3 Reasons the Eagles still may not find their quarterback in 2023

Don’t be shocked if Jalen Hurts is still the Eagles’ quarterback in 2023.

It’s gotten to a point where we say the same things about the Philadelphia Eagles every offseason. They always need a wide receiver or a cornerback (or both). Our faith in vice president/general manager Howie Roseman teeters between minimal or downright nonexistent. We’re annoyed with this team’s negligence in addressing the linebacker position. There always seems to be a need for another if not two more safeties.

Here’s another narrative that we can probably add to the annual offseason mix going forward. ‘Next season, Jalen Hurts will, again, be auditioning for the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting quarterback job’. Let’s focus on that one for a second.

Most of us knew that Hurts had the role of being the Eagles QB1 locked up early in 2022’s offseason. Come on. The Eagles never had a shot at Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.

On top of that, no one feels like it’s a foregone conclusion that the best quarterbacks in 2021’s draft class are upgrades, so we gave up on Philly drafting any of those guys before the new league year began.

Following Philly’s recent trade with the New Orleans Saints, one that involved eight draft choices, some people are happy with Howie Roseman, Some feel that he’s decided to focus on the long-term health of this Eagles roster. Some feel he just wanted to ensure the Eagles had the draft capital necessary to draft a quarterback in 2023 if Jalen Hurts doesn’t work out. Others still believe that it’s a combination of both of those things.

What’s sad is we, again, have to talk about the same things throughout the entire 2022-2023 NFL season. This team is spinning its wheels and waiting for next season. This team isn’t good enough, and again, if Jalen Hurts isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback, what do we do now?

Sadly, even with two first-round draft choices at their disposal in next year’s selection meeting, it’s highly possible that the Eagles still won’t find their quarterback next offseason which will mean Jalen Hurts will again be the guy in 2023. Here are three reasons why those are very believable statements.

1. The QBs that figure to be available during free agency in 2023 aren’t attractive options.

Just take a look at some of the names of some of the quarterbacks that are scheduled to hit the open market in 2023. Let’s begin with Lamar Jackson. He’s the guy that we believe has the best chance of being retained by his current franchise. Perhaps we can also throw Tom Brady in that discussion.

If TB12 wants to play, it’s doubtful that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will tell him that they don’t want him. We’ve watched the drama that has existed between Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals all offseason, but come on. Why on Earth would the Cards move on from him? Who are they going to find that’s better in the next draft class or free agency?

That brings us to the rest of the list. Look at some of these names, and please make sure that you’re sitting down when you do so:

Jimmy Garoppolo. Derek Carr, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Lock. We’ll just stop right there. Trust us on this one. The list won’t improve any. What if the Eagles traded for a quarterback? You aren’t going to like that option either. You don’t want Kirk Cousins or someone like that, do you?

Sure, there are options in free agency. We just don’t like any of them. If it comes down to keeping Hurts or rolling the dice on any of the guys we just mentioned, we’d all probably rather stick with Hurts. We definitely aren’t packaging any picks to trade for a guy.

2. The Eagles have done nothing to make the offense more alluring for a veteran QB.

Guess what? Since 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles have drafted 37 players. One of them has earned a Pro Bowl nod, Josh Sweat. Now, you may not pay attention to things like that, but guys in the NFL do. If you want to lure the best quarterbacks to your team, there’s one surefire way to make that happen. You have to field a team that one of the best quarterbacks wants to play on.

Sure, the Eagles have some guys. DeVonta Smith, Miles Sanders, and Dallas Goedert come to mind, but the fact of the matter is this team simply doesn’t have enough talent. If they did, they wouldn’t have posted nine wins in three of the past four seasons.

The Eagles are running it back with Jalen Hurts in 2022. The problem is they still haven’t gotten him much help and they’re also running it back with most of the players that contributed to a 9-8 finish and an embarrassing crash-and-burn performance in the first round of the NFL Playoffs.

Zach Pascal? Really? Ask yourselves a serious question. Do you expect the Eagles to take a step forward after watching what they’ve done in the offseason?

Ask yourselves another question. If you’re an above-average to an elite quarterback, are you packing your bags and setting up shop as the leading man for an Eagles franchise that now always seems to be content with getting better next year?

