Getty Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Andrew Luck was never going to fall to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2012 NFL draft. Not a chance. He was going No. 1 overall and the Eagles were sitting at No. 15.
If the Philly brain trust wanted to sell the farm and move all the way up, it was still a pipe dream. The Indianapolis Colts had already released Peyton Manning with the intention of taking Luck. The offer to pry that pick away would have to be Godfather level. It just wasn’t going to happen.
However, the Eagles had great intel on Luck and probably considered it. Daniel Jeremiah was the team’s West Coast Scout at the time. He certainly did his due diligence. Jeremiah recently revealed his scouting report on Luck during a new six-part series from The Athletic’s Zak Keefer on the quarterback’s rise and surprising retirement.
Jeremiah relayed the following on Luck in Episode 2, via his sources at Stanford:
He eats and drinks football all day every day. He ran a few of their install meetings during two-a-days. He instituted a penalty system for offsides during practices. He holds everyone on the team accountable. He’s always at the facility. He’s never asked for any special treatment. Each source has to be stopped when talking about this player [because] they go on and on and on and on and on.
Tough, dedicated, responsible. He will not accept praise. He goes out of his way to be one of the guys. Humble. He fits in with everyone on the team. He called out everyone on the entire team during halftime of the USC game last year, stood up and said: ‘We’re not losing this bleeping game.’ He’s been excellent in everything he does. He’s been exactly what you want.
🚨 Pumped to announce the project I’ve been working on the past 5 months 🚨
A 6-episode narrative podcast series for @TheAthletic on one of the most fascinating careers in recent NFL history.
It’s the Andrew Luck story — as you’ve never heard it.
Comes out Monday. A preview:
The Eagles did trade up in the 2012 draft, but not for Luck. They rose three spots – from No. 15 to No. 12 – to select Fletcher Cox out of Mississippi State. Everything worked out, right?
Cox is a six-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion who will one day enter the Eagles’ Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Luck retired in 2019 after six seasons and four Pro Bowl appearances. No Super Bowls.
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Tyree Jackson, Brett Toth Starting on PUP List
The Eagles will be missing two players at the start of training camp. According to Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski, offensive tackle Brett Toth and tight end Tyree Jackson are headed for the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. That means neither guy can practice.
Eagles TE Tyree Jackson & OL Brett Toth To Begin Camp On PUP List t.co/c9wLGdOt6Q
Toth announced he underwent knee surgery on January 24 and expected a nine-month recovery process. The 25-year-old is right at six months right now. Jackson tore his ACL last season in Week 18 and went under the knife on January 27.
Both players were facing long odds at being ready for Week 1. The Eagles might want to keep Toth and Jackson on the PUP list for the first four weeks to save two roster spots. They won’t count against the 53-man total if they don’t practice.
Extra Burn for Rookie Cam Jurgens?
Toth’s absence should provide extra snaps for rookie Cam Jurgens at training camp. The Eagles were bound to give their second-round pick an extended look anyway as they groom him to eventually replace Jason Kelce at center. Or maybe the front office has more immediate plans for Jurgens.
Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro mentioned the 6-foot-3, 202-pounder in a recent article previewing the team’s revamped offense. The Eagles plan to cross-train Jurgens at multiple positions, including right guard and left guard, this summer on the “interior of the offensive line.”
It’s something to keep an eye on, especially with Isaac Seumalo’s name loosely being floated in trade rumors. Jurgens could compete for the starting spot at right guard.