Philadelphia Eagles take full advantage of Cowboys’ head-scratching mistake after poaching talented passer from Dallas
The Philadelphia Eagles are without Jalen Hurts on Sunday and possibly much longer, and Tanner McKee looked like the obvious answer. A Friday move involving a division rival’s practice squad has complicated that picture.
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without quarterback Jalen Hurts on Sunday and potentially much longer. Hurts is dealing with a blood clot in his calf, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That news sent the Eagles scrambling at the most important position on the field.
Naturally, most people assumed this would be Tanner McKee’s time to shine. However, Philadelphia might have other plans.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Friday that the Eagles are signing quarterback Joe Milton off the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad and onto their 53-man roster. It’s a move that could make the quarterback position in Philly a lot more entertaining.
Cowboys made a big mistake with Joe Milton
For one, this is a huge mistake from Dallas. Cutting Milton and stashing him on the practice squad was always a gamble. It was only a matter of time before the Eagles, or anybody else for that matter, poached a quarterback of Milton’s caliber.
Losing a talented young passer for nothing is bad enough. Losing him to a division rival hurts a lot more, and the Cowboys only have themselves to blame.
Eagles now have an intriguing quarterback room
Schultz added that the Eagles now have McKee, rookie Cole Payton, and Milton on their active roster. It might not be the most headline-grabbing quarterback trio in the NFL, but it’s an intriguing group.
McKee has been there and done that as a backup. Payton and Milton, meanwhile, are toolsy passers with plenty of upside. I would expect McKee to remain the starter, at least for the time being.
That being said, there’s no doubt that Milton now has the best arm and is the best athlete in that room. That’s saying a lot, too, because Payton has a big arm and is a tremendous athlete in his own right.
Why Joe Milton is worth the gamble
Eagles fans may or may not know much about Milton, so let me put it this way. If he could hit the broadside of a barn, he would be a starting NFL quarterback.
He has every bit of the arm strength you want. He also has the mobility, the pocket navigation, and the scrambling ability to escape pressure and make plays outside the pocket. In my opinion, he can be a franchise quarterback if he learns the ins and outs of the position.
To this point, he hasn’t been able to put it all together. But look at where the Eagles are right now. Hurts is sidelined, they traded Cam Juergens, and Lane Johnson retired. This is a roster in transition, and Philadelphia has a chance to take a swing.
So why not see what you have at quarterback this season and build from there? Milton costs the Eagles very little, and his ceiling is higher than anyone else’s in that room.
This is a great move from the Eagles. If Milton finally figures it out, Philadelphia might have found something special at the expense of its biggest rival.
