Philadelphia Eagles 53-man roster prediction ahead of training camp

Philadelphia Eagles 53-man roster: The quarterbacks (3)

Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, Nick Mullens

Of all the position groups, the quarterback room should be the easiest one to sort out for the Eagles. Jalen Hurts will step in as the number one guy with a crucial season ahead of him, and Joe Flacco and Nick Mullens will round out the backup positions.

Flacco and Mullens project to battle it out for the second quarterback spot with the loser likely spending gamedays as a healthy scratch. Flacco’s veteran experience (along with his fully guaranteed $3.5 million contract) gives him the edge to mentor Hurts.

All eyes will be on the former second-round pick next season. The 2021 season can be considered successful if the team gets a clear read on Hurts. Sure, it’d be nice to see him evolve into the league MVP, but even if he unquestionably fails, the Eagles should consider this a minor win.

If the latter were to occur, the team could move forward in their search for a franchise passer instead of being stuck with a mediocre QB for years. Their three potential first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft would surely allow them to find their guy for the future.

If Hurts plays OK, then the formula becomes tricky for the Eagles. Do they roll out Hurts for one more year? If he struggles, then there’s another wasted year in the rebuild. If the team decides to replace him after a mediocre year, they run the risk of cutting their losses too early.

Think of the situation that the Broncos are in with Drew Lock as an example.

There’s a lot of ‘what if’ scenarios regarding the quarterback position for the Eagles. Hurts has the talent and tenacity to succeed and to shut these questions down. The 2021 season will be critical for the future outlook on the QB position.