After the Eagles traded Carson Wentz earlier this week, we heard that the team was not expected to turn the reins over to Jalen Hurts without having him earn the job. Zach Berman of The Athletic confirms that Philadelphia is likely to sign a free agent passer, and Tim McManus of ESPN.com says he expects the team to seriously consider drafting a QB with the No. 6 overall pick.
According to McManus, there were mixed opinions of Hurts within the organization in the runup to last year’s draft. While owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman were among his advocates, the club did not necessarily select Hurts with the idea that he would become the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. Rather, the Eagles invest a great deal of draft and financial capital into the quarterback position as a matter of course, and Hurts simply represented a good value when Philly was on the clock in the second round of the 2020 draft.
In his four-game audition last year, Hurts certainly did enough to suggest that he can, in fact, be a franchise quarterback, but there were some concerns as well. For instance, his 52% completion percentage was lowest among all QBs that attempted at least 100 passes, and he ranked 27th among 41 quarterbacks with at least 150 passing plays in Expected Points Added (EPA) per play, according to TruMedia. Obviously, the limited sample size makes it impossible to draw any definitive conclusions about Hurts’ future, but by the same token, the Eagles — who usually aren’t picking as high as they are this year — would be remiss if they did not take a hard look at the top collegiate passers in the 2021 draft.
Trevor Lawrence will be selected by the Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick, but after that, it’s impossible to predict how the quarterback dominos will fall. The Eagles might have a shot at one of BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, but all three players could be off the board by the time the sixth pick rolls around. As such, Philadelphia might need to orchestrate a trade-up if they want one of those passers, and given that the club is already in salary cap hell, draft assets are especially valuable this year.
On the other hand, it’s not every day that you get a chance to select a premier collegiate quarterback, so if Roseman & Co. feel strongly enough about a player like Wilson, Fields, or Lance, they might have to bite the bullet. The Eagles’ salary cap picture should look much rosier in 2022, and at that point, they could have two promising young QBs playing under rookie contracts, which would be an enviable scenario.
As for the free agent quarterbacks that could be brought in, Berman names Jacoby Brissett, Tyrod Taylor, and Andy Dalton as potential targets. There are no concrete reports linking those players to Philadelphia at this point, but even if the Eagles draft a quarterback, they still might offer the clearest path to playing time for a passer in that free agent tier.
If the Eagles do not elect to draft a QB with the No. 6 selection, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP sees the team picking an offensive or defensive lineman (Twitter link).
Hurtz is NOT the answer. Period.
Agreed
None of these college QBs are the answer either. They should trade back and make multiple smart picks that will help them long term. WAYYYY to many holes to fill right now. What’s another unproven QB going to really do for this team right now?
Think eagles might be lucky to get fields or Wilson either would be an upgrade over wentz. Hurts sucks and the only value he holds is as a taysom hill type player
you really got that he sucks in effectively 4 games?
You know this…how? If half the people who post here were in charge of NFL teams, there’d be 10 QBs drafted in the first two rounds every single year.
If you were in charge of the Bills, they would have drafted another QB in 2019 and gave up on developing Josh Allen.
Developing QBs takes time. The Eagles have a terrible line and receivers. If they draft a QB in back to back years, they’re fools.
We don’t have a terrible line. When healthy we have a top 5 RT, top 5 RG, top 5 C, very solid LG, and Maialota played very well at LT. Hurts is a RG3, Taysom Hill style QB, dynamic runner, not a very good passer, in the 4 games he played.
If you look at many of the great NFL QB’s of the last 25 years, many had stats comparable or even worse in their rookie year. I’m not saying he will be great but writing him off seems very premature.
Think you need to give Hurts a chance. At least a chance to compete. Bring in Fitzpatrick or a guy like that. Use the pick on a replacement for Ertz
If that was really the Eagles logic, it senseless. “Let’s draft a QB in the 2nd w/o agreeing he could not be the long term answer. Then we can blow the ’20 season, PO our QB trade him, & potentially draft a new QB in ’21.”?
its probably just a ploy to get someone to trade for the pick. Howie does this every year.
