Do The Eagles Need To Draft A Quarterback?

Jan 3, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Tajh Boyd (10) runs with the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half of the 2014 Orange Bowl college football game at Sun Life Stadium. The Tigers won 40-35. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into the 2013 season, the quarterback situation for the Philadelphia Eagles going into 2014 was uncertain to say the least. Starting quarterback Michael Vick was obviously not the future, and a lot of people were unsure about second year quarterback Nick Foles.

Foles eventually emerged as the starter and as the possible franchise quarterback for the Eagles. Taking over in week five and never looking back, Foles went 9-2 and lead the team to an NFC East title and coincidentally, the playoffs.

Foles threw for 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions, with a passer rating of 119.2, the best in the NFL. With those stats, it should be fair to say that Foles has cemented his spot in the starting role going into 2014.

Going into 2013 it was speculated that the Eagles were going to need to draft a quarterback in the first round as the future certainly was not Vick, and Foles was not head coach Chip Kelly’s prototypical mobile quarterback.

That however, has seemed to change. The Eagles probably won’t be drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2014 draft, but does that mean they don’t need to draft a quarterback at all?

Vick will likely be on his way out of Philadelphia in search of a starting role, leaving quarterback Matt Barkley the only other quarterback other than Foles, on the roster.

Barkley was thrown into the fire three times last season against the Cowboys, Giants, and Raiders. In those games Barkley threw for 300 yards and four interceptions with a passer rating of 44.6. Nothing showing that he deserved to be the outright backup going into 2014.

Heading into the draft, it may be smart for the Eagles to once again draft a quarterback in the mid to late rounds. It is still confusing why Kelly drafted Barkley last year, but with the backup quarterback position being unstable without Vick, the Eagles need to bring in some competition.

Over the past couple of years, the backup quarterback has become very important. You have to wonder where the Bears would have been without quarterback Josh McCown when Jay Cutler went down, or what would have happened to the Packers had Aaron Rogers not missed nearly half the season.

Foles got hurt once last year with a concussion, if that were to happen again next season, the Eagles need to be prepared. It would be smart for the Eagles to draft a mobile quarterback as that is Kelly’s “prototypical” quarterback.

Once again the Eagles more than likely won’t be taking a quarterback in the first round, or even the second round for that matter as they have other needs to fill. However, in rounds three through seven, the Eagles should definitely consider it.

Possible prospects for the Eagles are Clemson’s Tajh Boyd who would be a perfect fit, Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, who would be available in the 5th round, or if the Eagles wanted to wait really late to get a quarterback, Miami’s Stephen Morris is another mobile quarterback who could be a fit.

The Eagles need to draft a quarterback to bring in some competition for Barkley. The backup quarterback may not see a lot of time on the field, but if something goes wrong, you need a guy who is ready and can jump in where things left off.