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If it looks like the Eagles have been a little confused when it comes to their position as a defender in recent months, there is a reason for that. Apparently, they are.
Rob Maaddi, who covers the Eagles for the Associated Press, recently made this observation on Twitter: “Eagles are I’m not sure about Jalen Hurts. No consensus in the building. After beating Santos, they wanted to get rid of Carson Wentz. After the next 3 losses, they wanted to settle this with Carson. After switching Carson, they considered switching to a QB before going down to 12. ”
An exchange would certainly aim to get a quarterback. It appears that the eventual fall was intended to remove the temptation to stay in position # 6.
Regardless, it definitely seems that the Eagles lack clarity and certainty about their position as a defender. And perhaps for good reason. There are three types of teams in the NFL: (1) those with real franchise defenders; (2) those who desperately look for a true franchise defender; and (3) those who have a quarterback who may or may not become a franchise quarterback.
Eagles are currently in category three. Jalen Hurts has shown promise, but they don’t know what he can be. They won’t know for sure until he plays enough on the new coach Nick Siriaani’s system to give the defenses enough film to figure out how to try to stop Hurts. If he plays at a high level even after that point, maybe he will become a guy in the franchise.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie wants to give Hurts a chance to show what he can do. This is the best approach. Go all-in with the second-year second-round player for a season and reevaluate the situation. It is too early to know whether or not he will become a real franchise guy.
Once the Eagles know the answer, they must act accordingly. And if they decide, after this year, that Hurts is not the guy, their exchange of n. 6 to n. 12 gives them extra ammunition in next year’s draft to go up, if necessary, to give them another chance to find what the Eagles haven’t had since Donovan McNabb.
From Kevin Kolb to Mike Vick to Nick Foles to Sam Bradford to Carson Wentz to Hurts, the search continues. If it is not Hurts, the search will continue. For now, the Eagles owe it to themselves and the player to see what they have in Hurts.