For the last few weeks, the talk amongst Eagles reporters has been that the franchise will be going big-game hunting this offseason for a new QB.
Whether it’s Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, or Deshaun Watson, the QB rumors have swirled in Philadelphia since their wildcard loss to Tampa Bay in January. The conversation has also transferred to some of the second-tier QB’s that could be available via trade or free agency.
Derek Carr, and now even Jimmy Garoppolo have been tied to the Eagles. Outside of the fact that the Eagles have other pressing needs on the roster, there are several reasons why the Eagles NEED to pass on a player like JimmyG.
He’s not better than Hurts
Say all you want about how the 49ers got to the NFC Championship game again and that Jimmy-G is 33-14 as a starter.
He is pretty much equal to what Hurts is right now as a QB. Garoppolo isn’t going to win you football games. He’s not going to be THE reason a team wins a Super Bowl. He’s not that athletic, his accuracy is solid but he doesn’t have all the tools necessary to be a franchise QB. Add in the fact that he’s going to be 31 next season and has played in 16 games only once in his career and the story writes itself.
Jalen Hurts is 24 and continues to improve as an overall passer. There’s no reason to expect that Hurts won’t improve this upcoming offseason after having improved every year since college.
This offseason will make or break Hurts’ career. There’s no reason for the Eagles to give up on him for a player who isn’t better than him as a thrower or leader.
Don’t Outbid a Rival
It’s been recently reported that the Washington Commanders (LOL) could be on the lookout to trade for a QB like Garoppolo.
If the Eagles were to even think about going QB hunting this offseason, it means they could be bidding against some of their biggest division rivals. This would be a mistake.
Objectively, Garoppolo increased his value on the open market by being a part of a conference championship team. Teams value QB wins for some reason even though wins are not a QB stat. If Washington feels that they would be right in trading Jimmy Garoppolo, that means a roster with an aging OL, and an aging secondary believe they are a QB away.
The Eagles should not try to outbid a team that thinks that way.
Let Washington get into bed with Jimmy-G and deal with the larger cap hit. There’s no reason for the Eagles to get involved.
Stay Flexible
If the Eagles are to send assets to get a player like Garoppolo, it would undermine the flexibility the team has in salary cap, and in the draft. An early draft pick is absolutely something the 49ers will be looking for to part with Jimmy Garoppolo.
With their three first-round picks, why would the Eagles even want to get rid of their salary cap flexibility and their draft haul. Jimmy Garoppolo would count close to $27 million towards the cap of whatever team trades for him.
With close to $25 million in space this year to improve positions like edge rusher, safety or even corner, there’s just no fiscal sense in trading for a QB that doesn’t have the pedigree, leadership, or talent to return the same investment the Eagles would be making.
The answer is quite simple – say no to Jimmy Garoppolo in Philly.
Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire
