Jalen Hurts' Growth Must Include Accuracy and Decision-Making
INDIANAPOLIS – Sorry to disappoint those who think the grass is always greener on the other side, but the Eagles seem genuine in their desire to bring Jalen Hurts back as their starting quarterback.
They have now double-downed twice on that desire, with the most recent confirmation coming at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Seahawks don’t seem inclined to trade Russell Wilson.
The Texans are still waiting for Deshaun Watson’s legal woes to be litigated, but even as reports surface that the Eagles could be interested the chances are slim to none, with the arrow pointing heavily at none, of getting a deal done.
Like it or not, the Eagles are going to let Jalen Hurts grow. In other words, they will water and fertilize.
It never gets old, does it?
If there is one Eagles-related takeaway from the NFL Scouting Combine, it is that.
Jalen Hurt will be the starting quarterback.
Generally, the belief is most know that and have accepted it.
“We have Jalen Hurts, who's a 23-year-old quarterback, who led his team to the playoffs, and he's going to get better and better and better,” said GM Howie Roseman. “He's going to do everything possible to get better, and we have to do our part in that.”
Head coach Nick Sirianni expounded on what part of Hurts’ game needs watered and fertilized.
“When you look at a quarterback, there are many different things you're looking at, but the four main things you're looking at is: the accuracy, decision making, the ability to create, and seeing if he's above the line in arm strength,” said the coach.
“I think there is no question that Jalen Hurts has the arm strength to make all the throws. He's well above the line to be able to make the throws, whether it's Atlanta in the first game of the year or in Philly the last game of the year with some different type of weather. So, we're confident in that.”
Whoa. You mean, he does have the arm strength?
That seemed to be a criticism of some.
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Sirianni continued.
“He has amazing ability to create, whether things break down and the receiver might not get open or there is a breakdown in the offensive line,” he said. “What we saw throughout the year is not only can he create with his legs and make big plays with his legs, as the year went on you saw him become a weapon when he would move in the pocket, create in the pocket, and find his receivers down the field.
“You saw him create some explosive plays that way. So, those two things are a nonissue, and there are just things he's going to continue to excel at.”
That everybody seemed to know.
Now, about where Hurts needs to get better.
It’s accuracy and decision-making.
“Decision making, it's about your mind recalling the things that have happened in the past and knowing, ‘Okay, last time I saw this, I went here with the ball. Here we go. Oh, shoot, last time I saw this I went here with the ball, but this happened,’” said Sirianni.
“So, he just has to continue to get more and more and more reps, right? He's had a full season and a couple other games…so he just has to continue to see that and to be able to speed up his processing over and over and over again.
I have no doubt because of who Jalen is that he'll continue to do that.”
Accuracy, coach?
“I know he'll continue to get better at that, again, because he works at it,” Sirianni said. “And so by no means am I saying that is - those are the things that we know he needs to work on, he knows he needs to work on, and I have no doubt he'll continue to get better at.”
And he will have the chance to show he can get better at that this fall.
With the Eagles.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
