7 options for Eagles' 3rd quarterback spot

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The Eagles on Wednesday waived rookie quarterback Jamie Newman, which means their roster is down to just two quarterbacks.

That’s fine for the regular season but the Eagles will presumably want to add another quarterback at least for training camp and then likely to keep on their practice squad for the 2021 season.

Newman, who played at Wake Forest, didn’t last very long. The Eagles didn’t pay him any guaranteed money so there was no dead money left after they released him. It’s pretty clear that Newman didn’t impress the Eagles in their couple weeks of spring practices.

Here are some options for that third quarterback spot:

Nick Mullens

Mullens 26, went undrafted out of Southern Mississippi back in 2017, which means he was once teammates with Eagles wideout Quez Watkins. Mullens signed with the 49ers after going undrafted and spent the last few seasons in San Francisco, splitting time on its practice squad and active roster. Mullens has played in 19 games with 16 starts. He has a 5-11 record, completing 64.5% of his passes for 4,714 yards with 25 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. He started eight games with the Niners last year and had a 2-6 record.

Robert Griffin III

RGIII is no longer a star in the NFL and the 31-year-old is looking for work after spending the last three seasons as a backup in Baltimore. We all know how good Griffin was as a rookie back in 2012, but he’s not that player anymore. In 2020, he played in four games and started in Week 12 but left that game early with a hamstring injury and was then placed on IR. He was waived in January. With expanded practice squad rules, the idea of having a player like Griffin around to run scout team is intriguing, especially if the Eagles don’t find a developmental quarterback worth bringing in.

Sean Mannion

Mannion, 29, was a third-round pick back in 2015 out of Oregon State. He spent the first four years of his career with the Rams but was in Minnesota the last couple seasons. In his career, Mannion has played in just 13 games and has thrown 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Zac Thomas

Now, let’s get to a few developmental prospects. Thomas (6-1, 205) just went undrafted out of Appalachian State. He obviously played at a lower level of competition but has some intriguing skills with his arm and legs. During his college career, he had a 32-6 record as a three-year starter and threw 69 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. The most intriguing thing about Thomas is his scrambling ability. He has skills that might be worth developing.

Zach Smith

Smith, a UDFA from Tulsa, spent rookie camp with the Bills on a tryout basis but wasn’t signed. Smith (6-3, 222) began his college career at Baylor before transferring to Tulsa, where he became a two-year starter. He completed just 56.4% of his passes in college and had a disappointing 2020 season.

K.J. Costello

At 6-4, 225 pounds, Costello certainly looks the part. He was once a starter at Stanford and then transferred to Mississippi State for the 2020 season before going undrafted. He had just six touchdowns to 11 interceptions last season and his decision-making is a major question mark. But physically, he has some intriguing tools. Costello was once thought to be a top prospect entering college. He had a tryout with the Chargers this spring but was not signed. During the pre-draft process, he reportedly met with the Eagles.

Kenji Bahar

The Ravens just waived Bahar a few days ago, which is notable given Andy Weidl’s history with that club. If the Eagles have questions about Bahar, answers are a quick call away. Bahar played at Monmouth University, where he set records for touchdown passes and passing yards. Bahar was a tryout player with the Ravens and rookie camp and was then on the roster for a few weeks.

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