3. It’s doubtful that the Eagles will have a shot at landing one of the QBs they’re interested in?

Unless the Eagles wind up with a top-five selection, which they probably won’t, they probably won’t like next year’s quarterback prospects any more than they like the guys who are considered to be the top targets in this year’s selection meeting. If we were to guess, who would we say are the best quarterbacks in the 2023 draft class are?

Let’s just throw two names out there, C.J. Stroud of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the reigning/defending Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young of the Alabama Crimson Tide. They’d have to be considered the cream of the crop, right? Who else are we going to go with? D.J. Uiagalelei? Spencer Rattler? Jayden Daniels? Phil Jerkovec? Will Levis? Anthony Richardson?

We won’t pick any of these guys’ games apart yet. We have the entire 2022 college football season to do that, but let’s be serious. Are we certain that there’s a blue-chipper in this draft class that isn’t to be found in the one that preceded it?

Stroud delivered for the Buckeyes in 2021. 4,435 yards passing and 44 touchdowns versus only six interceptions is nothing to sneeze at. One can argue that things are a little easier when you have NFL receivers to throw to (it isn’t like things have translated for Justin Fields yet), but let’s not hold the fact that Stroud had great teammates against him.

Young tossed 47 scores versus only seven picks, and he completed 66.9 percent of his attempts en route to 4,872 yards passing. He also scored three times as a runner. When all is said and done, Stroud and Young figure to be the first two quarterbacks taken, and they figure to go high. It’s doubtful that the Eagles will have a shot at landing either one of them, and it’s doubtful that they’re going to like the guys behind them.

So, how are the Eagles in a better spot to draft a quarterback a year from now than they are now? Why are we talking about trading picks for a quarterback again? Ladies and gentlemen, say this out loud because the next Eagles offseason figures to look strikingly similar to the current version.

You shouldn’t be surprised if we’re, again, involved in discussions about the 2023 NFL season being a third-consecutive audition for Mr. Hurts.

https://insidetheiggles.com/2022/04/10/eagles-quarterback-2023-nfl-draft/

This article is a pile of poop, and I have gotten dumber just reading it.

Terrible.

Point 1 didn't make sense. I'd take Carr but he just extended with the Raiders. Others might be looking for a new home ala Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, and Mathew Stafford. Maybe - Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray. 

Point 2 - that's total bull. Smith, Goedert, and this year's draft class. 

They completely lost me in the 3rd point. Lamar Jackson was the 32nd pick so how in the world can they say not having a top 5 pick would preclude getting the QB they might want.

 

19 hours ago, time2rock said:

So, how are the Eagles in a better spot to draft a quarterback a year from now than they are now? Why are we talking about trading picks for a quarterback again? Ladies and gentlemen, say this out loud because the next Eagles offseason figures to look strikingly similar to the current version.

Because they used assets from this year to acquire extra next year and the year after. I mean what are we even talking about here. The Eagles are better placed next year to go and get a QB if that's what they want to do. Doesn't guarantee it but nothing is a guarantee in the NFL. 

Nobody has a clue what the college QB situation will look like in 2023.

After the 2018 draft, there was a mock for 2019. The top five QBs were - Justin Herbert, Drew Lock, Clayton Thorson, Shea Patterson, Nick Fitzgerald, and Ryan Finley. Joe Burrow was nowhere to be found.

In 2012 Matt Barkley looked like he was going to be the #1 QB drafted the following year. He went in the 4th round.

There will be QBs that rise and fall. We will not know until January where these QBs will land.

On 4/18/2022 at 7:15 AM, time2rock said:

3. It’s doubtful that the Eagles will have a shot at landing one of the QBs they’re interested in?

Unless the Eagles wind up with a top-five selection, which they probably won’t, they probably won’t like next year’s quarterback prospects any more than they like the guys who are considered to be the top targets in this year’s selection meeting.

Does this guy even follow pro football?  I'll ignore the dumb first and second point and jump right to the dumb third point.

We've got our pick and NO's pick.  Let's say for the sake of argument that we both end up being right around .500, which would land us the 15th and 16th picks.  According to the value chart, we should be able to package those two picks to move up into the top 5.  We could get to the #1 pick with some extra stuff added, likely a 1st from a future year.  Howie has done this before, and it's not outside of the realm of possibility.

