Jalen Hurts

Eagles Made “Competitive Offer” For Marcus Williams; Latest On WR, QB Pursuits

March 27th, 2022 at 11:40am CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles have signed edge defender Haason Reddick and wide receiver Zach Pascal this offseason and otherwise have been mostly quiet in terms of adding outside talent. But that hasn’t been for lack of trying.

As Tim McManus of ESPN.com (subscription required) writes, Philadelphia made an effort to sign former Saints safety Marcus Williams. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required), the Eagles made a competitive offer to Williams, who ultimately signed a five-year, $70MM contract with the Ravens.

GM Howie Roseman also took some big swings at other positions. We already knew that the club nearly completed a trade for Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley before news of his gambling suspension surfaced, and according to McLane, the Eagles also had interest in WR Robert Woods. Woods was under contract with the Rams and was recently traded to the Titans, but Los Angeles gave him a say in his next destination, and he chose Tennessee over Philadelphia.

Precipitating the Rams’ trade of Woods was the club’s acquisition of Allen Robinson, whom Roseman also pursued. But Robinson, like Woods and most other notable players changing teams this offseason, elected to go elsewhere.

As McLane writes, the Eagles’ status as an also-ran when it comes to this year’s open market talent pool is perhaps a function of how players outside the organization view Philadelphia’s chances to compete in 2022. And, of course, a team’s chances to compete are inextricably linked to that team’s QB.

While it is unfair to exclusively blame incumbent signal-caller Jalen Hurts for the Eagles’ inability to make more FA or trade acquisitions thus far in 2022, McLane confirms that the Eagles were interested in Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, and he believes that Roseman will continue to do everything he can to find an upgrade over Hurts.

That could mean using one of his three first-round picks in next month’s draft on a passer, though McLane thinks that Roseman will not do so and will instead trade one of those picks to enhance his draft capital in 2023, when the QB prospects are expected to be better than this year’s crop. And assuming that the Eagles do not draft a quarterback this year, and do not view a trade candidate like Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield as a worthy investment, then Hurts will get another chance to prove his long-term value.

More Details On Deshaun Watson Sweepstakes; Latest On Baker Mayfield

March 20th, 2022 at 9:57am CST by Rory Parks

Though there were four finalists for QB Deshaun Watson before the Browns and Texans completed the blockbuster trade that sent Watson to Cleveland, as many as 10 teams were reportedly interested in Watson’s services. In remarks he made following the trade, Houston GM Nick Caserio would not say exactly how many teams made inquiries, but he did note that the interest went beyond the Browns, Saints, Panthers, and Falcons.

“I would say there was a fair amount of teams, but what we tried to do was bring the teams that had a legitimate interest, and that was based off the compensation that was presented,” Caserio said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “I don’t want to get into the exact number, but there was a few more, however many teams than what everybody was reporting towards the end.”

Caserio’s comments confirm what had been reported all along: only clubs that were willing to meet the Texans’ steep asking price (three first-rounders and more) were granted permission to have an in-person meeting with Watson. While that seems like the only logical move in hindsight, it was quite a masterstroke by Caserio. Had he allowed Watson to meet with all interested clubs, regardless of proposed compensation, Watson may have decided to waive his no-trade clause for only one team, thereby undermining Caserio’s leverage. But as Florio observes, by having a “pre-qualifying” process, Caserio guaranteed that he would get what he wanted before Watson truly got a say in his next destination.

Per Florio, the Colts put feelers out to the Texans, but Caserio was not willing to deal Watson within his division. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that the Eagles remained interested throughout the process, but Watson was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause for Philadelphia, largely because he is friends with Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and did not want to take away Hurts’ starting job. Wilson adds that the 49ers also placed a call to the Texans last year.

Caserio suggested that reports on the Texans’ being interested in players as well as picks in a Watson swap were at least somewhat overstated, saying, “I would say other than three first-round picks, I would say probably the rest of it was a little bit of speculation.” Still, Wilson reports that if Houston swung a deal with the Falcons, Atlanta CB AJ Terrell would have been intriguing to Caserio, and if the Saints had been able to acquire Watson, New Orleans OLs Erik McCoy and/or Cesar Ruiz might have been a part of the package heading back to the Texans.

In the end, the Browns, who were initially believed to be out of the running for Watson, were able to acquire the three-time Pro Bowler because they were willing to give him a contract — five years for a fully-guaranteed $230MM, which Wilson reports includes a $45MM signing bonus — that other teams were not comfortable matching. We heard at the time the Cleveland-Houston deal was consummated that the financial side of the equation became untenable for the Falcons and Panthers, and Wilson confirmed in a separate piece that Carolina was resistant to a fully-guaranteed pact.

