draft in this contest. Fellow quarterback Robert Griffin III makes his debut after signing a two-year deal with the Browns following his release from Washington in March. The debuts won't just be limited to the men behind center as Eagles coach Doug Pederson and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will join Browns coach Hue Jackson in their respective new roles on the sideline.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Eagles -3.5. O/U: 41
ABOUT THE BROWNS (2015: 3-13, fourth in AFC Central): With Josh Gordon serving the first of a four-game suspension, Gary Barnidge likely will be Griffin's most-trusted target after reeling in a career-high 79 passes for 1,043 yards and franchise high-tying nine touchdowns by a tight end. First-round rookie Corey Coleman won the 2015 Biletnikoff Award as the NCAA's best receiver but endured quite the struggle getting acclimated during the preseason. "You know, it's not about being a first-round pick. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I want to be great," the 22-year-old Coleman told ESPN. "I put a lot pressure on myself, the way I critique myself. You know, it can bury you on some people, sometimes."
ABOUT THE EAGLES (2015: 7-9, second in NFC East): Jordan Matthews (team-leading 85 receptions, 997 yards) headlines a young receiving corps that also added Dorian Green-Beckham, a former second-round pick of Tennessee who led rookies with 17.2 yards per catch during his rookie season (2015). Ryan Mathews assumes the unquestioned starter's role for the departed DeMarco Murray (Titans) and could take the pressure off Wentz should he repeat last season's 5.1-yard rushing average, which was fourth-best among league running backs. On the other side of the ball, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (team-leading 9 1/2 sacks and club high-tying three forced fumbles) leads an aggressive unit that yielded an NFL third-worst 401.6 yards per game overall and league-worst 134.6 on the ground.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Cleveland's Duke Johnson Jr. registered 61 receptions last season, fourth-most among league running backs.
2. Philadelphia TE Zach Ertz recorded career highs of catches (75), targets (112) and yards (853) last season, although his touchdown total (two) decreased for the third straight year.
3. Browns OT Joe Thomas is the only offensive lineman in NFL history to be selected to Pro Bowl in each of his first nine seasons.