21 hours ago, Rob331 said:

Point 1 didn't make sense. I'd take Carr but he just extended with the Raiders. Others might be looking for a new home ala Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, and Mathew Stafford. Maybe - Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray. 

Yeah, this was a really dumb take, too.  Franchise QBs don't spring free that often and often times they come with a number of red flags attached.  So, yeah, I'm not sure that I'm really interested there.  There's no doubt that if Hurts does poorly this season we will end up near the top of the draft picking our next franchise QB.

Geoffrey Knox is a dumbazz.

This year is a bad class, there are mocks that predict no QB's in the first round, most mocks have one QB in Top 15, that's EJ Manuel in 2013 bad, this year is an outlier, there will be a deeper field next year, scouts aren't always right but they're rarely so wrong on QB's that a field with no projected top 10's is full of all timers.

The team need to pick the right guy not just a guy

3 hours ago, Cochis_Calhoun said:

This year is a bad class, there are mocks that predict no QB's in the first round

Give me a link to one.  I have not seen any mocks that do not have a first round QB, and I am a mock draft junkie.

26 minutes ago, downundermike said:

Give me a link to one.  I have not seen any mocks that do not have a first round QB, and I am a mock draft junkie.

I have seen some mock drafts where the first QB to go was to the Saints at 18, but I have not seen one where a QB does not go in the first round.

2 minutes ago, pallidrone said:

I have seen some mock drafts where the first QB to go was to the Saints at 18, but I have not seen one where a QB does not go in the first round.

Eagles are going to be sitting pretty this year.  If they want a QB, they will not have to trade up, and can probably wait until 18.

The local Seahawks guys every day on the radio on my way to work seem convinced that Stingley or the best DE or OT will be the pick at 9.

Everyone thinks Carolina is for sure going to take a QB at 6, but, they do not have another pick until 137.  They are a prime candidate to trade down.

11 minutes ago, pallidrone said:

I have seen some mock drafts where the first QB to go was to the Saints at 18, but I have not seen one where a QB does not go in the first round.

Pretty sure there are at least two on NFL.com alone.

6 minutes ago, Cochis_Calhoun said:

Pretty sure there are at least two on NFL.com alone.

Schrager - Picket #6 ( 3 total )

Zierlein - Willis #16 ( 3 total )

Davis - Willis #6 ( 3 total )

Jeremiah - Pickett #18 ( only first rounder )

 

Got any other names I can try for this mystery mock with no first round QB's ??

I can't wait for the draft to be over so we can stop talking about mock drafts.

5 minutes ago, Perforator said:

I can't wait for the draft to be over so we can stop talking about mock drafts.

Why ??  It is fun for fans that are year round football junkies.

3 minutes ago, downundermike said:

Why ??  It is fun for fans that are year round football junkies.

The draft is fun. Random people guessing what the teams are going to pick is not.

3 minutes ago, Perforator said:

The draft is fun. Random people guessing what the teams are going to pick is not.

17 hours ago, downundermike said:

Schrager - Picket #6 ( 3 total )

Zierlein - Willis #16 ( 3 total )

Davis - Willis #6 ( 3 total )

Jeremiah - Pickett #18 ( only first rounder )

 

Got any other names I can try for this mystery mock with no first round QB's ??

Brooks and Frelund would be my guesses given you haven't named them and I know they've both done at least 2 versions of a mock draft.

Not really sure why you're convinced this is a lie.

Can we see 0 QBs selected next Thursday?  I don't think it is likely but anything is possible.  If anything I'd guess the draft is more likely to resemble something like 2013 when only 1 QB went on day 1 - Manuel at 16 (next QB drafted was 39th - Geno Smith).  That class was heavy with OT and DE early (first 6 picks) ... this class looks to be something that will be closer to that.  But gut says we will see more than just 1 QB taken on day 1 (guessing 3-4 with 1 going in the 5-10 range).  I hope I'm wrong and 3-4 go top 14 pushing some top defensive prospects down to us.  

3 hours ago, Cochis_Calhoun said:

Brooks and Frelund would be my guesses given you haven't named them and I know they've both done at least 2 versions of a mock draft.

Not really sure why you're convinced this is a lie.

You are correct on Brooks and Freelund.

Point is, you made it sound like there was a bunch, when there is not.  

You can hate it all you want, but there will be 3, possibly 4 first round QB's, and the Eagles are more than likely one of those teams.