Jalen Hurts is a rich man. The Eagles just signed him to an extension, making Hurts the highest paid player in the NFL. Good for Hurts. And good for the Eagles.
Every franchise wants star players. Not all franchises want to pay them and some don’t manage the relationship well. Just look down the road to see the strained relationship between the Ravens and Lamar Jackson. Things aren’t good when the face of the franchise is asking for a trade. How do you let things fall apart like that?
Any Eagles fan old enough to remember the Norman Braman days saw the team lose Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner, Eric Allen, Keith Byars and Keith Jackson in free agency. You don’t want to draft and develop players like that only to see them walk away.
You have to pay them. You should want to pay them.
Howie Roseman and Jeff Lurie do a great job of paying star players and keeping them happy. You aren’t going to win big in the NFL unless you have star players. They get that and act accordingly.
Hurts is the kind of player you want to give big money to. He is incredibly driven. Having a few extra bucks in the bank isn’t going to change his focus from getting better and wanting to win championships, Tom Brady was the same way. Patrick Mahomes too. Not all players handle big money well. It has caused more than a few to go soft and lose their edge. I know having tens of millions of dollars would change me quite a bit. Hurts is a different guy. His competitive drive is part of what makes him special.
This deal was going to get done. It was just a question of when. Now the Eagles can focus on the draft or making trades or whatever is next on the agenda.
Hurts is the highest paid QB now. That doesn’t mean he’s the best. Contracts are highly fluid. Lamar Jackson could get a deal. Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow are both eligible for new deals. They could outdo Hurts contract. That’s the way these things go. You’re on top until the next guy gets his deal.
It is funny to think about how far Hurts has come in a year. Last April we had questions about how good he could be. Hurts answered them emphatically and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Now the question is if Hurts can keep getting better. With Hurts drive, focus and work ethic, I expect him to improve.
There is always risk in a deal like this. Carson Wentz fell apart. Russell Wilson was horrible for Denver last year. Injuries are an X-factor. Age is a concern for some guys. Hurts is in the prime of his career and has the same coach, good players around him and the backing of everyone in the organization. He’s in position to be good for a while.
The amounts of bonuses and structure of the deal with give us more insight. It does sound like Hurts took a deal that won’t handcuff the Eagles in terms of the cap. If a QB fights for every penny possible, he’s going to have a lesser cast around him. Hurts is all about winning football games, not contract situations.
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Hurts isn’t a very flamboyant guy. He might need some help in figuring out how to spend that money. Being the decent, caring guy that I am, I’ve got a few suggestions, all completely reasonable.
The most obvious choice is hiring a team of Gymkata trained assassins to go after Jimmy Bama. Gymnasts trained in karate and then turned loose to go after Jimmy…what’s not to love. For those not familiar with Gymkata, soak in the greatness of this.
Jimmy would never be able to go near uneven parallel bars for the rest of his life. Jalen can make that happen with a quick phone call.
I would love for Jalen to donate $500 to Peter King’s favorite charity…on the condition that Pete will quit complaining about the QB sneak. Or Jalen could send the Gymkata team to adjust Pete’s attitude about the beauty of the sneak.
Jalen could always buy BluRay box sets of the Fast and the Furious series and give them out to people of need. That’s a sure way to put smiles on some sad faces.
I think building a house out of Funyuns would be fun. You’d always be near a delicious, nutricious snack!
So many great ideas…
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Jalen Hurts had surgery to remove 'hardware' from ankle this offseason, sources say: https://t.co/cIJN06EWwi
The Eagles had the best offensive line in football last year. They lost a starter and key backup from that group, but they’re set to once again have an outstanding OL. They draft, develop and build as well as any team in the league.
The projected lineup:
LT Jordan Mailata LG Landon Dickerson OC Jason Kelce RG Cam Jurgens RT Lane Johnson
Key backups:
OT Jack Driscoll OG Sua Opeta
The Eagles need to find two or three additional linemen to add to that group. Brett Toth could win a spot, but he’s far from a lock. The Eagles don’t need to add blockers in the first round. They’ve been able to find good players early, middle and late in the draft. They’ve even had success with UDFAs.
