Controversy has surrounded the Philadelphia Eagles 2nd round selection of Jalen Hurts. With many players like Denzel Mims and other potential 1st round talents on the board, it didn’t make sense for some Eagles fans but Howie knows what he is doing. Hurts is a lethal offensive weapon and a smart mind and can be a vital piece to the Eagles offense and become a stud in just a few year’s time. And with the Eagles rest of their draft targeting secondary, lineman, and speedsters they set themselves up to have an amazing rookie class for 2020 and will help lay down the new foundation of the Eagles offense for years to come. 

Solidified Backup:

Carson Wentz has had injury issues in the past, while what he has had aren’t really constant things he has been hurt in years past. From a torn ACL in 2017, a bad back in 2018, and a concussion in the playoffs in 2019 the Eagles season has been derailed from their original plan in all 3 of those seasons because of Carson getting hurt at the worst possible time. Nick Foles showed that the Quarterback position is only as good as your backup and gave one of the best Superbowl performances ever to win Superbowl 52. He stepped up again in 2018 but they fell short and McCown gave a heroic performance but couldn’t get the job done this last season. Now Nick Foles is being paid by the Chicago Bears and Josh McCown is in his 40’s possibly retiring so there leaves that hole.

Jalen Hurts continues his run at the Heisman 😤

15-20 passing, 289 Yards, 3 TDs
14 carries, 150 yards, TD
Oklahoma rolls past UCLA, 48-14 pic.twitter.com/VwqQJ8k3MO

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 15, 2019

 Jalen Hurts becomes one of the most premium backup Quarterbacks in football with a lethal combination of Football IQ and athleticism. Nick Foles did well because he was a game manager who could read a defense and make the right throws. He was great in the pocket but was not very mobile. Adding Hurts to the mix gives you someone who can remain in the same offense built for Carson Wentz and can work it exactly like he did. The offense changed for Foles, who ran a lot more RPO’s and pocket quarterback offense while Wentz was able to move around a bit and buy time for big plays. Hurts is more mobile than Wentz and can do that and work the Eagles just like Wentz does if he were ever to go down. 

https://twitter.com/QBFilmRoom/status/1234720307983929350?s=20

A type of Offense we haven’t seen before:

We have seen glimpses of this with other teams but nothing to this degree. The multiple Quarterback sets and the trickery of a mobile player at QB. New Orleans does it with Drew Brees and Taysom Hill. Baltimore tried it with RG3 and Lamar Jackson, and countless other teams have tried a wildcat with a skilled position who can throw the ball. Each of these has had its flaws in not being perfect despite producing. Drew Brees is not mobile and can’t work off of the ball and is not a mobile QB anymore. Robert Griffin throwing power is not there anymore and his speed has fallen off with his several injuries and age. The Eagles have 2 young, mobile, athletic Quarterbacks that can work this to perfection and I think we are going to see some crazy shit in 2020.

Jalen Hurts broke free for a big gain on the play before Brooks' TD run.#OUDNA | #BoomerSooner https://t.co/eKBBAKkweY

— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) September 7, 2019

The opportunities are endless with what the Eagles can do. A backfield with 2 QBs with an angled snap and not knowing which way the ball is going and the other runs out, or a modified read option with a handoff to Hurts that he can run an RPO literally by himself and run with it or throw it to a nearby receiver is possible. You can line one of them up in the slot and throw a screen pass and they can throw it or run with it and the list goes on and on. This draft and recent moves have shown the Eagles are going absolute pure speed like Kansas City and want it at all positions. Having 2 quick quarterbacks adds to the incredible things they can do on any given snap without having to bring in a special package and the other team knowing what is going to happen. Now I don’t know what they are exactly going to do but this is a possibility and they have been innovative on offense before with the RPO’s and I think this can be next level and truly unstoppable.

Best throw of the Senior Bowl from Jalen Hurts. Finds Jauan Jennings for six. pic.twitter.com/gRrwvjSEFW

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 25, 2020

Develop and flip:

Jalen Hurts was drafted in the 2nd round for a reason, he is going to be an NFL starting quarterback, but not just yet. With Howie Roseman talking the Eagles becoming a Quarterback factory this is probably what he was alluding to. You groom and develop Hurts in this offense for a few seasons and help make him into an NFL ready guy to lead his own team, there will be several teams in the market looking for that kind of guy. Add on the fact that he is in his early 20’s and is on a rookie contract there is no telling how much draft capital a team would move for a player like that. If RG3 was available for trade without his injuries after a year or so imagine the return of draft capital or players the Eagles could receive. This is incredibly Sam Hinkie type idea in the idea of having the long term view in mind. Sure it would be nice to have Denzel Mims or another corner. But wouldn’t 2 future 1sts and more be better? Because that is what you could see coming back in return for Hurts. A guy like Taysom Hill would go for a first-round pick if he was available for trade and there would be so many competing teams looking to fill that QB slot without much salary that would move heavy capital to bring in a player like Jalen. This is a trade we will have never before seen as QBs traded on rookie deals are ones that have failed, or are oft-injured, so the market is very high for a player like this.

So while this move might not make sense to many of you right now, there is a reason Howie Roseman is an NFL GM and has led this team to a Superbowl and he has a plan for what is going on. In the season or years to come, I’m sure many of you will begin to love this pick despite the craziness of it at first.