Getty Jalen Hurts is heading to the Oklahoma Sooners
Starting from the bottom never looked so good. Jalen Hurts is going back to his old Alabama number.
The Eagles electrifying rookie quarterback, a player chosen in the second round (53rd overall), will be donning the No. 2 jersey for the Eagles in 2020. Hurts wore No. 1 during his lone season at Oklahoma but made the No. 2 famous for three years prior at Alabama. He threw for 5,626 yards and 48 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide.
He announced the move in a charged Twitter post where he wrote: “Deuce … Untamed. Rare Breed.” Hurts will compete with Nate Sudfeld for the backup quarterback job in Philly. Starter Carson Wentz has applauded the decision to draft Hurts and said he was “excited to add him to the fold.”
Remember, Hurts was benched during his final year in Tuscaloosa while wearing No. 2. Now the rookie signal-caller will look to follow in Nick Foles’ footsteps in the “quarterback factory” being built in Philly. If Hurts wanted the No. 1, he might have hit a roadblock as that number belongs to punter Cameron Johnston. He signed a one-year deal worth an estimated $660,000.
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Oklahoma Coach Chimes in on Hurts’ Skillset
There has been speculation about how the Eagles might use Hurts in Philly.
The most telling quote came from a Yahoo! Sports’ report that indicated Hurts may be used like “Taysom Hill on steroids,” a clear reference to the Saints’ gadget-play specialist. Hurts could be rotated in on certain downs and distances, maybe to run trick plays.
Eagles draft pick Jalen Hurts knows the Philly Special well 🔥 @JalenHurts @Eagles
(via @CFBONFOX)
However, Hurts has maintained his desire to line up under center and play quarterback in the NFL. His college coach at Oklahoma, Lincoln Riley, echoed that opinion and told people to go watch Hurts’ tape.
“I think a little bit of those opinions come from people that haven’t really watched the tapes,” Riley said, via NFL Network. “When you see his tapes, you see one of the most efficient passing seasons in the history of college football this year.”
It remains to be seen how the Eagles use @JalenHurts. But, let’s be clear. He’s a QB, not a gadget guy.
From my interview with @LincolnRiley @nflnetwork #NFLNow.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson admitted that he views Hurts as a quarterback in a draft-night interview where he explained the thought process behind the pick. Still, it is highly unlikely the Eagles would spend a second-round pick on Hurts without a plan to utilize his many talents. It’s something Pederson alluded to when describing how the offense might look in 2020.
“I think what we’ve done as a staff in the offseason with our scheme evaluation, making things better, the staff hires that I’ve done to bring in new thoughts and new ideas and ways to enhance our offense, I think (the offense) is going to look a little bit different,” Pederson told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Read into that quote as you may. One thing seems certain: the Eagles’ offense will be incorporating a ton of speed into their attack in 2020 and Hurts will have a specific role.
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