The quarterback debate has been going on for months, and at this point, everyone knows where everybody else stands on it.
Some want Jalen Hurts to be the quarterback next year, seeing if he can improve upon a solid 2021 season. They might not be wrong.
Some don’t want Hurts back, skeptical he can ever truly take the steps forward needed to become the franchise guy. They could end up being right.
What everyone can agree on, however, is that at this time next year the Eagles have to know what they have in Hurts. The 2022 season can’t end like the 2021 season did — with legitimate debate about whether Hurts is the guy moving forward. If there is debate next offseason than in reality the answer will be clear that Hurts ins’t the guy.
Which is why, even if he isn’t their top choice, the Eagles have to accept that at this point there will be no Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers walking through that door. There is a very strong chance that it will once again be Hurts under center in Week 1 of the 2022 season.
With that scenario becoming more-and-more realistic with each phase of the offseason the Eagles now need to turn their focus to making sure Hurts has everything around him to have no excuses for not taking a big step forward next season. There can’t be debate next season about Hurts not getting a fair chance at the job. They need to use the resources they have now to surround Hurts with as much talent as possible, making it easier to judge whether he is the answer at quarterback.
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Step one in that plan has to be finding Hurts some immediate help at receiver.
The Eagles are, once again, currently set go into next season with one of the worst group of receivers in the NFL. They have Devonta Smith…and that’s about it.
Quez Watkins is still a question mark. He has potential, and had some impressive moments last season, but he is not a sure thing. The same Watkins that went 91-yards against the San Francisco 49ers was the one that dropped an easy touchdown against the Denver Broncos. He is where he is supposed to be in his career — improving but inconsistent. Asking him to improve enough that he is difference in the passing game between last season and next season isn’t fair to him at this stage of his career.
The concerning part is that after Watkins the drop-off is steep.
Jalen Reagor has been a massive disappointment and might not be on the roster in Week 1. The same goes for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. Zach Pascal is a fine signing, but he isn’t a difference maker, and his 10.1 yards-per-catch last season won’t be making a major impact. The rest of the roster at receiver is a collection of unknown, young receivers that can’t be counted on for anything next season.
Even if Watkins does take the step forward the front office and coaches hopes he does, the Eagles still need more. Smith and an improved Watkins would give the Eagles two receivers. They need at least three, if not four, to be a much improved passing game. That is obvious by the fact the team nearly traded for Calvin Ridley and had serious interest in Christian Kirk and Allen Robinson. They know they need more. They know there isn’t enough there.
After striking out on the first phase of the offseason, the Eagles have now put pressure on themselves to get Hurts the help they know he needs through the draft.
Counting on it to come through the draft is risky but it might now be the Eagles only hope. With three first-round picks the Eagles should have a good shot at any receiver they want in the 2022 NFL Draft. Only USC’s Drake London or Alabama's Jameson Williams might require a jump up the board, but even that isn’t a lock. Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Arkansas’ Treylon Burks could be on the board at No. 15. Ohio State’s Chris Olave and Penn State’s Jahan Dotson could be on board at No. 18. All of the receivers in this year's draft should be within reach for the Eagles. They have to find the right one.
There can be no misses at receiver this time around. There can be no Reagor over Justin Jefferson or Arecega-Whiteside over D.K. Metcalf. The need at receiver, and the need to give Hurts more help, puts pressure on Howie Roseman and his scouting staff to get it right at receiver this time around. One of these receivers is going to be ready to make a big impact next season. The Eagles have to find which one that is and make sure they end the first round with that receiver on their roster. Finding a receiver at the top of the draft will not only help Hurts, but makes their roster more attractive the next time an elite quarterback decides he wants to be traded.
If they don’t, the paths to finding difference makers at receiver are slim. The team won't be trading for Deebo Samuel. The dream of a D.K Metcalf trade is there, but it is just that — a dream. An unrealistic one at that. It is unlikely the Eagles will be paying the draft capital or the money it now takes to land an elite receiver. If it isn’t Metcalf, and it likely won’t be, the remaining free agent receivers aren’t good enough to provide the kind of impact the Eagles need.
This is not an ideal situation to be in. Trying desperately to find talent at receiver to help a quarterback that you are unsure about. It took years of poor drafting and poor decisions at both positions to get here.
But after swinging-and-missing multiple times this offseason, this is where the Eagles are — and now it is up to them to fix it.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com