Getty Gardner Minshew II #15 of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Philadelphia Eagles don’t seem ready to bench Jalen Hurts despite soft whispers from a few confused media members. That means the quarterback depth chart could be used as trade fodder.
Joe Flacco is the backup behind Hurts, with Gardner Minshew stuck holding the third-string clipboard. The Eagles have made him a healthy scratch for all six games this season. And there’s no reason to think he would be elevated unless a major injury hits the quarterbacks room in Philly.
So, would the team consider moving him ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, November 2? It’s possible. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski spelled out a plausible scenario where Minshew heads to the Denver Broncos. Starter Teddy Bridgewater has been underwhelming out there.
Here’s what Sobleski had to say:
Gardner Minshew tends to be accurate too, and he also has a creative side, particularly when things break down around him. At worst, the Broncos would have another starting option to consider. The solution still wouldn’t be on the roster. Even so, a team shouldn’t stop looking for potential upgrades, particularly at the game’s most important position.
It’s an interesting idea, especially if the Eagles’ season spirals out of control. They sit at 2-4 with 11 games left on the docket.
Meanwhile, Sobleski listed backup left tackle Andre Dillard as another prime trade candidate. He shipped the former first-rounder off to the Carolina Panthers to protect Sam Darnold. He also mentioned the Eagles possibly landing New York Jets safety Marcus Maye if the team chose not to sell at the deadline.
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Keeping Hurts On-Schedule, In the Pocket
Head coach Nick Sirianni has been very vocal about his desire to keep Hurts on-schedule, or more patient in the pocket. The dual-threat quarterback is quick to take off and use his legs before going through all his reads.
#Eagles QB Jalen Hurts on fleeing pocket too early, and what needs to change:
“Stay in the pocket. Make the throw. It’s my job to make it right.”
It’s been a continual point of emphasis from the coaching staff, one Sirianni brought up the other day when discussing Hurts’ development as a passer. How do you fix it without sacrificing his big-play scrambling ability?
“You got to do it with making him feel comfortable with the plays that you’re calling and what you’re doing,” Sirianni told reporters. “So, we’re talking about the drop-back pass game, the play action game, the screen game. We just got to do things, and that’s your evaluation after six weeks. What are we doing well, not doing well?
“Because when he’s feeling comfortable with that – so at first, I’m putting it on me. It comes down to play calling, putting him in positions where he feels comfortable with the play to read it out versus different looks he’s going to get.”
Eagles Fans Invade Las Vegas
Football in Las Vegas is a beautiful thing. And hundreds of rowdy Eagles fans are heading out to the desert to cheer on the hometown team. John Clark of NBC Sports shared the following video from a recent flight:
The cheapest seat was going for $176 per ticket on StubHub. Kickoff between the Eagles and Raiders is slated for 4:05 p.m. on Sunday, October 23. It should be a wild one.