The Philadelphia Eagles caught the attention of many across the NFL when they decided to select former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Eagles may not have much for opportunity at the quarterback position to involve Hurts in with Carson Wentz as the clear starter. However, Philadelphia is getting creative and find ways to use Hurts.
According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, the Eagles have continued to involve Hurts frequently in red-zone situations during training camp.
The New Orleans Saints have shown the value of getting creative with unique talents like Taysom Hill, particularly in the red zone. If a player like Hurts can make throws but also make plays as a running threat, giving the defense different looks can result in big plays.
Like the Saints with Drew Brees, the Eagles would still involve Wentz as the heavily utilized quarterback throughout games. There are just situations when the opposition may be giving a certain look that can be exploited with a creative approach involving a gadget player.
The potential is there for Hurts as he showed in his sole season with Oklahoma. He completed 69.7% of his passes for 3,851 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also added 1,298 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
Getting practice reps during the early portion of training camp does not mean the Philadelphia Eagles will end up involving Jalen Hurts in this way in 2020. It’s at least something to continue to monitor. At the very least, he’s a talented backup ready to step-in in case of an injury.
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