Eagles 2020 Offseason

[LegoDoom]

That Schefter report seems crazy because you would think that if even a handful of NFL players get the virus the season is over (and delaying the season seems utterly nonsensical because November or January will probably be worse than August and September). Could they actually view the virus as something to be lived with like any other ailment (i.e., your QB gets it and just misses four games)?

I don't want to downplay how bad some owners/GMs/coaches are, but I am ignoring the Schefter report for now. It seems obvious if one of your QBs become infected, then all of them are likely to become infected.

[Lawman]

I have been thinking the below, ever since the Eagles took Hurts. I totally am on board with the below analysis, even while I still believe in Wentz's ability to be an elite QB in the NFL and would not have drafted Hurts.

Eagles are obviously unsure about Wentz's future

[rpmcmurphy]

In a way, this was actually a very conservative pick, rather than being a off the wall one. Howie purchased an insurance policy here. If he had chosen another WR (my preferred option), that WR may have at the very most gotten around 7-10 targets per game. It isn't hard to imagine Hurts getting 10 touches per game. The question is whether he gets you more production than another WR would. Not a perfect analogy I know because at the same time he'll take touches away from others and we can't know what those touches would have produced, but that's another way to look at it. Also, the Eagles could have added value in many other ways with that pick. Still trying to see some upside here.

[Lawman]

In a way, this was actually a very conservative pick, rather than being a off the wall one.

It's not an off the wall pick if you have legitimate questions about Wentz's ability to be a legit, healthy, long-term, number one QB.

It is an off the wall pick if you're dreaming of how you can use both QB's at the same time, that Hurts is a "Weapon X," and that we can take what the Chiefs are doing and up the ante using Hurts and Wentz together and throw wild looks at defenses.

[xogfog]

It is an off the wall pick if you're dreaming of how you can use both QB's at the same time, that Hurts is a "Weapon X," and that we can take what the Chiefs are doing and up the ante using Hurts and Wentz together and throw wild looks at defenses.

This was done in the league already as "The Wildcat" and was for the most part an abject failure and was quickly abandoned league wide...

[LegoDoom]

The Wildcat was snapping the ball to a non-QB. That is not what the Eagles are suggesting.

[phillychuck]

What the Eagles are doing really doesn't have to do with Wentz. It has to do with their valuation of positions. They view #2 QB as equivalent to a starter because of the importance of the position in the event the QB is unable to play. In their mindset, #2 QB is more worthy of a premium pick than, for example, weak side LB. So when Hurts was on the board they saw the chance to fill a "starter's value" position with what they considered to be a premium player and good value for the pick. I don't agree with how they are thinking about this, but the thought process isn't a mystery. They look at #2 QB as somewhat equivalent in value to other starter positions--possibly more valuable than some. More valuable for sure than middle LB who comes off for passing downs, for example. So they grabbed a top guy for that "important" position. It has nothing to do with Wentz, In my humble opinion, it has to do with organizational philosophy. I think they are wrong, but I understand how they are thinking.

[bkeich]

I honestly think we will forget in a year (or after the next season) that Hurts was thought of as a QB. He isnt going to be our backup QB or 3rd string, except in an emergency. He is more on the RB/WR depth chart I think. In fact, he might be best described as the old term "Flanker". I expect to see him on the field 10-30% of the time as a eligible receiver / what looks like a RB / sorta in a split out position. I want to see what Pederson can do with a guy with his elusiveness.

Will he throw 1-2 passes a game, yea maybe. I think more likely he will get 5-8 touches.

This is not to say that he wont be developed as a QB sometime, but I think that we will see him in a lot of plays that dont involve taking a snap.

You think Pederson went for it on 4th down too much before, imagine Hurts as the upback and most of the offense on the field including at least 2 of our new ultra fast WR and the punter. Do you send out your punt return team or defense? Lets say two of our backup WR become the gunners anyway, now how do you tell the difference other than Wentz has been replaced by a punter and Hurts is out there making you wonder? We might see a ton of fake punts and at the same time might force our opponents to almost never send out a punt return team for fear of there being an option play.

[zambonir]

Both arguments (that it is about Wentz and that he's not going to be a QB) make sense. You could also say they just took the BPA.

I think Murphy summed the Hurts-as-QB scenario pretty well.

Upon further review, Eagles’ drafting of Jalen Hurts was as silly as it seemed |...

For at least the next four seasons, the Eagles will pay Hurts a fraction of the going rate for a veteran backup. That could mean an extra $5 million to $10 million of salary-cap space that they can invest in another position. Plus, if Hurts reaches his ceiling, the Eagles will have a better second-string quarterback than many teams have as their starter.

Even if they have little concern about the cumulative effect of the knee, back, and head injuries that Wentz has sustained during his first four years, they might feel that Wentz’s physical style of play leaves him with an elevated risk of missing time in any given season. If you could somehow guarantee that Hurts would become a top-flight NFL backup, and you were unenthused with the other options on the board, you could easily make the case that spending a No. 53 overall pick on him is good value.

_Problem is, history offers no such guarantees. In fact, it indicates the opposite.

(He goes on to point out that only 5 of the last 21 second-round QBs amounted to anything and that's a list that include Kaepernick, Derek Carr and Drew Brees, i.e. it goes back many years.)

I feel like the Eagles winning the Super Bowl with Foles has probably made them overvalue the back-up QB. What has happened the last two years is far more normal: if you lose your starting QB, you aren't really going anywhere (never mind that last year's team wasn't anyway). If they lose Wentz this year they probably aren't making the playoffs (unless it happens very early or very late).

[Squire]

Its not entirely accurate but if I had done a shadow draft with no trading, it probably would have looked like this. Its not fair doing this after the fact but I went back and looked at my posts during the draft on another board.

