Earlier this offseason I opined that Howie seemingly likes to make trades regarding picks in the first round of the NFL draft, a month in advance. Last year with the Dolphins and again this season with the Saints.
During a press conference last week, Howie confirmed that opinion and explained his reasoning.
“In the first round we’ve always found that it’s helpful to have those trades mapped out beforehand. The way that goes isn’t like, ‘Hey, we’re definitely doing this.’ “It’s if we’re moving up, hey, if there’s a player that we want that falls to that spot, here’s what we would do. Are we good on the trade compensation? So that you pick up the phone and I say ‘Hey, the guy’s still there. You guys good?’ ‘Yeah’, Trade is done.
And why is that helpful?
“We have two picks, so I think you’re planning every scenario about who you would move up for, who you would be really comfortable staying (for), how many players you would be comfortable staying (for), and what are the tiers that you would move back for and what you would take. So you’re not sitting there and going, ‘We think it should be this and this and they think it should be this and this.’ It’s too hectic to do that in the first round.”
So what was the difference with the Saints trade, as opposed to waiting to see how the board was falling on draft night?
“I think for us and New Orleans, that was one of the comforts of the trade, we both knew what we were comfortable for. It didn’t really matter what the trade chart said. They were comfortable with the deal, and we were comfortable with the deal, and I think those are the best trades.”
What about days 2 and 3 of the draft?
“When you get into the second round, third round and beyond, those things do happen on the clock because they’re simpler, but when it gets into the first round, all those conversations will be had before the fact. Even our trade last year we kind of set parameters of what that was, and so when we picked up the phone and called Dallas we kind of knew what the trade was going to be and what the price was going to be and that we had discussed that.”
And for the fans worried about “Howie szn” making a deal just to make a deal, he has those parameters already in place as well.
“Obviously, there’s a price that doesn’t make sense to move back either. We’re not going to move back 10 picks for a 5th-round pick. So I think at the end of the day you kind of go through all those and you have a really good sense of what you want to do.”
Heading into what could be the most franchise defining draft of Howie’s career (the wheeling and dealing for Wentz might be #1) what has Howie said to be the lessons that have been learned from the previous years?
“Certainly, when you look at some of the mistakes that I’ve made personally, it’s because you try to force something. I think you’re constantly evaluating the things that you do wrong, and you also want to learn from the things you did right and lessons that you have from that. You’re going to mess things up, but what can you learn from those picks that didn’t work out?”
What does Howie think about the Jalen Reagor pick?
“Obviously, I know (Reagor) gets a lot of attention in this city, and I know he’s working his butt off. When you look back (2020) was a hard year for some guys because you had COVID, you didn’t have an offseason program. So sometimes, the book isn’t necessarily written on all those guys.”
How does the organization view Jalen Hurts and the QB position?
Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie last month at the NFL owners’ meetings. “Who knows what the future holds? We all have this vision, myself included, that’s an automatic franchise quarterback. It’s almost nonexistent, and when it does exist, you’re very, very lucky to have that.”
Lurie continued, using Bills franchise QB Josh Allen as an example of being patient.;
“After year one or year two, is Josh Allen a franchise quarterback? Was he even thought to be a franchise quarterback when Buffalo drafted him? I think the answers are clearly no, no and no. He developed into one.”
He went there, so let’s compare:
I do not know if many evaluators ever looked at the 2 QB’s as being remotely similar, but the stats seem to back up Luries’ comments, and his hopes.
Josh Allen completed 52.8% of his passes during his rookie year and 58.8% his second season. His passer ratings were 67.9 and 85.3
Jalen Hurts improved from 57.1% to 61.3% during his first full year as a starter in 2021. Jalens’ passer ratings were 77.6 and 87.2
Allen was drafted 7th overall and Hurts 53rd.
Lurie, Howie and the Eagles have another reason to be patient with Jalen. His salary only counts towards 1.9 million of the cap in 2022 and his rookie contract doesn’t expire until the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Despite fans desiring the likes of Russell Wilson and DeShaun Watson the past year. This affordable, reasonable approach, was always the most likely ending.
As NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has stated regarding rookie QB deals
“I always tell everybody, if it’s close, you’re going to 100% go with the rookie (quarterback) over the veteran, because it’s not the rookie vs. the veteran. It’s the rookie and the 3 or 4 other players you’re going to be able to fit in that same salary structure vs. the veteran.”
Are more trades likely to happen?
The Eagles still have 2 first round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, and they have some potential trade partners lined up, depending on how the selections play out Thursday night.
Possible suitors include trading up from pick 15 with the Panthers, Jets or Seahawks, and or trading down from 18 with the Green Bay Packers. Other options are on the table as well.
Now that the draft is upon us, and the Eagles seem to be focused on adding talent to help Jalen, rather than replace him. What happens if he stumbles?
Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud are considered the top QB prospects in the 2023 draft and with 2 first round picks, the Eagles will be in prime position to acquire either of them (or anyone else).
As always, Thank You for reading!
David
Follow me @PHLEagleNews
4/26/22