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Cody Kessler is out with a concussion for an undisclosed amount of time, probably a week or two. While Clayton Thorson filled in admirably in his absence against Jacksonville, the rookie may not be the long-term solution in Philadelphia. Then again, the kid did look pretty good.
After the game, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson commented on the uniqueness of the situation.
“It’s kind of unique in that two quarterbacks [went down],” Pederson said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of, even when I played for 14 years, to be in a position where we lost two quarterbacks like this, especially not in two preseason games. But the beauty of it is we get to go back in the morning and evaluate Cody again and we still have the rest of the preseason to work out a lot of details.”
What did Eminem rap so eloquently? I suppose it’s old partna, but the beat goes on Da da dumb da dumb da da.
Not to beat an old drum too hard, but let’s take a look at a few available signal-callers that might be able to help the Eagles. Josh Johnson and Jay Cutler are officially off the list after signing with the Lions and Dolphins, respectively.
Matt Cassel
The once heir apparent to Tom Brady has been sitting at home by the phone waiting for a call. Matt Cassel is the true definition of a journeyman quarterback having spent time with seven different teams during his 14-year NFL career. His most recent stop was Detroit where he backed up Matthew Stafford in 2018. The 37-year-old was limited to just two games last season and went 7-of-17 for 59 yards and an interception. The Lions cut him loose because quite frankly they didn’t trust him to perform under pressure. Instead, they signed Tom Savage before picking up Josh Johnson off the street.
Colin Kaepernick
You knew it was going to land on Colin Kaepernick at some point. It always does. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is begging to make a comeback in the NFL as evidenced by his recent workout video, and he kind of fits in perfectly with what the Eagles do on offense. He’s extremely athletic and can make plays with his feet, ideal for a team adept at RPO. People quickly forget the numbers that Kaepernick put up in his final season in the Bay: 16 TD, 4 INT, 90.7 rating.
Kaepernick also has a cannon for an arm. He can mimic the old Michael Vick flick of the wrist play. More importantly, he’s fresh — the 31-year-old hasn’t played a game in almost 900 days. Could he be a distraction? Yes. But if Nate Sudfeld and Cody Kessler are out for any length of time, it might be worth looking at Kaepernick’s 12,271 career passing yards and 72 touchdowns.
Trevone Boykin
The undrafted quarterback out of Texas Christian University looks the part and doesn’t have much tread on his tires. Boykin beat out Jake Heaps in Seattle to win the coveted job as Russell Wilson’s backup there. After a strong 2016 preseason, including an 88-yard game-winning drive, the 25-year-old was getting looks from other teams. He played in five games and threw a touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin. Soon it all fizzled, both on the field and off it. Boykin was arrested for domestic assault charges in 2018 and promptly waived by the Seahwaks. His questionable character doesn’t seem to mesh well with the Eagles.
Brock Osweiler
Brock Osweiler hasn’t exactly oozed confidence since the Denver Broncos took him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. However, he has flashed flares of hope here and there and was once deemed the heir apparent to Peyton Manning. In seven NFL seasons, Osweiler has thrown for 7,418 yards with 37 touchdowns against 31 interceptions. Not too shabby for a guy that has bounced around more than Sprinkles the Clown in a sandwich shop’s dumpster. Even bringing him in as a third-stringer might not be a terrible idea. Osweiler, that is, not Sprinkles.
Sam Bradford
Yes, that Sam Bradford. He’s the guy that kind of paved the way for the Eagles to both draft Carson Wentz and bring back Nick Foles after former tyrant Chip Kelly left Philadelphia in shambles. Remember when Kelly traded Nick Foles for Bradford in 2015? Yeah, neither do we. The nine-year veteran is a free agent and he started three rather forgettable games last year for Arizona. Bradford went 50-of-80 for 400 yards, with two touchdowns against four interceptions.
“Sammy Sleeves” — as the Philly faithful affectionately nicknamed him during his one-year stint with the Eagles — isn’t a flashy choice, but he’s available and that’s important. Of course, the concern always with Bradford is his own brittle bones. The 30-year-old has missed 48 games out of 128 possible matchups.
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