Jalen Hurts was electric in the first half Sunday against the Broncos, but he attempted just three passes in the second half - one a truly hideous underthrown interception, another nearly picked off.
And until Hurts can prove show any semblance of consistent starter-level production with his game, the Eagles are going to keep being linked to the biggest names in the pending available QB market.
Smoke started billowing from the rumor fires a couple weeks ago connecting the Birds to a potential Russell Wilson trade as the Pro Bowl QB and the Seahawks don't seem to be trending in the right direction together.
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And on Monday, after the Eagles' 30-13 win in Denver and Wilson's Seahawks were shutout in Green Bay, one of the most-informed insiders in all of football reporting is the latest to connect the dots between Wilson and the Birds.
Here's what NBC Sports' Peter King had in his Football Monday in America column:
"I wonder if we’re seeing the end of the Russell Wilson era in Seattle. It’s dumb to make any long-term judgments about a great player on such a rotten day, when Wilson returned after finger surgery and looked inaccurate and ineffective, getting shut out for the first time in 166 Seattle starts. His receivers didn’t help him, rarely getting free enough for him to have a chance at a long gain. But as I watched the futility of this game, I just started thinking it might be time for the Seahawks to think of alternatives to Wilson, particularly if he gets mopey again next offseason.
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NFL
"Sabers were rattled last year by Wilson and his agent, and I just wonder if an 8-9 season might make Seattle GM John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll wonder if rewriting the script and getting three first-round picks and maybe one top player from a Carolina or Denver or Pittsburgh or Miami or Philadelphia is smarter than trying to keep Wilson happy."
That's a pretty interesting list of teams right there, and at this point it feels like the Eagles will absolutely be in on the race for a Wilson trade if it happens.
As far as trade capital goes, the Eagles have by far the biggest treasure trove of picks in 2022 in terms of what they can offer the Seahawks. (The Dolphins can make a push if they use their pair of 2023 first-round picks.)
I also think Wilson would have some say in the trade, and the Eagles' young playmakers are making this team fairly attractive, long-term, to prospective QBs. DeVonta Smith is a clear-cut WR1. Dallas Goedert should be a top-tier tight end for the next decade. You've got studs at both tackle positions, and a young and deep running back room. It's a pretty intriguing place for quarterbacks who want a shot.
Now, there are probably some folks who want to see Hurts continue to grow and to use those draft picks on fleshing out the roster with young, cost-controlled talent. And I get it.
But it is so, so hard to get a quarterback of Wilson's skill level on your roster, so when the opportunity comes... you'd better be dang sure you have a good plan in place before you say, "No, thanks."
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