Getty Backup QB Gardner Minshew wants to be the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is going under the knife. He’s expected to miss six to eight weeks, putting his earliest possible return at October 30 as the team hands the reins over to Cooper Rush. Yikes.
Jerry Jones might feel the urge to make a trade before the 2022 season slips away. If he does, there might be no better partner than the Philadelphia Eagles who could be looking to make an “impressive flip.”
NFL draft scout Jim Nagy proposed a scenario where two bitter NFC East rivals broker a deal. The Eagles send backup quarterback Gardner Minshew to the Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick, maybe even a second-rounder.
Probably isn’t greater trade leverage scenario than Cowboys needing half-season starting QB & dealing w/ GM who’s also owner. Howie Roseman only gave up 6th for Gardner Minshew. If Howie could get 2nd/3rd for Minshew it would be impressive flip. Jalen Hurts is incredibly durable.
Minshew has repeatedly pleaded his case for wanting to be QB1 somewhere. It’s not going to happen in Philly, especially not the way the indestructible Jalen Hurts keeps bouncing right back up from one scary hit after another.
Minshew would only be a stop-gap in Dallas until Prescott returned. Then again, anything can happen in the NFL. Players just need opportunities and stacking a few dominant Sundays could go a long way.
“I do not take lightly the scarcity of it,” Minshew said of starting in the NFL. “How hard they are to come by, so any experience I can get I’m very grateful for and hopefully grow and get better for it.”
Minshew 61-yards passing on that drive, all 61-yards to Dallas Goedert
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Looking at Minshew’s Contract: $2.54 Million
Minshew is making $2.54 million this season (via Spotrac), roughly $1.5 million more than Hurts. It’s actually great value for a backup quarterback with legit starter’s experience. The 26-year-old has thrown for 5,969 yards and 41 touchdowns in 28 games over his four-year NFL career.
He also brings a solid reputation as a locker-room favorite, a fiery leader that guys want to run through a wall for. In other words, Minshew is the perfect trade piece — if the Eagles were able to overlook the repercussions (you be the judge) of trading a good player to a divisional rival.
The Eagles would have to face the Minshew-led Cowboys at least once (October 16, 8:20 p.m.) and hope he doesn’t spill all the beans on Nick Sirianni’s system. The other problem is finding a new backup. Philadelphia would need to scan the waiver wire for a competent quarterback. Or turn the keys over to Ian Book.
“We did a lot of work on him in the pre-draft process, obviously,” head coach Nick Sirianni said of Book. “Naturally when you don’t get a guy sometimes that you might want, there’s a little bit of, like, ‘Oh, man, I kind of wanted him; oh, shoot, they took him,’ or whatever it is.”
Conclusion: there is absolutely no way the Eagles deal Minshew to Dallas.
Cowboys Moving Jason Peters to Left Guard?
The Cowboys signed future Eagles Hall of Famer Jason Peters to their practice squad last week. He was supposed to be ramping up to take over at left tackle, but an injury to Connor McGovern (high ankle sprain) has created a new opening at left guard.
Rookie Tyler Smith played well at left tackle — filling in for Tyron Smith (knee) — so Peters might be making a position switch, according to Jerry Jones. The final decision will ultimately come down to conditioning and fit.
“It depends on his evolving with his conditioning,” Cowboys GM Jerry Jones told Patrik Walker. “I’m glad we got him — no question we will be using him sooner than later.”
Jerry Jones on @1053thefan said he was “really proud” of how Tyler Smith played Sunday at left tackle. Said he also liked what he saw from center Tyler Biadasz.
On Jason Peters: “We’ll have a spot for him. He can play both tackles. There are all kinds of combinations there.”
Peters has spent his whole career (218 starts) mostly at left tackle. Remember, he attempted to switch to right guard for a hot minute in Philadelphia then an injury to Andre Dillard in 2020 ended that experiment.