According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Jeffrey Lurie wants the Eagles to roll with Jalen Hurts as their QB and build around him. Even with this new revelation, Mortensen added that other QBs will still be added, perhaps to mentor Hurts.
This news is a bit of a curveball, considering there were many rumors that the Eagles were interested in possibly taking a quarterback at sixth overall (or even higher pending a trade-up).
There’s a lot to unpack here, from the solid logic of the organization to Lurie potentially nearing Jerry Jones-levels of micromanaging.
This Is the Correct Move To Make At QB
This is the smart choice to make at quarterback for a team that’s seriously lacking in talent at multiple positions across the field, especially on offense.
We recently discussed the pros and cons of drafting a quarterback, and ultimately landed on the conclusion that in order for a quarterback to succeed, they need weapons around them.
To draft another quarterback in the first round would simply be ignoring the obvious and more pressing needs present.
By supposedly rolling with Hurts, the Eagles would be committed to building around him. They simply can’t make the same mistakes they did with Carson Wentz by not giving him the role players he needed to succeed.
Additionally, Hurts is a young, talented player with loads of potential. The Birds could do much, much worse than giving him another year to show what he could do for the team.
Is Lurie Becoming Too Meddlesome?
There are certain times when meddling is necessary, such as the Doug Pederson situation. If what was reported then is to be believed, that Pederson continually wanted to hire from within and bring in coaches with insufficient amounts of success, then it’s hard to argue with Lurie.
But this… is concerning. During Nick Sirianni’s press conference, competition was stressed numerous times. The team wasn’t going to hand a starting spot to anyone. It was a fresh start for a team, and it was fair game for everyone.
Most assumed at that point that Sirianni’s thinking aligned with Lurie’s thinking. But it seems like there’s once again a disconnect between coaching and ownership, not even two months into Sirianni’s tenure.
Even if Lurie is making the right decision by wanting to build around Hurts, in a perfect world, Sirianni would be the one to make that call. After all, a coach should be able to work with his ideal QB.
It’s important this relationship gets off on the right foot. After Chip Kelly and Pederson ended their time here with internal conflicts, it would be nice for the team to act as a cohesive unit.
Perhaps This Will All Be Meaningless Come May
It’s important to remember that things in the NFL can change quickly. After all, this is the team that drafted a quarterback in the second round after giving their starter a huge extension. Transparency isn’t exactly the Eagles’ strong suit.
Until the team gets past free agency and the draft, don’t look at these reports as they end-all, be-alls. Perhaps the Eagles become fluctuated on one of the talented QBs in the draft, such as Zach Wilson or Trey Lance.
For right now, Hurts is the QB1 of the future. It’s nice to see the Eagles are ready to attempt to give the young quarterback a team that can help him reach his ceiling.