Cleveland may have felt compelled to make such a bold strike because of an unsalvageable situation with Baker Mayfield. Mayfield requested a trade while the Browns’ courtship of Watson was ongoing, and when it appeared that Watson would not waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a move to northeast Ohio, the Browns indicated they would not accommodate the request. However, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes, Mayfield had no intentions of playing for the Browns in 2022 even if the club had not acquired Watson, and that reality could have forced Cleveland’s hand.

According to Cabot, the Browns had made it clear to Mayfield’s camp that they would pursue a top-flight QB this offseason, but that they were content to run it back with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft if such a pursuit were unsuccessful. Because it had been upfront with him about its intentions, the organization believed it could eventually smooth things over with Mayfield. As we heard last week, though, Mayfield declined owner Jimmy Haslam‘s offer to fly out to Mayfield’s home to discuss the situation, which was a clear indication that there was trouble in paradise.

Cabot further reports that the Watson situation and the team’s comments that it was looking for an “adult” at the quarterback position — thus implying that Mayfield is not, in fact, an adult — merely represented the final straw. Mayfield was said to have issues with HC Kevin Stefanski‘s play-calling and scheme, and as Stefanski will retain play-calling duties in 2022, Mayfield was prepared to skip the Browns’ offseason program and minicamp in an effort to force a trade to a team that has an offense more conducive to his skill-set. As Mayfield is eligible for free agency in 2023, the upcoming season is obviously critical for him, both from a financial and on-field perspective.

We recently learned that Mayfield would prefer to be traded to the Colts. Cabot suggests that, if Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard is interested, he may require the Browns to pay at least some of Mayfield’s $18.9MM salary, and since Cleveland has no choice but to deal Mayfield at this point, the team’s leverage in that regard and in terms of trade compensation is fairly limited.

Both Cabot and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times confirm that the Seahawks may be interested in Mayfield but are genuinely excited by Drew Lock, who recently came to Seattle in the trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos. As for the Texans, Caserio was non-committal when asked if Davis Mills, who started 11 games as a rookie in 2021 and who showed marked improvement down the stretch, would remain Houston’s QB1. Nonetheless, Mills is expected to open the 2022 campaign as the starting signal-caller, despite Caserio’s comments that the team is “starting from scratch” at the most important position in sports.

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts Undergoes Ankle Sugery

February 2nd, 2022 at 2:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jalen Hurts is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Eagles in 2022. Before setting his sights on offseason improvement, though, he is having surgery on his injured ankle, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.

Hurts initially wanted to avoid the procedure, but not long after he was seen in a walking boot following the team’s playoff loss, surgery was agreed upon as being necessary. He injured his left ankle in the team’s Week 12 loss to the Giants, which caused him to miss the following game. While that was his only injury-related absence this season, it affected his mobility throughout the latter stages of the campaign.

As ESPN’s Tim McManus writes, Hurts was upfront in acknowledging the injury. “Clearly, I’ve been battling little issues with my ankle” he said after the team’s 31-15 Wild Card loss to the Buccaneers. “For the last part of the season whenever I came back after the injury, our offense kind of changed a bit. I wasn’t running as much. I wasn’t doing those things as much simply because I wasn’t able to get freaky like usual”.

The 23-year old finished the season with 3,144 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air, but also 784 yards and 10 majors on the ground – both of which ranked first in the league amongst quarterbacks. His overall performance has led the Eagles to publicly commit to him moving forward, though some feel they could still make a move (perhaps with some or all of the three first round picks they currently own in the upcoming draft) for a more proven signal caller.

Hurts is expected to make a full recovery in time for the team’s training program in April, setting him up for a second season as the team’s starter.

Eagles Reaffirm Jalen Hurts As 2022 Starting QB

January 19th, 2022 at 1:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

In his end-of-season press conference, Eagles GM Howie Rosemen made some comments that are certainly noteworthy, but also not surprising. As Around the NFL’s Kevin Patra writes, Rosemen has confirmed Jalen Hurts‘ status as the team’s starting quarterback entering the offseason.

When speaking about the 23-year-old signal caller, Rosemen said, “We talk about Jalen and the growth he had, really, a first-year starter, second-year player, leading this team to the playoffs, [we were] tremendously impressed by his work ethic, his leadership” adding “we said we wanted to see him take the bull by the horn, and he certainly did that“.

