It seems not a day goes by that the Eagles are not in involved in some rumor or report about Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
That continued on Thursday, when Houston Chronicle reporter John McClain mentioned the Eagles as a team that has interest in Watson.
"Teams like Philadelphia, Washington, New Orleans would be interested," McClain said on 94WIP, "because if they had him that would make them instant contenders."
On the surface, it is easy to understand why. The Eagles just traded away their last franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz. They have three first-round picks in 2022. They have a question mark at quarterback and a roster that, when healthy, is closer to being playoff ready than most want to admit.
Watson, meanwhile, has already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at just 25-years old. He has played at the level Wentz did in 2017 in each of the last three seasons, and for his career, has a passer rating of 104.5. There isn't much, if anything, Watson can't do on the field.
So yes, going all-in on Watson is tempting.
That doesn't mean the Eagles should do it.
Despite the potential need at the position, and the temptation of making a big trade, the Eagles should pass on Watson, and instead give Jalen Hurts a year to prove he can be the team's next franchise quarterback.
As tempting as trading for Watson might be, it is not the right move at the right time for this franchise.
Watson is great, but he is also a quarterback that has suffered two torn ACLS and is currently on a four-year, $156 million contract. Those things matter, and for an Eagles team that just got out of a big-time commitment to a quarterback, the timing doesn't feel right to jump right back into one with not much postseason success, an injury history and a salary that takes up a huge portion of the cap.
There is also the obvious issue of Watson's legal situation, as he has been accused by 22 different women of varying degrees of sexual misconduct. Legally, those situations remain unsolved, and the NFL is also investigating the accusations. Watson could end up in both legal trouble and trouble with the NFL, something the Eagles absolutely have to consider when making the decision of whether they want to commit their franchise to him.
Adding Watson would completely change the expectations and vibe around the Eagles. Right now they are a team that is not only projected to miss the playoffs, but they have a win total of just 6.5, one of the lowest in the league. For the first time in a long time, the national spotlight is shining elsewhere, and that has to be refreshing for a team that basically buckled under intense pressure the last few seasons.
Bringing in Watson changes that immediately.
Adding Watson changes the Eagles from a rebuilding, underdog team to one that is expected to make the playoffs right now. Watson will be one of the most talked about and watched quarterbacks in the NFL next season no matter where he plays. Put him in Philadelphia and that spotlight only increases.
While the Eagles will be better than most think, they are not ready to take on that kind of pressure. They just experienced what it is like to have a quarterback carrying the weight of massive expectations on his shoulders. It isn't pretty and it isn't fun — and it might be even more intense with Watson than it was with Wentz.
Sticking with Hurts, meanwhile, allows this team the time it needs to grow.
Hurts is a popular player in the locker room and, as was on display this week when he spoke to the media, is ready for the challenge of earning the title of franchise quarterback. Hurts is young, has no injury history, is on his rookie deal (which is a huge advantage) and has plenty of potential. Forget the stats from last season — Hurts looked legit when he was on the field, which was especially impressive considering he had no offseason, no training camp, no preseason and was thrown into a very tough situation.
With a full offseason as the starter, a full training camp with first-team reps, snaps in the preseason and a new coaching staff that won't force him into some cruel joke like the dual-quarterback system he played in last year, Hurts will be much better in 2021 than he was in 2020.
Hurts has all the tools you would look for in a franchise quarterback — he has the personality, he has the arm strength, he has the mobility, he is young and he has no injury history. Hurts, like all quarterbacks, has to prove he can be the guy, but there is plenty of reason to believe he can be.
That won't happen, at least in Philadelphia, if the Eagles force the issue with Watson, paying a premium to get him and bringing in the national attention that will come with him.
The correct path for the Eagles is to pass on Watson and stick with Hurts for a year. If Hurts doesn't earn the job, they can use the assets they have accumulated at that point to figure out their next move at quarterback, instead of forcing themselves into a very risky, big-time quarterback commitment right now.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
