If QB controversy arises, Pederson can handle it
One reason the Eagles had no regrets taking Jalen Hurts off the board in the second round of the draft is that no coach manages the quarterback position better than Doug Pederson.
Pederson could write a best-seller about the quarterback egos he’s dealt with as a player and a coach. It can’t be easy taking orders from Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb, much less sympathizing with them or laughing at their jokes.
In four years with the Eagles, Pederson has averted a small handful of quarterback controversies.
In Pederson’s first year he
got Sam “Fragile” Bradford to calm down after Howie Roseman traded away a ton of resources to move up to the second overall pick in the draft. When Roseman said the Eagles would use it to select a quarterback, Bradford was so upset he almost drove through the gate on his way out of the complex.
Convincing Bradford to come back to work was huge because he eventually netted the Eagles a first-round pick from the Minnesota Vikings, who lost quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a frightening knee injury. Had Big Doug not intervened and promised Bradford the chance to compete for the starting job with Carson Wentz, that second pick in the 2016 lottery, the Eagles might have had to release the disgruntled Bradford.
In 2017 Pederson made Carson Wentz feel needed while Nick Foles came out of hiding to lead the Eagles to their only Lombardi Trophy.
The following season Pederson convinced Wentz to step aside and rehab the compression fracture in his back so Foles could rally the struggling Eagles to the playoffs and win a postseason game.
These days Pederson is finessing his way through the development of Hurts, a work in progress.
Hurts was great on Monday. He wasn’t as good Tuesday with a bigger workload functioning with the second team.
Wednesday was a glorified walk-through, Thursday an average outing with a few highlights, overthrows and such no-no’s as holding the ball too long in the 7-on-7’s. The drills don’t have a pass rush so the quarterback is on his own to get rid of the ball quickly.
All of that said, Hurts still is performing like anything but a rookie. He’s not Russell Wilson, the pro he’s frequently compared to.
Hurts doesn’t have Wilson’s arm. But Hurts’ problem solving and ability to extend plays would put a smile on Wilson’s face.
Judging by the practice snaps Hurts gets, it’s not too early to envision him being part of the Eagles’ 48-man gameday roster, providing he continues progressing.
“Hurts, he’s definitely a guy who’s going to cause problems with his legs,” safety Jalen Mills said. “He played at Alabama. That’s a pro-style offense. He can make all the throws, outside of the hash and in the middle of the field for sure. He’s a guy who’s going to be causing a lot of problems as far as with his legs because you have those situations to where it may be thirdand-three or third-and-five and you have no choice but to play man (coverage). As a defender our back is to the quarterback. He can run four or five yards and slide down and that’s a first down. So, that’s definitely a problem when you’re talking about a guy like him.”
The last time Wentz took off in a game, Jadeveon Clowney sent him to the locker room with a concussion early in the Eagles’ wild card loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Hurts has spent enough time practicing with the second-team offense to raise questions about the role of Eagles veteran Nate Sudfeld, who entered training camp as the backup quarterback.
Sudfeld is more polished while Hurts has more upside. It doesn’t take a big imagination to see where this is going.
Pederson, who can sniff a quarterback controversy from a mile away, found himself delaying the drama.
“Yeah, Nate is our No. 2,” Pederson said. “And obviously Jalen is still learning. Jalen has done some really good things for us. He’s learning our system. He’s got some athleticism. But Nate has done a nice job for us. Nate has really done everything we’ve asked him to do from a backup position. Really just moved the team when he’s in there. And that’s where he’s at. “Nate is right now, our No. 2.”
Pederson also said that every position is being evaluated, although you can rest assure Wentz is not under investigation.
Certainly not the way Wentz has played leading the Eagles to a 32-24 record in his first four seasons.
But Wentz has completed only his rookie season, the others cut short by injury. Which is the real reason the Eagles drafted Hurts.
Training camp, where it’s hands off the quarterbacks, is light years away from the true quarterback experience. The preseason cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Eagles really don’t know how Hurts will react once he takes hits.
The percentages are on their side, though. Pederson mentioned the big games and the top competition Hurts played against. Several of those players are in the NFL.
The day will come when Pederson has to decide between Wentz and Hurts. The percentages indicate it will be later, rather than sooner.