EAGLES NFL DRAFT PREVIEW: Quarterbacks
PHILADELPHIA - A lot can happen in a calendar year.
Rewind 12 months and Carson Wentz was the man in Philly, billed as a true franchise quarterback expected to lead the Eagles for the next decade or so after moving away from his cost-effective rookie deal as the No. 2 overall pick in 2016 and into his second contract for top-of-the-line money.
Then the quarterback factory got a little greedy, drafting another signal-caller at No. 53 overall in Jalen Hurts as insurance for the face of the franchise who failed to finish three consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2019.
The Eagles needed to cash in on their policy as Wentz again failed to finish a campaign. Instead of a torn ACL, stress fracture in his back, or concussion, however, this time it was ineffectiveness that derailed the former starter.
Wentz was benched in December at Green Bay and checked out on the Eagles from that point forward ultimately resulting in Jeffrey Lurie approving an NFL record dead-money hit of $33.8 million to turn the page and get out of the Wentz business by trading the former QB1 to Indianapolis for pennies on the dollar.
The short-term result of that is Hurts as the starter for 2021 with South Jersey native and long-time Baltimore starter Joe Flacco coming in to serve as the veteran backup.
The Eagles moved down from No. 6 overall in the 2021 draft to No. 12 in a trade with Miami which almost surely takes a potential roll of the dice at the top of the draft at the QB position out of the equation for the Eagles.
The result is Hurts will get an opportunity to sink or swim come September and the organization will then revisit what has to be done at the position with three potential first-round picks as capital in the 2022 draft as long as Wentz holds his water
"I think when people start talking about Jalen, the first thing that they go to is his athleticism and his strength as a runner. I don't know that's necessarily fair," said Eagles GM Howie Roseman. "This is a guy who completed over 70 percent of his passes at Oklahoma. He's got a feel for the passing game. He's got a plus arm. I think he's going to continue to get better and better."
At 36, Flacco signed a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $3.5M. He's won 98 career NFL starts and 10 more in the postseason so the stage isn't going to be too big for the former Audobon (N.J.) High School star if he's called upon.
The knock on the signing comes from those who believe Flacco isn't the mentor type, something at least buoyed by the veteran's own words after he agreed to terms with the Eagles.
"Listen, right now, I’m here to play a part in the role of the 53-man roster that wants to win a lot of football games," Flacco said. "Obviously, I’m a competitor, and listen, I think all those things of being competitive brings out the best in a room anyway and brings out the best in a football team. So that’s really the conversation that we’ve had at this point."
Another potential hiccup in the plan is the polar-opposite playing styles Hurts and Flacco bring to the table. The former a modern NFL QB who often excels in off-schedule situations and the latter an old-school 6-foot-6 traditional pocket passer.
"As far as building the system, in Indianapolis, we had three different starting quarterbacks each year, right? Those teams had similarities in their offenses, but minor differences just because every quarterback did something a little bit different," coach Nick Sirianni said. "That's no different here, right?
"We feel like good offensive football is catering to your players, particularly first and foremost your quarterback. So, of course, we're looking at different things that fit our offensive scheme, but then also what our quarterbacks do well."
With Hurts and Flacco penciled in the organization still needs to add a developmental type in Days 2 or 3 in the draft.
Around the NFL the two second-tier prospects with starting potential down the road seem to be Texas A&M's Kellen Mond and Standford's Davis Mills while the Eagles have shown a keen interest in a formed Cardinal QB, who finished his college career in Mississippi State, K.J. Costello.
EAGLES QB DEPTH CHART: QB1 Jalen Hurts, QB2 Joe Flacco
BUILDING THE PERFECT QB
Arm Strength - Trey Lance, North Dakota State: At 6-foot-3 and nearly 230 pounds, Lance is the power pitcher of this year's class and can make any throw in any offense.
Accuracy - Trevor Lawrence, Clemson: Lawrence made his living in Death Valley reading coverages and allowing his receivers to use their bodies with pinpoint throws.
Setup/Release - Mac Jones, Alabama: Jones is at the top of his class when it comes to footwork and mechanics.
Extending Plays - Jamie Newman, Georgia: In many ways, modern NFL offenses demand some off-schedule success and that could help Newman's draft stock in a year where the top options are more pass first.
Football IQ - Kyle Trask, Florida: Trask's pre-snap recognition skills are the best in the 2021 class, a testament to new Eagles QB coach Brian Johnson, who was Trask's offensive coordinator with the Gators last season.
Intangibles - Lawrence: More than one NFL scout has called Lawrence the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck. The box that the former Clemson star doesn't check doesn't exist.
EAGLE MAVEN TOP 10:
1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. Justin Fields, Ohio State
3. Zach Wilson, BYU
4. Mac Jones, Alabama
5. Trey Lance, North Dakota State
6. Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
7. Davis Mills, Stanford
8. Kyle Trask, Florida
9. K.J. Costello, Mississippi State
10. Ian Book, Notre Same
Sleeper - Brady Davis, Illinois State
Boom or Bust - Trey Lance, North Dakota State
John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Thursday on The Middle with Eytan Shander, Harry Mayes, former Eagles OT Barrett Brooks streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and SportsMap Radio. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
