Clayton

Thorson

The Giants made another quarterback move with Daniel Jones (neck) and Mike Glennon (concussion protocol) looking dicey for Week 14. Jake Fromm could be in line to start for New York if both Jones and Glennon can’t play. Thorson spent part of last year with the Giants and knows the system as a result.

The Eagles didn’t see anything from Thorson this offseason, so they threw in the towel early in favor of ex-Giants QB Kyle Lauletta. Thorson’s college career was mostly a disappointment (6.3 YPA), but he does have the size and arm strength that will give him extra looks. Thorson was the No. 167 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Eagles had been slated to draft four slots earlier but wound up trading the 163rd pick to New England for picks 167 and 246. Thorson (6’4/222) made a school-record 53 starts at Northwestern, engineering a 36-17 record but completing just 58% of his career passes at 6.33 yards per attempt with a 61:45 TD-to-INT ratio and 27 rushing scores. Thorson tore his right ACL in the 2017 Music City Bowl, then returned to start the Wildcats’ 2018 opener and never looked fully healthy during his final year. Thorson offers an ideal stature and sound fundamentals, but his on-field production was severely lacking in the Big Ten, and he threw far too many picks for a game-manager style quarterback. His likely ceiling is a long-term No. 2 clipboard holder in the Matt Cassel mold. The Eagles needed a backup for Carson Wentz after former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles defected to Jacksonville in free agency.