Swoop
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,033
- 0
Getty Images
When the Eagles drafted former Oklahoma and Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round, they may have given Carson Wentz a new backup. But more likely, they gave Wentz a target he can throw and hand off to this season.
Hurts seems likely to play a role in the Eagles’ offense similar to the role Taysom Hill plays in New Orleans: Sometimes running, sometimes receiving, sometimes passing. Eagles quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Press Taylor hinted last year that he’d like a player to play that role, saying that he believes the future of offensive football includes having two passers on the field simultaneously.
“I think at some point, one of the big things will be having multiple people on the field who can throw the ball,” Taylor said. “That’s something going forward … You’ve seen the ‘Philly Special,’ you’ve seen all different versions of double passes. I think at some point I can see something like that coming into play.”
Taylor is intrigued by quarterbacks who have the athletic ability to play running back or wide receiver, but also have a good arm.
“You get these guys coming out of college that were dual-threat quarterbacks who had to transition to receiver and different things like that,” Taylor said. “It’s just a way to get your best players onto the field and threaten the defense in the most ways possible.”
Hurts certainly qualifies as a dual-threat quarterback: Last year at Oklahoma he passed for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns, and ran for 1,298 yards and 20 touchdowns. This year in Philadelphia, expect a creative approach to getting Hurts involved.