Getty The Philadelphia Eagles could target University of Georgia QB Stetson Bennett.
It looks like the Philadelphia Eagles could be looking at their next backup quarterback.
While the Eagles are preparing for a playoff run that will hopefully end with a Super Bowl in Arizona, they could be looking at one of their future quarterbacks during the 2023 NFL draft. As noted by CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, the Eagles could be a “logical soft” landing spot for University of Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.
Trapasso explains why Philadelphia could be a fit for Bennett, who will enter the NFL at an extremely undersized frame at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds.
“As far as scheme, plenty of schemed-open throws, RPOs galore, a dedication to play-action rollouts, and digs underneath clearing vertical routes would be nice,” said Trapasso. “The whole attack doesn’t have to be centered around dink and dunk.”
Why Bennett Could Fit With the Eagles
The Eagles’ offense runs on RPO’s and play-action rollouts. It’s a big reason why a mobile quarterback like Jalen Hurts is needed to run the offense. Gardner Minshew — who was inconsistent during his two starts with the Eagles — will be a free agent this offseason. It doesn’t help his cause that he went 0-2 as a starter, including a deflating loss to a non-playoff team in the New Orleans Saints.
Outside of Hurts and Minshew, Ian Book is the only other quarterback on the roster. The 24-year-old Book has just one NFL appearance to his name.
The 25-year-old Bennett is coming off of his second straight national championship after the Bulldogs defeated the TCU Horned Frogs in the National Championship Game. Bennett won the MVP award for the second straight year.
Although Bennett is easily one of the most accomplished players in college football history, he faces several obstacles in being drafted.
Outside of the fact that he has a very small frame, Bennett will turn 26 years old during the 2023 NFL season. Most quarterbacks are drafted between the ages of 21 and 23. As pointed out by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Bennett is actually older than five of the 14 starting quarterbacks in the playoffs.
“Stetson Bennett is older than five of the starting quarterbacks who led their teams to the NFL playoffs this season,” said David Smith on Monday, January 9. “Jalen Hurts, Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa are all younger than the 25-year-old Bennett.”
Further demonstrating Bennett’s old age — by rookie standards — is that the Georgia product is older than 16 quarterbacks who started at least one game during the 2022 season, as pointed out by Sports Illustrated’s Patrick Andres.
“However, Bennett will soon be off to the NFL,” says Andres. “The Bulldogs signal-caller should have no trouble finding friends his age in the professional ranks, as he is already the senior of a jaw-dropping 16 quarterbacks who started at least one game in the 2022 season.”
How Bennett Can Carve out Career as Backup QB
Despite his older age and small frame, Trapasso explains how Bennett can carve out a successful career as a backup.
“It’s just that the type of offense Bennett has to operate to continue this magical ride of a football career must reduce his physical impact on the game and lean into his deceptive quicks, progression-reading acumen, and keen intermediate accuracy from an unblemished pocket,” said Trapasso.
As Trapasso projects, Bennett should be a late Day 3 pick or a “priority free agent” signing. In other words, the two-time national champion could very well be an undrafted free agent signing for a team like the Eagles.
Considering Philadelphia signed former highly touted quarterback Carson Strong as an undrafted free agent to a franchise record guarantee ($320,000) following the 2022 NFL draft, it would be of no surprise if the Eagles were to make a run at signing Bennett if he goes undrafted.