Very well could be a ploy. With the cap hell they’re in, they need as many picks as they can get. Trading back for more picks makes way too much sense.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
Since 1973, the Eagles have only drafted 2 QBs in the first round. Wentz, who contributed much to their super bowl winning season, and Donovan McNabb. Your comment doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in this context.
well it would constitute taking a QB in the 1st or 2nd two years in a row, so its not terribly far off
Enjoy that Super Bowl win Eagle fans, because you’re never winning another one.
Draft the best player available! If the pick doesn’t fit, trade the pick. Yes, the Eagles need a quarterback. However, Howie knows how to hand over the best pick to the teams picking behind them. This list of missing on great players is long for Howie.
“Hurts certainly did enough to suggest that he can, in fact, be a franchise quarterback”
No, he did not. He simply showed that he can try harder than Carson Wentz. Trying hard only qualifies him to be a back-up in this league. If he wants to be a franchise QB he has a lot of work to do – as he actually has to be capable of winning more than 25% of his starts.
who cares what his record is? Burrow started 1-5-1 and you dont see people wanting to run him out of Cincy.
You realize football is a team sport, yes? And that Jalen Hurts, or any QB for that matter, is going to struggle winning games when they have receivers and offensive lines (and entire defenses) as bad as the Eagles were last year.
Successful franchises take time and develop QBs. Everyone likes to talk about how smart the Cardinals were to dump Rosen immediately, but what have the Cardinals won since then? Nothing.
You can’t be a quarterback factory if you stop drafting quarterbacks.
Give Hurts a chance.. but #6 is not the place for a QB in this draft.
Grab Pitts, one of the WR, Surtain or trade back with one of the teams that truly think there is a QB that is the answer here in the draft .
Pitts is a mismatch no matter where you line him up on the field and if they are going to cut or trade Ertz I think he makes the most sense.
What makes the most sense, is drafting a WR or CB that can solidify the position. We don’t have a legit WR, and need help opposite Slay, if they don’t trade him. We have a young TE with potential in Goddert, if we were drafting in the late teens or twenties, then take the best position available. With Howie draft history, we are doomed, if we think he can turn things around after 2-3 drafts
They should trade back from 6 and load at young talent this and next draft. Worse comes to worse you can draft a rookie qb in any of the next two drafts. But if you hit on young draft talent and hurts is the real deal then lookout cause cap space they will have next season.
yeah I generally agree wuth this philosophy. I know my linking of Hurts has a lot to do with it, but if people are willing to accept 2021 as a rebuliding year we can get back to moving forward in the 2022 offseason. I would absolutely consider drafting back for the reasons suggested.
*with
Rory, you accidentally wrote/linked Josh Fields, not Justin.
Doesn’t matter how many picks they have as long as Howie is making the selection it’ll get muffed up. I agree with Chip Kelly on one thing, SEND HOWIE TO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING !
just blowing smoke…too many other needs on this team to draft another qb in the 1st. 3rd and later…maybe
Howie would be re-enacting the scene from “The Deerhunter” with a loaded gun to his head if he took that gamble.
Think this is really a nothing story. It’s Howies way of saying if Wilson or Fields is available we could take them but both won’t be available. It’s also another story which adds value to the Jets and Dolphins possibly trading down and a team trading up that wants a QB (Panthers, Pats, Niners, WTF). It makes their front offices think if Fields falls, Philly will take him and makes them more aggressive if moving up.
Personally I think they won’t get a chance at the top 3 QBs and shouldn’t take someone like Trey Lance at 6 and have him compete or whatever against Hurts. Id either move back or invest in another area. Hurts was good in his opportunities and from all reports is doing well on trying to get ready for next season, and stay out of the Pederson/Wentz drama.
I have it
1. Lawrence
2. Wilson
3. Dolphins trade to Texans for Watson. Texans trade back with Panthers. Panthers take Fields
4. Falcons Who cares lol
5. Sewell
6. Philly takes a WR
7. Lions defence
8. Texans Pitts
Trey Lance to Niners at 12
That’s what your starting QB wants to hear.
QB is of Greet Importance … any of the final 4 of GB, Buff, KC and TB … if you removed their QB and inserted an average QB like Bridgewater, Dalton , Stafford …. they wouldn’t have been there …
This is the perfect spot to trade back a few spots and gain more picks. The Eagles have too many holes right now and very little room to add payroll. If Hurts is good they have a better team around him, if he isn’t the answer they’ll be picking near the top again next year.