PHILADELPHIA — Somewhere along the way, the Philadelphia Eagles' pursuit of becoming a self-proclaimed “QB factory” may have turned them into a QB deterrent.
Through their words and actions, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman have shown they believe nothing is more valuable than the quarterback position. They believe, at their core, having an elite QB in a pass-heavy offense is the recipe for long term, sustained success.
They've made heavy investments in the position recently:
- The trade-ups, contract extension, and a significant amount of resources invested around Carson Wentz over five seasons
- The contracts and draft picks that were spent to have depth and high quality backups, such as Nick Foles, Jalen Hurts, and Garner Minshew.
Philadelphia wants to have the best QB room in both quality and quantity.
Even after the failed marriage with Wentz that ended in 2020, that pursuit has never wavered. From a large number of credible individuals across the NFL, the Eagles have made many attempts the last two off seasons to find a QB that can return them to the elite level of play that led to their first ever Super Bowl in 2017.
Those attempts appear to have included trying to make things work with Wentz, exploring a trade in the 2021 NFL Draft for Zach Wilson, and giving Jalen Hurts time to develop.
While there is a level of belief in Hurts, and the book hasn’t been completely written on his development, it looks like the Eagles made other attempts this year to land a proven, elite QB in Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.
They have both shown throughout multiple seasons that they can give a team what Wentz gave the Eagles in 2017, and at times, even more.
But neither were willing to give that to the Eagles.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Roseman and the Eagles brass contacted both Wilson and Watson to see if they had any interest in playing for the City of Brotherly Love. Neither was willing to waive their no-trade clause.
Both chose options in Denver and Cleveland with rosters that were a QB away from being championship contenders.
The Eagles do have positive traits they can offer a passer:
A top-tier offensive line, four promising young weapons, and a willingness to spend what it takes so this offense can be an elite passing unit.
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However, it is clear that a reputation has formed from this organization’s past actions that likely played a part in Wilson and Watson not considering the Eagles as a serious destination.
Watson chose to leave the Houston Texans in large part due to issues with ownership, and the organization’s failure to build around him after their 2019 playoff run. The Texans seemed to be doing the opposite when they traded away Watson’s top WR in DeAndre Hopkins.
Wilson was looking to leave the Seattle Seahawks after it looked like he and the organization were never on the same page about what the offense should be. It didn’t seem like Wilson could ever get in-between the partnership of head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider.
It makes sense why each would not see Philadelphia as a good fit.
The Eagles have had a number of conflicts between ownership, the front office, and the coaching staff over the years, leading to regime changes. It was a major reason the only Super Bowl winning head coach in franchise history was let go, when Doug Pederson was fired last off season.
If your name isn’t Jeffery Lurie or Howie Roseman, it is difficult to have a significant amount of power within this franchise, even if you are the quarterback.
Wentz demanded a trade after the 2020 season, likely feeling scapegoated, and set up to fail. While the former face of the franchise played a large role in his own downfall, the organization’s failed attempts over the years to surround him with proven weapons had a major role in his regression as well.
It isn’t a great selling point to recruit another top signal caller.
The selection of Hurts in the 2020 draft’s second round probably isn’t either.
The Eagles were hellbent on replicating the deep QB rooms of 2016 through 2018, and it was understandable after Wentz’s concussion in the 2019 playoffs.
However, they failed to recognize how it could negatively impact Wentz, a QB that was coming off an incredible run to a division championship, and another playoff appearance.
People can say nobody is excluded from facing competition, but QBs shouldn't be treated the same as other positions.
If you have a QB you feel has proved their ability to be “the guy”, taking another prospect at the position early in the draft most of the time has done more harm than good.
Maybe the Eagles see that now, but Roseman and the front office did not in 2020.
The QBs do. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Carson Wentz, Baker Mayfield, even part of Deshaun Watson’s decision to pass on the Eagles had to do with what kind of dynamic that would create with Hurts.
The most influential players in the sport want full support, and they want to feel like they have a say in major decisions. An elite player would want that in a sports market like Philadelphia where it is hard enough to play the position that gets the most attention, and scrutiny.
It is a great sign that the Eagles will do what it takes to have an elite QB again and not settle. Maybe Hurts or a draft pick becomes that guy and this is all one giant moot point.
But this organization has work to do in rebuilding their reputation, especially at the most important position.
Maybe they already realized this after 2020.
Maybe the failure to get in on the Wilson-Watson sweepstakes will be the real ego check they needed.