1 (21) - Justin Jefferson, WR (this would have been a tough choice between him, Reagor, Aiyuk and Murray)
2 (53) - Jeremy Chinn, S (between him and Fulton)
3 (103) - Akeem Davis Gaither, LB
4(127) - Tyler Biedasz, C
4 (145) - Bryce Hall, CB
4(146) - John Hightower, WR
5(168) - Eno Benjamin, RB
6 (190) - Prince Tega Wanogho, OT

I will say that despite really considering Murray at 21, I am very glad the Eagles took a WR. 11 Wide Receivers went before the Eagles pick at 53.

Also, for what its worth, Bleeding Green Nation reports that the rumor is that if Hurts had not been available at 53, the pick would have been either RB JK Dobbins (Ohio State) or S Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois)

[LegoDoom]

To all the Aiyuk fans, him having success against lesser competition and being older makes him a no-go for me in the 1st.

Mims or Bryan Edwards in the 2nd seem like the best value for a WR. However, Hurts numbers and talent has to make him the best pick. I know the Eagles don't need another QB, but still. If the Redskins or Patriots drafted Hurts, then I'd be fairly pissed.

[xogfog]

Eagles bring back Corey Clement on a 1 year minimum deal and are said to also be interested in another veteran RB (Shady, Hyde, Freeman, etc....)

[Lawman]

I've been thinking about this one.

I'm ready to move on from Howie Roseman. I don't think he's really moved the team to the next level by any of his personnel moves and his drafts have been mediocre.

[VoteForKalas]

I thought Hurts was going to be used as a RB?

He likely will only be the #3 QB this season because of the lack of camp time for development and practice.

Therefore, the only way to get any value out of him this season is to use him as a RB/WR/Wildcat QB threat. I think it is ludicrous to spend a 2nd rd pick for someone to fill that role, but that is water under the bridge now.

[allentown]

He may be seen as a future QB. It is not unheard of for a starting QB to have basically done nothing but ride the bench in his first year or more with the team. Aaron Rogers backed up for 3 seasons before becoming the Packers starting QB. Not as common today, but if a team believes in grooming a replacement behind its starting, capable QB, it can happen. It is strange that it has happened with a starting QB who is both as young as Wentz and under contract for as many years as Wentz is.

[VoteForKalas]

The problem with that is the best value for the team using a 2nd rd pick on a player is that player becomes a starter while under their cheap, rookie contract. Once those 4 years are up, that value vanishes unless you can re-sign the player at a large discount (which would indicate he had not performed up to snuff) or trade him for value which will be tough if he has never started and shown anything at this level.

The Eagles are, in a nutshell, willing to waste a 2nd rd pick, a premium pick, on the chance Wentz either gets injured and needs to be replaced or they develop Hurts so well he beats Wentz out in open competition. The chances of the first happening are good, but teams do not need to allocate 2nd rd picks for a quality backup. The chances of the latter happening is very slim until at least 2022 when Wentz's contract makes the cap hit to move him along more palatable.

[Florida_Sunshine]

Although I don't agree with the Eagles decision, this is pretty simple.

The Eagles really value the backup QB position, more than most teams.

Hasn't their recent history been such that they needed a reliable backup either for large parts of the season or in the playoffs?

They have Sudfeld on a 1 year deal, but I presume he is likely gone after that.

During this 1 year training period, I imagine they will use Hurts some and may even win a game because of his versatility.

After that, he takes over as the true backup. As I said, the Eagles may overvalue that position but we also do not know exactly what they are thinking beyond the surface.

[phillychuck]

You generally have three choices for a decent back-up QB. 1. Sign a decent back-up for value to a multi-year deal, usually around $10M per year; 2. sign a decent back-up to a 1-year deal, usually between $2-$5M, with the downside of possible locker-room issues or lack of knowledge of the system (or bad system fit) and having to find another guy every year; or 3. use a draft pick, usually a pretty high one if you want a decent chance of the QB being useful.

The Eagles picked option #3, which I disagree with, but I understand their reasoning. I also think they could have taken a pick in round 2 and traded up for him in the third round. We will never know on that one.

If they were budgeting $10 million/year for a back-up QB (because of how much they value the position) they end up saving $8.5M per year on that position. That would be enough, for example, to pay about half of Ngakoue's salary. It would pay for an above average LB or Safety. So, if they spend this on a useful player, I'm OK with an overpay draft-pick wise.

[allentown]

I think option 3 causes the biggest locker room problem. Also, provides a guy with no NFL experience and doesn't know the system, so not a good current season back-up. Since Sudfeld doesn't seem to be all that capable, that actually leaves them without a strong back-up QB for the current season and with a high-round rookie who is going to want to compete for the starter spot sooner than later.

[zambonir]

We're just not gonna know until we know.

I also don't know that we can say Sudfield isn't capable...had he not been injured last year I think the Eagles were perfectly comfortable with him, but since he couldn't get practice reps and Thorson also turned out to be useless they had no choice but to get a veteran, and once McCown was there and Thorson was gone there was no way for Sudfield to "win" back the #2 job, plus they did not need the #2 QB for even a minute. Had Carson gotten hurt during the season who knows how it would have played out.

Really, where they are now is exactly where they were last year, except for the amount of draft capital spent on Hurts. They have a young but not completely green, competent if underwhelming back-up (which still describes most guys) and a rookie #3 who sits for a year. Except in Hurts' case he'll be on the roster doing the Swiss army knife thing instead of being on the practice squad.

Honestly if it turns out to be a chemistry problem because Hurts seems like a true threat to Wentz who deserves to start, they should be so lucky. Odds are still that he won't be, even if while remaining a useful back-up and multi-position asset.