Wentz expects Bradford to play nice after veteran QB's trade request

It isn't part of Carson Wentz's new playbook, but the Sam Bradford-themed news conference looks like something the Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback has already mastered. That's good because nothing Wentz will do in this weekend's minicamp will matter as much as what he said about Bradford on Friday.

So he defused. He pivoted. He directed the conversation to team competition. Wentz had said all the right things – striking the right balance between confidence and deference – when he was done. If Bradford vs. Wentz is bound to be a controversy in Philadelphia, the rookie is doing his best to keep from adding anything flammable.

"Personally, I don't think there will be a lot of tension," Wentz said of his relationship with Bradford. "… It is what it is. Honestly, like I've been saying all along, it's out of my control. People want to make it a big situation, but I think we'll have a really good working relationship. I think it will benefit the team, because we're going to compete."

It's early, of course. On Monday, Bradford is expected to return to the Eagles' offseason program for the first time since trying to force a trade to the Denver Broncos prior to the NFL draft. Wentz said the two haven't spoken yet, but that's an indicator of almost nothing. In reality, many starting quarterbacks don't speak with drafted understudies until both are under the same roof during the offseason program. In Dallas, Tony Romo hadn't spoken to Dak Prescott prior to the start of rookie minicamp, either.

But Bradford certainly didn't do himself any favors with his trade demand, and that has created an undeniable differentiation between the two. Wentz is the starter-in-waiting, while Bradford is the starter-who-can't-wait-to-leave. The public relations spin from Bradford and the Eagles may say something different but that disparity is the unvarnished truth.

All that can be done now is to make the best of a situation that has gotten awkward far more quickly than the franchise hoped. That means everyone playing their part, from Wentz saying all the right things, to Bradford clumsily trying to get himself out from under a storm cloud of his own making.

That's what Friday was all about for Wentz – winning the first news conference after it was clear that Bradford would still be part of the equation. The Eagles were fairly prescient when it came to this moment, too. During their draft sifting, the franchise put quarterback prospects through a mock news conference, having staffers fill the room and throw curveballs that might knock them off balance. Wentz had one, too, and said it was similar to what he ended up facing from reporters on Friday.

And he handled this round with aplomb, nimbly answering multiple questions about Bradford while expressing an eagerness to get his learning process into a higher gear.

"I'm very antsy," Wentz said. "The draft process was a long waiting game."

He also added a little dash of self-awareness about wanting to win the respect of a locker room that he may be expected to lead sooner rather than later. That's a lukewarm storyline that could develop quickly for Wentz. Should it become expedited, having the veteran locker room behind him will become paramount.

"You've got to earn it," Wentz said of gaining veteran respect. "You've got to earn it with hard work. You've got to earn it with building relationships, being around the guys and everything. It doesn't just happen overnight."