After struggling early in the year, Hurts helped lead the team turn a 2-5 record into 9-8 and a playoff appearance. In 14 regular season games, he completed 61.3% of his passes for 3,144 yards and 16 touchdowns, to go along with nine interceptions. The more notable aspect of his game, of course, is his rushing ability though – something that led to a great deal of production on the ground. He finished the season with a team-leading 784 rushing yards on 139 carries (good for an average of 5.6 per attempt) and an additional 10 scores. As his performance in his playoff debut showed, however, there is certainly plenty of room for improvement in the passing game.

Head coach Nick Sirianni doubled down on the support for Hurts, stating “Jalen knows where he stands with us. I thought he did a great job of getting better throughout the year… He knows he’s our guy”. The vote of confidence doesn’t come as a surprise to many around the league, although others have remained skeptical Hurts can be a consistent enough passer to be the starter on a contending team.

It is important to keep in mind that the QB market has yet to fully take shape for this offseason. The fact that some, or all, of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson among many others may be available via free agency or trade – coupled with the fact that Philadelphia owns three first round picks – could change the Eagles’ plans. As Patra notes, Rosemen publicly supported Carson Wentz this time last year before trading him, and that “Roseman could shift gears if a potential upgrade materialized”. For now, at least, the Eagles are proceeding with confidence in the status quo at the quarterback position.

Jalen Hurts To Start For Eagles In Week 15; Panthers Were Interested In Gardner Minshew

December 12th, 2021 at 7:58am CST by Rory Parks

Despite QB Gardner Minshew‘s strong performance in last week’s victory over the Jets, the Eagles — who are on a bye this week — will turn the reins back over to Jalen Hurts when they return to the field for their Week 15 contest against WFT, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Hurts was unable to suit up for the Jets game due to an ankle injury but is expected to be healthy enough to resume his starting role next week.

The Jets’ defense is hardly the most difficult test for a quarterback, but Minshew did exactly what he needed to do to put himself back on the radar for QB-needy clubs by completing 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and throwing two TD passes. There may not be a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia at the moment, and Hurts’ play down the stretch will obviously factor into the Eagles’ long-term thinking, but even if the Eagles’ front office is content to move forward with Hurts, Minshew may have at least bolstered his trade value.

Per Rapoport, the Panthers called the Eagles about a possible Minshew trade during the season, not long before Carolina signed Matt Barkley and Cam Newton. The two clubs never got particularly deep into talks, but Minshew is expected to generate outside interest again this offseason.

RapSheet says that Minshew is generally viewed as no worse than a bridge starter, with the upside to be more. A team that misses out on one of 2022’s top trade targets or collegiate passers, or a team that is looking to groom a young QB, would probably be happy to give up a mid-round pick for Minshew.

The former Jaguars draftee still has a year to go on his rookie contract and will make a modest $965K in 2022, further enhancing his trade value.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Out For Week 13, Gardner Minshew To Start

December 5th, 2021 at 10:20am CST by Rory Parks

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts suffered an ankle injury in his team’s Week 12 loss to the Giants. While Hurts expressed a desire to play through the injury, Philadelphia will be safe with its QB1 and let him rest for this week’s contest against the Jets. Former Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew will start in Hurts’ place.

Minshew has only seen the field in one game this season, completing two passes for 11 yards in a blowout win against the Lions. This will be his first start since he suited up for Jacksonville in a Week 15 loss to the Ravens last year.

This is bad timing for Hurts. Just last week, in the wake of a stretch of solid play, it was reported that the second-year pro might have done enough to entrench himself as the Eagles’ starting QB moving forward, thereby allowing the club to use its considerable draft capital to build around him. Unfortunately, Hurts had a miserable showing in the Giants loss, throwing three interceptions and renewing the chatter about whether he truly is a franchise passer, chatter that was highlighted by a report concerning an organizational divide on his long-term viability.

Obviously, one bad game isn’t going to make or break Hurts’ future, but he certainly would have preferred to have a chance to bounce back against a porous Jets secondary. Instead, Minshew — who at one time looked like he might be the Jags’ long-term solution under center — will get a chance to reestablish his value.

A 2019 sixth-round selection, Minshew’s strong performance and charismatic personality made him something of a sensation in his rookie season. Filling in for an injured Nick Foles, Minshew ended up starting 12 of his 14 games for Jacksonville, completing 60.6% of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He also guided the Jaguars to a 6-6 record during his 12 starts.

The Jaguars took a clear step back in 2020, but Minshew still put up solid numbers. While Jacksonville went only 1-7 in Minshew’s eight starts, the Washington State product still completed 66.1% of his passes for 2,259 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He’s also shown some versatility outside of the passing game, collecting 497 rushing yards on 96 career carries.

