A couple weeks ago, when reporters were allowed access into the Eagles' newly-re-organized locker room, it didn't take long to notice the empty locker stall next to Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel.
Above that stall, third from the corner, sat a generic nameplate. Now, it's going to say "Carson Wentz."
The No. 2 overall pick's locker will be right next to the one belonging to Daniel, the team's backup quarterback, who just happens to know head coach Doug Pederson's offense better than anyone else in the building.
Daniel knows the offense so well, Jordan Matthews called him "the playbook walking."
That's likely one of the reasons Pederson wanted so badly to sign Daniel this offseason. And with the current Bradford situation being what it is, with him staying away from the facility after requesting a trade, it will be Daniel's job to teach the young rookie.
As of Friday, Wentz hadn't yet talked to Daniel, although the two briefly exchanged tweets. But the rookie is looking forward to learning from the veteran.
"He knows it, so I'm excited," Wentz said to a group of reporters following his press conference on Friday. "Really, [Daniel] and obviously the coaching staff. A lot of good football minds here, especially at the quarterback position. I don't think I could have walked into a better situation to really learn the game."
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Wentz can't wait to get a playbook and dive in (see story), but if he does have to sit for his rookie season, he has plenty of experience from when he first arrived to North Dakota State in 2011 (see story).
Even before the draft, Daniel was already starting to field questions from his new teammates at the voluntary minicamp in April.
"Anytime you have a guy that's been in the offense for three years and is coming with the head coach, there's a reason why the head coach is bringing them," Daniel said during the minicamp in April. "The head coach feels comfortable with them, and that portrays to the guys. The guys say, ‘OK, Chase knows exactly what he's talking about.' There's little bitty details they might not go over and those are the holes I can fill in."
Matthews explained that sometimes a player will have a question, but instead of holding up a meeting for something small, players can wait and just ask Daniel a little later.
So far, Daniel said it's been about a 50-50 split in terms of when he approaches a teammate to offer help and when they approach him to ask for it.
"I was very surprised yesterday," Daniel said the day after the first minicamp practice. "We didn't have very many mental errors from the receivers standpoint. This type of offense, it can get a little bit wordy at times, so that was a plus to see."
While Daniel has been busy teaching the offense its new scheme, three of Jim Schwartz's former players have been teaching the defense its new scheme. And now, they'll have to teach the rookies too.
Nigel Bradham, Leodis McKelvin and Ron Brooks all played under Schwartz in Buffalo for one season in 2014 and reunited with him this offseason, when they signed with the Eagles.
"They've been picking it up well and they have most definitely been using me as a resource," said Bradham, the team's strongside linebacker. "And it's been helpful, me just being out on the field and helping guys communicate, getting everything right, making the transition smooth."
Bradham said many players have been asking him for advice, including the other two starting linebackers, Jordan Hicks and Mychal Kendricks. Even some defensive linemen have been asking Bradham for advice.
"Just anything I can get from them, I try to use," safety Rodney McLeod said. "It's definitely helpful to have those three here now, when we're kind of getting used to the defense. Those guys, you can kind of lean towards them in order to help us out."
