The Packers and Eagles' Draft Controversy

The 2020 NFL Draft was a weird enough experience in itself, you know with all the inter-connected Zoom calls; watching team coaches, general managers and owners basically pick players from their living rooms with their kids watching their beloved parents, hard at work, carefully selecting which stud college football prospect fills a role desperately needed within the team roster. At times, watching the draft made me wonder whether the GMs were making the call or whether their kids were putting in their two cents. More often than not, the audience waited for Roger Gooddell to announce the pick after it had been a solid ten minutes before they even went to the commissioner's live feed. Yea, it was an interesting NFL Draft, to say the least, but what really made this draft a must-watch were the picks made by the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in the first round and the second round, respectively. Instead of addressing serious talent gaps like wide receiving and running back, the Packers and Eagles picked two of the most highly-coveted quarterbacks in the draft class. As always, controversy pursues.

The Green Bay Packers selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love after trading up to the 26th pick in the first round of the draft, a move that shocked football fans to their core and started the cesspool of rumors and stories about the relationship between Green Bay's management and their current star QB, Aaron Rodgers. Last season, Rodgers was vocal about how the Packers were not addressing the gaps in team depth and talent that would lead the Packers to the Super Bowl. Despite breakout seasons for Green Bay's running back Aaron Jones and receiver Devante Adams, you could tell there were serious issues, especially on defense, the Packers faced heading into the 2020 offseason. Even though they made the NFC Championship Game, the Packers were dangerously exposed by San Francisco. The Draft would've been the perfect place to plug the holes in the defense; instead, GM Brian Gutenkust went for the heir-apparent to Aaron Rodgers. Let the controversy begin. This shouldn't come as a surprise; the Packers did this over a decade ago when they drafted Aaron Rodgers in the first round to be the heir to Brett Favre. It was well known that Favre and Rodgers had a very rocky relationship, mostly because Favre felt disrespected the Packers picked his replacement. This probably isn't exactly the same situation, but it has fans wondering whether the Packers are still committed to Rodgers. Rodgers is by far the second or third-best QB in the league (behind Tom Brady and Drew Brees, arguably), but he has a serious injury history that has affected his mobility significantly. He's also 36, and not every QB has Brady or Brees' luxury of playing until they literally cannot walk. The Packers decided to dive into the history books and use a similar tactic they did in the past: draft a young, impressionable QB to learn from one of the game's legends. 

The Eagles' quarterback situation is a different story, mostly because unlike the Packers, they already have a young QB as their guaranteed starter. When the Eagles drafted Oklahoma and former-Alabama product Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick in the second round, the football world felt the earth tremor a little bit. Hurts was the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Joe Burrow (this year's No. 1 pick), he won a national title with Alabama (despite being benched in the 2018 National Championship in favor of No. 5 pick Tua Tagovailoa) and easily one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the draft. The Eagles, though? Why? You already have a franchise QB with Wentz; may I remind Eagles fans Wentz is a major reason they made it to the Super Bowl in 2017-18. I get it; Nick Foles actually won the game so he gets more credit for it than Wentz; yes, Wentz has a really bad injury history since he was drafted in 2016; he hasn't completed a full season yet, but causing a QB controversy like this is bound to piss off some people. Wentz had just inked a new four-year deal for $10 million a year; now he might have to fight for his starting job against Hurts. Hurts could be the backup QB needed to save the season when/if Wentz gets hurt again, and maybe he'll become the Taysom Hill for the Eagles. All the same, the Eagles' selection of Hurts is puzzling. 

Love and Hurts are young and capable QBs eager to get a taste of NFL action. The teams that selected them already had dependable QBs, which is why these picks are causing such a uproar. Some people think Rodgers and Wentz should be requesting trades now because these moves are just blatantly disrespectful. However, I will play Devil's advocate here and break it down to make these picks seem sensible. Rodgers and Wentz are naturally gunslingers and used to have solid mobility. Leg injuries have taken serious tolls on their running skills and agility, and as the NFL continues to adapt offensive schemes for dual-threat QBs like Hurts and Love, more teams have adopted the idea of a two-QB system. Take the New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is still the starter; he slings the ball downfield almost the entire 60 minutes. Every other play or so, backup Taysom Hill will come in for a Wildcat offense play, a trick play, or even as a wide receiver because his speed is sensational and his QB skills are sharp. While I don't see the Packers using two QBs with Rodgers and Love, I see the Eagles maybe finding a scheme to utilize Wentz and Hurts. Wentz will hurl long balls to receivers, Hurts can run Wildcat or power runs on the goalline. Time will tell how these teams plan their current and new QBs; for now let's bask in the controversy.