After the Jags selected Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Minshew became expendable, and he was shipped to Philadelphia — which is always on the lookout for QB talent — in exchange for a conditional sixth-rounder in August. He still has a year to go on his rookie contract, and he will welcome any opportunity to continue to produce quality tape.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Eagles’ Lurie, Roseman Split On Jalen Hurts?

December 3rd, 2021 at 3:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Carson Wentz‘s Colts usage tracking toward the Eagles receiving a first-round pick from their recent quarterback trade, the NFC East franchise will face a big decision in 2022. The Eagles are in line to have three first-round picks next year, giving the team ammo to move up in the draft or dangle picks for an established quarterback.

The prospect of the Eagles standing pat at QB next year has entered the equation, with Jalen Hurts showing growth as this season has progressed. But the franchise is not yet certain Hurts will be a long-term starter.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie, who directed the Eagles’ front office to avoid adding competition for Hurts’ QB1 gig this offseason, still believes in the second-year passer, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. GM Howie Roseman, however, is not as bullish on Hurts long-term.

Lurie led the way in the Eagles drafting Hurts in the 2020 second round, with McLane adding Roseman supported the pick and made the final decision to pull the trigger. The move ended up triggering a seismic shift at QB in Philly. Wentz went from big-ticket extension recipient in summer 2019 to Colts starter by winter 2021. And, it seems, the Eagles are still entertaining the prospect of making another big splash.

Lurie is believed to have led the way in the Eagles being in the Deshaun Watson mix, per McLane, who adds Hurts was viewed as a possible trade chip in such a deal. Of course, Watson would have needed to approve a trade to Philadelphia. Thus far, the Texans quarterback is not believed to have waived his no-trade clause for any team but the Dolphins. Watson figures to be moved in 2022. While the Eagles stand to be interested again — especially once clarity regarding the embattled star’s NFL discipline emerges — Miami appears to have a lead on the field at this juncture.

Hurts is completing 61% of his passes and averaging 7.0 yards per attempt. He sits 22nd in QBR. Not upper-echelon numbers, but the ex-Alabama and Oklahoma starter has obviously made a major impact on the ground for the Eagles as well. Hurts has a shot at a 1,000-yard rushing season, sitting at 695 (with eight TDs) through 12 games. Neither Randall Cunningham nor Michael Vick accomplished that as Eagles. Catalyzed by 200-yard rushing games in four of their past five games, the Eagles lead the NFL rushing. It would be interesting if the Eagles bailed on him as a starter after such an accomplishment, but quarterbacks like Watson, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers figure to be heavily involved in trade rumors again in 2022.

The Eagles would acquire the Colts’ first-round pick if Wentz plays 75% of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps this season. The injury-prone QB is on pace to do so. Though the Colts could make a run to the playoffs, the Eagles at this point project to have three picks inside the top 20. While the 2022 QB crop is viewed as a significant step down from 2021’s celebrated group, Hurts stumbling down the stretch would certainly link the Eagles to first-round passers. The Eagles’ quarterback decision figures to be one of next year’s top dominoes.

Latest On Eagles QB Jalen Hurts

November 28th, 2021 at 10:07am CST by Rory Parks

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts‘ recent run of quality play could have major ramifications for Philadelphia’s future. Aside from the obvious fact that getting the quarterback position settled is the most important agenda item for any NFL club, confidence in Hurts as the long-term solution under center opens a lot of other doors for the franchise, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com observes.

Although there are a number of high-profile passers that could be available via trade this offseason — Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson, for instance — the Eagles would not have to empty their cache of draft picks to acquire such a player if Hurts really is the answer. And considering the club has at least two 2022 first-round selections and is in line to recoup the Colts’ 2022 first-rounder as part of this year’s Carson Wentz trade, it would certainly be preferable to use those choices on cost-controlled young talent at other areas of need (like safety, where Bo Wulf of The Athletic believes the Eagles could make a significant splash this offseason).

Plus, this year’s crop of collegiate quarterbacks is not considered an especially strong one. Although some college signal-callers have played their way into first-round consideration, none of them have obvious franchise potential, and arguably none of them have the upside of Hurts. So Philadelphia will be happy to let other clubs take fliers on that group of players while it forges ahead with a QB that has shown marked improvement as the season has gone on.

Since Week 8, Hurts is the only player in the league with three or more rushing touchdowns and passing touchdowns. He is also averaging 5.4 yards per carry during that timeframe, good for seventh-best in the NFL (regardless of position). His running ability is part of what makes him such an intriguing player, so while his 90.4 quarterback rating on the season positions him closer to the bottom of the league than the top, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics — which consider throwing and rushing prowess — consider him a top-10 QB, ahead of players like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

So if Hurts’ arm continues to improve — he has thrown just one pick since Week 6 — there is reason to believe that he is, as owner Jeffrey Lurie hoped, the right QB to build around.

