The Philadelphia Eagles may not be done addressing the quarterback room just yet.
Even after trading Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts and signing the elite Joe Flacco in free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles could be adding another quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said this on SportsCenter Sunday about the Eagles’ plans at No. 12:
“One GM told me that he expects the Eagles to at least field some calls, maybe move up or down. That’s just the way that GM Howie Roseman rolls; he likes to move when he can. Now, they need cornerback help as well. You look at the quarterbacks. If Trey Lance slides, if Justin Fields slides and the Eagles have a high grade on them, they could make that move. They’ve already moved back once, maybe they move up if they want to get the right guy.
“People I’ve talked to think the Eagles could go quarterback somewhere in this draft just to either get insurance for Jalen Hurts or competition for Jalen Hurts. However, the Eagles typically like to go big bodies in the first round with offensive lineman, maybe they play it safe there.”
With what Fowler is saying, we have to wonder how it lands with presumptive starter Jalen Hurts.
Philadelphia Eagles: Is pursuing a quarterback the right course of action in 2021?
By trading Wentz, signing a past-his-prime Flacco and moving back six picks from No. 6 to No. 12 in a pre-draft trade with the Miami Dolphins, one would think that would be enough quarterback movement for one offseason for a team like the Eagles. Then again, the crazy train has long gone off the rails in the City of Brotherly Love, leaving Hurts to deal with the consequences in 2021.
Sure, if a top quarterback prospect like Ohio State’s Justin Fields or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance falls outside of the top five, the Eagles should pursue either signal-caller if the organization thinks really highly of him. They did hire another offensive-minded head coach in Nick Sirianni to hopefully get this football team turned around. Keep in mind he was not with the Eagles last year.
Though it is worthwhile to see what Hurts can do in his first full season as a starter, players like Fields and Lance have greater NFL upside than him. Prior to transferring to Oklahoma, many pundits believed Hurts was just another product of the Alabama system and a game-manager quarterback. Obviously, he is more than that, but the Eagles are very much in a rebuild right now.
With that in mind, seemingly every player on the roster outside of a select few like defensive tackle Fletcher Cox are expendable, even Hurts. The truth hurts, but that is just the way it is. What is important to understand is that the Eagles have many more holes to address besides completely revamping their quarterback room. This is why they need to go elsewhere at No. 12.
However, if there is a quarterback the Eagles like in the mid-to-late rounds in the 2021 NFL Draft, then they should feel more than comfortable in taking a flier on a guy. If Hurts craps out in 2021 and the mid-to-late-round selection is not the guy either, then the Eagles can be all-in on procuring their next franchise quarterback by any means necessary in 2022. They must be patient.
If the Eagles are to make another adjustment to the quarterback room, just let it be a minor one.