Jalen Hurts proves that it always makes sense to evaluate incoming quarterbacks
Most franchise quarterbacks come from the cluster of first-round picks in each and every draft. Some show up later in the process.
Four years after trading up to the second overall pick in the draft to get their potential franchise quarterback, the Eagles secured their current franchise quarterback in round two, at a time when they weren't necessarily looking for one.
Dan Pompei of TheAthletic.com takes a look back at Philly's thinking when evaluating and ultimately selecting Jalen Hurts. It started as a reflection of the basic reality (as the Eagles learned when winning Super Bowl LII) that it's important to have a strong backup to the starter.
“No team probably has benefited more from the backup quarterback position than the Philadelphia Eagles, certainly over the 20-plus years that I’ve been in Philadelphia,” Roseman told Pompei. “So we’re always trying to find the next guy we can count on and feel confident in and then have him on a rookie deal.”
That's how the Eagles sold it to Carson Wentz, who nevertheless did not handle it well and ended up out of Philadelphia after Hurts's rookie year.
"It was kind of like, ‘Hey, we committed to you, you got the money, but this could also benefit you,'” Roseman said. “One of our scouts says it really well. He says, ‘If you catch a cold and miss two games, those two games that we go 2-0 or 1-1 or 0-2 can determine home-field advantage.’ So we have to be prepared for those games.'"
The fact that Hurts arrived in round two might have made Wentz even less comfortable. But the Eagles weren't comfortable in waiting to take Hurts -- as they had done eight years earlier when they missed on Russell Wilson, who went in round three. (They settled for Nick Foles, who in a second stint with the Eagles became the Super Bowl MVP.)
“We had learned from that situation with Russell when we try to get cute with quarterbacks that we like,” Roseman said. “You can never get hurt drafting quarterbacks. There’s nothing more important.”
Former Eagles coach Doug Pederson confirmed that they decided to take no chances.
“I’m sure some teams had him in the third or fourth round,” Pederson said. “Maybe we were the higher team on him than others. We felt comfortable enough to take him in the second. In this business, you know when you have a good player and you don’t need a whole lot of convincing. He was that guy for us. . . . We were thrilled to take him when we did. And you can see that he’s playing exactly the way we thought he could.”
The guy in charge of the Eagles was comfortable with the approach.
“I remember growing up as a kid watching football before free agency, and teams gave quarterbacks three, four, five years to develop,” Lurie said earlier this year, via Pompei. “And it harkens back to not just picking who is immediately ready to play in the NFL at a very high level, but who has the desire for greatness, the intelligence to be great and the talent — the throwing ability and the running ability and the team-oriented approach. It was kind of a no-brainer for us, but it was a very unpopular pick at the time.”
Now, three years in Hurts is flourishing. Even if the Eagles didn't expect it; they reportedly explored trading for Russell Wilson last year. There also was chatter of interest in Kyler Murray, before he signed his second contract with the Cardinals.
“I think you saw [last season] the things we saw in him back then,” Roseman said regarding Hurts. “He was in the second year in the system and doing everything they asked him to do. He understands it, and this kid is a winner — he’s a flat-out winner. That’s what we saw.”
But here's the thing to watch. The Eagles will always be looking for other quarterbacks. For now, Marcus Mariota is the one-game-or-two option behind Hurts. At some point, they'll draft someone and begin developing him. And it could potentially impact their attitude toward Hurts, especially if Hurts lets the presence of a potential successor affect his attitude toward the Eagles (as Wentz did).
Hurts, frankly, seemed to be wired differently than most quarterbacks, particularly Wentz. Hurts has no sense of entitlement. Hurts seems to realize he needs to constantly earn whatever he has, and that any player's status will become temporary, if he gives the team any reason to view him that way.
For the Eagles, the best outcome is to have a permanent starter and a viable and competent backup, either in the form of a veteran or a young quarterback who is developed and, in time, flipped for more draft assets that can be used to pick the next backup. With the constant understanding that any of those backups could, in theory, become the next guy who earns the QB1 designation.
