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The Philadelphia Eagles have been involved in trade rumors all offseason regarding their quarterback situation. With a treasure trove of draft picks at their disposal and with uncertainty at the position, the speculation made sense.
Well, where there is smoke, there is often fire — and that was the case for the Eagles on Saturday, August 28.
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Stunning Trade Rocks Eagles QB Room
On Saturday morning, ESPN insider Adam Schefter dropped a bomb that few saw coming with the Eagles pulling the trigger on a quarterback trade.
Per Schefter, the Jaguars have sent quarterback Gardner Minshew II to the Eagles in exchange for a conditional 2022 sixth-round draft pick, which if Minshew plays in 50% of the plays in three games this season, will automatically become a fifth-rounder.
Coming off of the preseason finale versus the New York Jets, the Eagles left that contest with a lot more questions than answers for their backup quarterback situation.
Joe Flacco and Nick Mullens were battling it out for the No. 2 job and they left a lot to be desired.
The overall box score didn’t look particularly bad for either player, but they certainly didn’t pass the eye test. In a corresponding roster move following the trade, the Eagles released Mullens from the roster the team announced.
Some Interesting Insurance Purchased
This was a fascinating move by the Eagles on a lot of different levels.
What does this mean for Flacco and presumed starter Jalen Hurts?
John Clark of NBC Philadelphia said on Twitter that “Hurts is the starter” and the team still likes Flacco, but with the uncertainty of COVID and a new 17-game scheduled they “made this trade for depth at QB.”
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reiterated that sentiment saying Minshew “will begin and learn as the No. 3.”
This news follows Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer’s announcement that No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence would be the starting quarterback for Jacksonville heading into Week 1.
During the first two years of Minshew’s career in the NFL, the 25-year-old has put up some solid stats:
- 20 starts
- 5,530 passing yards
- 37 touchdowns and 11 interceptions
- 63% completion percentage
The Eagles are bringing in an experienced quarterback who has proven he can come in and win games in a pinch (7-13 record as a starter in Jacksonville).
Hurts may be the starter now, but for how long?
The Eagles made a change at head coach this offseason and Nick Sirianni has no direct ties to the former Oklahoma star.
This is a pivotal moment in Hurts’ young career.
Minshew is a great insurance policy to have and is likely the best third-string quarterback in the league.
It’ll either increase the competitive fire and make Hurts play even better or the pressure will ultimately get to him and we’ll have a classic quarterback controversy to deal with throughout the 2021 season.
Regardless of what transpires there, the Eagles have acquired a really good talent at an insane value. A day three pick for a former starter that has two years left on his contract that is worth less than $2 million total.
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