Eagles Name Jalen Hurts Starting QB

August 31st, 2021 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

While there did not seem to be much doubt about the Eagles’ starting quarterback job, Nick Sirianni finally removed all doubt Tuesday. Jalen Hurts will start for the team in Week 1.

The Eagles were in position to select Justin Fields or Mac Jones this year, even after trading down from their No. 6 overall spot, but owner Jeffrey Lurie was believed to be behind giving Hurts an opportunity this season. Philadelphia went with Hurts down the stretch last season, as their Carson Wentz era plunged toward a sobering conclusion, and the team will continue on that path to start this season.

Philly, however, has two first-round picks in the 2022 draft. If Wentz plays 75% of the Colts’ offensive snaps, the Eagles will have a third first-rounder. Hurts may have to play very well to keep the Eagles out of the quarterback conversation next year. But he will have that chance, with Joe Flacco and now Gardner Minshew on the Eagles’ roster behind him.

A second-round pick out of Oklahoma, Hurts began his career at Alabama and joined Eagles 2021 first-rounder DeVonta Smith as Crimson Tide freshmen in 2017. After Tua Tagovailoa beat out Hurts for the 2018 Alabama starting job, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma and followed Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray by putting up big numbers with the Sooners. His NFL trajectory remains uncertain, but the Eagles will give the 23-year-old passer a try after trading Wentz.

Doug Pederson Addresses Eagles’ QB Decisions, 2020 Downfall

July 9th, 2021 at 10:28am CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles using a second-round pick on Jalen Hurts raised eyebrows last year, and it ended up being a precursor to the end of an era.

While other factors contributed to the five-year Doug Pederson–Carson Wentz run abruptly ending, the since-fired head coach said the Hurts move was not part of a plan to develop Wentz’s heir apparent. It is rather remarkable that the Eagles taking Hurts 53rd overall preceded such swift fallout, considering the Alabama/Oklahoma product’s status as Philly’s long-term starter remains uncertain. But less than a year after the pick, Pederson is unemployed and Wentz is in Indianapolis.

“You go into drafts and you go into each year looking for quarterbacks,” Pederson said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via NFL.com). “And we continued to look for quarterbacks, and that’s always something that will never change. We won a Super Bowl with our backup quarterback. And we’ve had to play with our backups a couple of times in Philadelphia.

“So we did that a year ago and brought in Jalen Hurts — not to undermine Carson Wentz, not to do anything to take away his job or anything because Carson was our starter. He was the franchise and all that moving forward. But (we wanted) someone that could come in and could be the backup and learn how to play the NFL game — bring his talent to the Philadelphia Eagles.”

Pederson ended up benching Wentz in early December, following a rough stretch for the former No. 2 overall pick. A rash of injuries affected both the Eagles’ offensive line and their receiving corps, and Wentz’s play predictably worsened. The benching led to a fracture between Wentz and Pederson.

The Eagles then parted ways with both, ushering in a Hurts-Nick Sirianni pairing — barely a year after the team narrowly lost a wild-card game. Though the Eagles were believed to be interviewing candidates with an eye on jump-starting Wentz, making an ex-Frank Reich lieutenant a logical option, the franchise quickly went in a different direction.

“And really as the season began, things just started to kind of I guess spiral out of control,” Pederson said. “Injuries began to set in. We weren’t playing very well. Turnovers offensively, just a number of things, penalties, more injuries compounded problems, and it just became harder and harder as the year wore on.

“… It’s just unfortunate for me because I was hoping to really have an opportunity to fix the issues that we had and kind of get everything back on track — whether it was going to be this year or the next year. And, obviously, that didn’t happen.”

Pederson, 53, said he will attempt to land a second head coaching job. He discussed Seattle’s offensive coordinator position, but that was the Super Bowl-winning HC’s only known link to a 2021 gig. The Eagles added a 2022 first-round pick in trading down with the Dolphins this year. Barring an injury that prevents Wentz from taking 75% of Indy’s 2021 snaps, the team is in line to collect another from the Colts in the Wentz trade. This would give Philly a good opportunity to draft Wentz’s true successor, if Hurts fares poorly this season.

It is unclear how well Hurts will need to play to prevent the Eagles from entertaining another first-round quarterback pick, but given that he was not drafted with a QB1 role in mind, Philly figures to be linked to 2022 QB prospects.

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