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It’s never a good thing to read too much into minicamps and OTAs. Those practices are controlled environments or glorified walkthroughs where certain plays are drilled into memory. Rinse and repeat.
Run the play, blow the whistle, do it again. Still, they do provide the earliest insights into how well players know the offense. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been winning praise from the coaching staff throughout the spring and summer months.
He has done everything necessary to take the next step in his development as a pocket passer, according to head coach Nick Sirianni. His footwork is much improved. Ditto for his accuracy and deep ball. Hurts has even earned some under-the-radar buzz for MVP.
Hold the hype, says one well-respected reporter. Derrick Gunn made a recent appearance on JAKIB Media’s Sports Take where he revealed a disappointing showing from QB1. Hurts went through a 10-play scenario in a controlled environment: he chucked three interceptions, four incompletions, and took three sacks, according to Gunn.
Here is the whole transcript from Gunn’s conversation with a trusted source:
I know it’s a controlled environment. I don’t get too hyped about OTAs and minicamps and even training camp because it’s controlled. But when I asked a few people back in late May about where Jalen Hurts was in his progress one person said let me just give you a scenario of what he went through at one day at practice.
It was a 10-play scenario. He had three picks, four incompletions, and three sacks. That was his 10-play series. And I followed up with, so what are you thinking? And the direct answer was he’s got a ways to go. And that’s not very encouraging when you hear all this offseason news. He’s worked with this quarterback guru. He’s working on his mechanics. He has a second year in Nick Sirianni’s playbook.
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Everyone Wants to See Jalen Hurts Succeed
No one wants to see Hurts fail. Gunn went on to say how much he likes Hurts and wants him to succeed. His intangibles and character make him an easy player to root for. Everyone can agree on that.
“I first and foremost want to see Jalen Hurts succeed because of all the negativism out there surrounding him right now. He sucks. You hear more he sucks than he’s the quarterback,” Gunn said. “And because of how this young man carries himself I want to see him succeed because of that. But when I get this breakdown on him, I’m like if he’s doing this in a controlled environment, what’s he going to do when he’s got to make decisions in a fraction of a second? Because he’s not going to play much in the preseason. You can forget that.”
Offensive Coordinator Praises Footwork, Timing
Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen went out of his way to praise Hurts’ development at the end of OTAs. He specifically called out his improved footwork and the quickness of his drop back. The coaching staff, at least publicly, appears to like the quarterback’s progress.
“Yeah, you can see right now obviously his feet, we’re working on his feet right now, the drop, the quickness of it, the timing, and it’s starting to show,” Steichen told reporters on June 3. “Every year just like any player, you’re a young player and you’re trying to get better every single year, every single day and that’s what he’s been doing, and it’s been really good to see.”
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