Getty North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance is an intriguing prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Are the Philadelphia Eagles about to hand the franchise to another quarterback from North Dakota State? Never say never, especially not after looking at the representation headed to Fargo.
The Eagles are sending offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Brian Johnson, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, to watch top prospect Trey Lance sling the rock to open receivers at his pro day on Friday. The last time they invested this much time and staff to North Dakota State was in 2016, a trip that convinced the organization to draft Carson Wentz. This isn’t apples to apples, far from it — however, the circumstances are worth noting.
On Thursday, North Dakota State made head coach Matt Entz and quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg available to the media to hype up Lance a bit. The 6-foot-4, 226-pound quarterback is expected to go early in the first round and likely in the top-10 in April’s draft. The Eagles hold the sixth overall pick, with rumors of them using it on Lance gaining momentum. It sure would make for great sports talk radio back in Philly considering Wentz and Lance are close friends. Hedberg even coached Wentz during his final two years at North Dakota State.
Boy, I can’t help but love Trey Lance’s physical tools. He’s got an arm on him. Really makes some incredible tight window throws.
What an absolute dime this throw is man. This is an NFL level throw.
“The major difference is Carson was in his fifth-year season and Trey was a third-year sophomore,” Hedberg said in a conference call. “There’s a little difference in age. I think both have the ability to throw the ball with accuracy. Trey has advanced knowledge of defenses like Carson so there are similarities there.”
The Wentz comparisons aside, Hedberg believes Lance is primed to be his own man and a legit franchise quarterback in the NFL. Lance opted out last year due to COVID-19 concerns after throwing for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2019. He’s a dual-threat as a runner and racked up 1,100 yards and 14 scores on the ground that year.
Trey Lance Things ™
“I think he’s a franchise quarterback, I really do,” Hedberg said of Lance. “I think he can carry a franchise with his personality and with his leadership, and I think he has that it factor.”
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Jalen Hurts’ Personal Quarterbacks Coach Speaks
Quincy Avery has earned a reputation as the black quarterback whisperer, thanks to his amazing work with some of the best talent in the NCAA and NFL. He counts DeShaun Watson as one of his pupils, as well as presumed new Eagles starter Jalen Hurts. Pro Football Focus recently caught up with Avery to pick his brain about Hurts and what he needs to work on.
The website cited two major areas of improvement, per Seth Galina, and they include: “being able to play on time” and “getting to his check-downs.” Pro Football Focus noted that Hurts had the highest average time to throw in the NFL last season at 3.37 seconds. The problem? He’s not using that time wisely. In terms of check-downs, Hurts needs to cut down on his scrambles — 6.8 yards per carry per run — and focus more on getting those easy completions.
Did Jeffrey Lurie Push Team to Draft Hurts?
There are now multiple reports indicating that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had the final say on the decision to draft Hurts. His influence on personnel decisions has been ever increasing since he fired Chip Kelly in 2015. More importantly, Lurie places a huge emphasis on the quarterback position and believes it is the key to winning Super Bowls.
ESPN’s Tim McManus dropped an interesting nugget describing Lurie’s philosophy:
Knowing how important QBs are to the overall success of a franchise, Lurie has become a student of the position. He is involved in the process when acquiring one. His philosophy of investing heavily in quarterbacks has become a key organizational tenet, and has led to great success stories, like the Nick Foles-led Super Bowl run, and cautionary tales, like the one that unfolded with Hurts and a disgruntled Wentz.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie wants to build around Jalen Hurts this year and prioritize making him successful in 2021, per @mortreport
Jalen Hurts QB1 🚀
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Eagles Sending Multiple Coaches to Watch Top Rookie QB