This offseason offers a lot of promise for the Eagles to become an elite team once again after an impressive year of growth under Nick Sirianni.
Much of the narrative surrounding the offseason so far is focused on the quarterback and rightfully so. Still, it’s been focused on how GM Howie Roseman or the Eagles organization may fail to make the right decision. Should they roll with Jalen Hurts as the starter, trade for an elite established QB, or draft a young talented prospect? These are all valid questions but let me explain why this is a win-win for the Eagles.
Rolling (the tide) with Jalen Hurts
If the Eagles decide to roll with Jalen in 2022, he will have an entire offseason in the same scheme and with the same coaching staff. This is stability Jalen hurts has lacked throughout his career. He is known for his work ethic and being coachable. While Hurts showed promise, he has a lot of development to do to be an elite passer in this league, but if anyone can reach their full potential, it’s Jalen.
Doubling down on Hurts allows the Eagles to invest and use their draft picks to rebuild an aging roster. While the Eagles have struggled in the draft in recent years, the 2021 draft was a step in the right direction for GM Howie Roseman. Armed with three 1st round picks, it’s very likely that the Eagles trade down to gain assets in future drafts, which will only help the rebuilding process.
If Jalen Hurts does regress or gets injured, in that case, Gardener Minshew is a serviceable starter, and Head Coach Nick Sirianni already proved that he could design an effective offense with him as a starter.
Ultimately, if the Eagles decided to keep the current QB’s on their roster, it could help them become a complete team. Plus, it allows Hurts to show if he can take the necessary leap to be a top 10 QB in this league.
Trading for a top tier QB:
There is a lot of speculation that Philadelphia is interested in trading for a top-tier quarterback. Russell Wilson is the prominent name here, but I am not fully convinced the Seahawks will be willing to part with such an elite quarterback. If they are eager to make a deal, the Eagles have plenty of capital to make it happen.
The Eagles should trade for Wilson if the opportunity is there. The NFC is a weaker division with far fewer elite quarterbacks than the AFC. A player like Wilson would immediately vault the Eagles to near the top of the NFC and could turn the Eagles into a premier team for years to come.
While this move is risky, most NFL teams rarely trade massive draft capital. It’s hard to not see the upside after the Rams traded away almost all of their picks yet have found themselves in the Super Bowl.
Drafting for the future:
While this isn’t considered a great QB draft, there are plenty of talented players with upside. If the Eagles draft a QB like Malik Willis, Matt Corral, or Desmond Ridder, they can give them ample time to learn and develop while Jalen Hurts runs the show. There is a lot more doubt with this draft class than in years past, but I see enough potential that it may be worth taking the risk.
Keep in mind that there have been so many years where the QB class was considered weak only to have a player surprise everyone. In addition to that, rarely is the best QB taken in the top 5 picks. Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson were drafted outside the top 5 picks. So the Eagles have an opportunity to develop a talented young QB and give them the time they need to learn and grow.
Final thoughts:
The Eagles have a rare opportunity to change the course of their franchise for years to come. For many Eagles fans, it’s hard to be optimistic without having a franchise QB in place. While that is understandable, I think I laid out that the Eagles are in a great position, no matter their choice. This is an offseason to be optimistic about the Eagles future.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