I think the only reason to spend a first round pick would be to secure an OT who could take over for Lane Johnson down the road. That might seem wasteful, taking a player who won’t be needed for a year or two. But that is the value of an OT. Andre Dillard only started a handful of games for the Eagles, but got $10M a year in free agency. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson led the league in INTs and got $6.5M. Teams are desperate for good OT help.
If the Eagles believe in one of the OT prospects, they could take him at 10. They could also target someone at 30. They’ll have options. With a pair of good starters and a good backup, the Eagles are in the envious spot of having flexibility. They could take a mid-round player who might need a little work. They could also take a late rounder and see if they can develop that player.
The team could go for a T/G tweener, with the idea of that player taking over RG when Jurgens moves to the middle. There are interesting options who fit this.
They could also go for a OG prospect they like. There are some really talented options.
This isn’t a case of the Eagles needing to do this or that. They can focus more on the individual players. Who do they really like and want to bring on board? What’s the best use of draft resources. You can bet Howie Roseman has ideas and that he’s talked a lot with the scouts and Jeff Stoutland to figure out the best strategy. Part of what they do will be choice. Part will be circumstantial.
If Jalen Carter drops to 10, they might nab him and forget OT. If the Bears take the OT they like at 9, the Eagles might have to shift to the DL or CB. This is a tricky year to have a high pick because of the QB situation and Carter. You know two QBs will go early. There could be as many as four. Carter could go as high as 5th overall or he could slide. The Eagles have an idea of what they think will happen, but there are some new GMs and/or coaches picking ahead of them and that makes it tough to read the tea leaves.
The Eagles have a great QB. That’s the hard part. Finding good blockers for Jalen Hurts and keeing him healthy is the next order of business. The OL is basically set for now, but backups and players to develop for the future are needed. It will be interesting to see who the Eagles take and when they get them.
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I know several of you do not like the thought of taking Peter Skoronski at 10. I get the arguments. He’s only 6-4 and his arms are 32 1/4 inches. That’s not ideal for an OT. You would prefer 6-6 with 35-inch arms. Some people think Skoronski will move to OG in the NFL.
I think he will get a shot to play LT. Skoronski is the top OL prospect in the draft. That’s not a PR campaign by his agent. This isn’t just a media narrative. Skoronski is an outstanding player. He will be a high pick because of his talent and performance. You can dislike the thought of taking him at 10, but too many people act as if he’s some mediocre player that has no business going early. That’s just not the case.
His footwork, balance, hand usage, strength…just outstanding. That is a really talented play who has a bright future. He’s not my ideal choice at 10, but if the team does take him, I would certainly understand. He looks like someone who could start in the NFL for a decade. He’s not a project. He’s a stud. Wouldn’t shock me at all for the Bears to take him at 9.
#NorthernMichigan LT Jake Witt has just 14 games playing OT but his upside and natural athleticism are evident.
Technique, snap to snap consistency a work in progress, but has impressive recovery ability in pass pro. Had some nice reps vs highly touted pass rusher Caleb Murphy. pic.twitter.com/rzxaKv9Hd8
Witt has minimal OT experience so he is raw. Not as much as Mailata was, but somewhat similar. Witt’s first love was basketball. He realized in college that football was his better option and went that way. He started off at TE and then moved to OT.
It would be interesting to see if Stoutland could find another starting OL late in the draft. Witt will likely go in the sixth or seventh round. Lots of potential, but needs a lot of work.
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Here are some quick thoughts on players we haven’t talked much about.
McClendon Curtis is 6-5, 331. He played OG at Tennessee-Chattanooga and then got some OT reps at the Senior Bowl. I could see Stoutland having interest in this guy due to his size, physicality and potential.
Jon Gaines of UCLA is one of the most versatile blockers in the class. He’s 6-4, 314 and played G, C and even some OT for the Bruins. I really enjoyed his tape when playing center. He spent most of his time at OG.