PHILADELPHIA − Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was forever parodied back in 2020 when he said the team wants to be a “quarterback factory” after picking Jalen Hurts in the second round of the draft.
It seemed preposterous because the Eagles already had Carson Wentz as the franchise quarterback. We all know now that Roseman was right, that the so-called factory produced one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL in Hurts while Wentz fizzled.
But the factory is still churning for the Eagles even though Hurts led the Eagles to the Super Bowl and became, albeit briefly, the highest paid quarterback in the NFL with a five-year extension worth as much as $255 million.
The Eagles demonstrated that Saturday in the sixth round of the NFL draft when they selected Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee with pick No. 188. It might seem like a strange pick considering that McKee is the antithesis of Hurts in both stature (6-foot-6, 231 pounds), and style of play as strictly a pocket passer.
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McKee is also the antithesis of backup QB Marcus Mariota, whom they signed in free agency in March. And they have Ian Book, who served as the third quarterback last season but never got into a game.
“When we look at the things that we value, it starts with the O-line, starts with the D-line and it starts with the quarterback position,” Roseman said. “We like Ian. Obviously we like Marcus. This isn’t anything about them. This was about that we think is a really important position.
“We had a guy (McKee) who was highly graded on the board, and so we took him. It’s no reflection of anyone else.”
But McKee’s selection is a reflection on the fact that quarterbacks get hurt, and often.
Roseman cited the San Francisco 49ers last season as an example. They started with Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, but lost him for the season in Week 2 to a broken ankle. Then they went with Jimmy Garoppolo, but he broke his foot in November and missed the rest of the season.
The 49ers had used the final pick in the 2022 draft, the pick referred to as “Mr. Irrelevant,” on Brock Purdy. He turned out to be extremely relevant. Purdy started the final five games of the regular season, and the 49ers won all of them.
Then Purdy led the 49ers to two playoff wins before facing the Eagles in the NFC Championship game.
Purdy hurt his elbow in the first quarter and didn’t return. The 49ers were down to their fourth quarterback in veteran journeyman Josh Johnson. It didn’t go well as the Eagles cruised to a 31-7 win.
Purdy is expected to be the 49ers starter this season once he heals from elbow surgery, even with Lance fully healed from his injury.
“You look at (the 49ers’ situation), and these guys are hard to find,” Roseman said. “If you like one, you’d better take one.”
So what do the Eagles like about McKee?
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni praised McKee’s intelligence, said he has “a big arm” and made “good, quick decisions with the football … and we think he’s accurate.”
McKee didn’t have flashy numbers at Stanford. He threw for 2,947 yards with 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions last season. He said he looks forward to learning from Hurts and Mariota, and in turn expanding his game to running RPOs and reading defenses.
“There are a lot of things that I can learn from, especially from Jalen, on how to read a defensive end, and how to do things like that in the NFL with all their speed and size,” McKee said. “I think it’s huge having two guys that have had a lot of experience and have played a lot of games in the NFL.
“I feel like those guys can really help me in that aspect.”
Before McKee can become a Purdy-like revelation should both Hurts and Mariota get injured, he still has to beat out Book for the third quarterback job. That’s not guaranteed. The Eagles have drafted quarterbacks in the late rounds in recent years, or brought them in as undrafted free agents, or signed them from other teams to mixed results.
That goes back to 2017 when they signed Nate Sudfeld off Washington’s practice squad to serve as a third QB. Sudfeld played in four games in three seasons with the Eagles. He got into two games last season with the Lions.
The Eagles drafted Clayton Thorson in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, but Thorson was waived before the season started.
They signed Book the day after the Saints waived him before the start of last season, and he served as the third QB, but didn’t get into any games. The Eagles have also tried undrafted free agents Jamie Newman in 2021 and Carson Strong in 2022, but neither panned out.
If McKee develops, he could eventually become the backup quarterback as Mariota is on a one-year contract. If not, the Eagles can move on. That’s how a quarterback factory operates.
Eagles adding undrafted free agents
The Eagles are adding several undrafted players to their 90-man roster. According to various reports, the list of players includes Kansas State punter Ty Zentner. It’s the first time that Arryn Siposs will be challenged in camp since he signed in 2021.
The other players include:
- Clemson WR Joseph Ngata
- Alabama CB Eli Ricks
- Michigan State LB Ben VanSumeren
- Arkansas WR Jadon Haselwood
- Colorado TE Brady Russell
- Louisville OT Trevor Reid
Last year, three undrafted free agents made the 53-man roster in S Reed Blankenship, WR/PR Britain Covey, CB Josh Jobe.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
