A yr in the past, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled off a pre-draft commerce with the New Orleans Saints, with the Eagles sending New Orleans a pair of 2022 first-round picks (in addition to a late-round choose) in trade for a bundle of picks together with the Saints’ 2023 first-round choice.
On the time, the transfer was seen not less than partially as a hedge on quarterback Jalen Hurts. Whereas the quarterback took a step ahead in 2021, there have been nonetheless lingering questions whether or not Hurts was going to be the workforce’s long-term reply on the place.
A yr later? The Eagles are coming off a Tremendous Bowl look, and Hurts is now the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past.
What a distinction a yr makes.
The Eagles agreed to a brand new five-year cope with Hurts on Monday, value $255 million and doubtlessly as much as almost $275 million. The contract contains $179.304 million in assured cash, and a no-trade clause. That’s the first time in franchise historical past that Philadelphia has signed a participant to a cope with a no-trade clause:
The no-trade clause is the primary in #Eagles historical past — an indication each of their religion in him as their franchise QB and Howie Roseman’s dedication to getting the deal executed. https://t.co/iEkNoiwcsx
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2023
How did Hurts make the leap from query mark to franchise cornerstone?
It begins contained in the pocket.
Maybe the largest enchancment to Hurts’ recreation final season got here throughout the confines of the pocket.
Whereas Hurts took a step ahead throughout 2021, one of many lingering questions that remained was how he dealt with life contained in the pocket. As an athletic quarterback, Hurts struggled with balancing his athleticism and talent to create together with his legs, with the necessity to typically keep contained in the pocket and make a throw underneath stress.
However all the best way again in Week 1, within the Eagles’ win over the Detroit Lions, the indicators have been there that Hurts was changing into way more comfy throughout the confines of the pocket. Take this completion from the third quarter:
This play is an effective instance of Hurts taking data earlier than the snap, and utilizing it to his benefit because the play unfolds. Previous to the snap, Brown aligns on the left facet of the sector and is available in movement throughout the formation. With no defender trailing him, that’s an indicator to the quarterback that the Lions could be in zone protection. Whereas this isn’t a assure, as defenses have executed an incredible job lately at disguising their intentions, it is a knowledge level for the QB to decipher earlier than the snap.
Hurts has a number of different zone indicators to work with, primarily the alignments of the cornerbacks. Each defenders are enjoying off their receivers, and have their ft and hips open towards the center of the sector. Once more, indications that zone protection is at play.
However the job shouldn’t be executed, as Hurts has to decipher the stress look upfront from Detroit. The Lions have a pair of defenders mugging the A-Gaps, and with seven males down on the road of scrimmage, there’s a probability Detroit brings stress and rotates into man protection behind this stress entrance.
The Lions carry simply 4 and certainly drop into zone protection. However they nonetheless handle to get inside stress on Hurts, because of a learn blitz from the mugged-up defenders. On this play, the 2 mugged-up linebackers begin to blitz and can learn the motion of the middle, Jason Kelce. If the middle turns to at least one facet, that defender will then drop into protection, and the opposite will proceed on his blitz path. Kelce opens to his proper and spots linebacker Chris Board. As soon as he does this, Board drops again into protection and his cohort, Alex Anzalone, continues his blitz. Kelce tries to double-back and assistance on Anzalone, and working again Kenneth Gainwell steps up into the A-Hole to tackle the linebacker, however Anzalone nonetheless manages to get into the pocket.
But Hurts hangs within the pocket, and realizing that Brown is working an out route, he makes an anticipation throw towards the mushy protection to transform the third down.
That is the sort of second Eagles followers have been hoping to see this season from Hurts. At instances final yr, these have been the performs the place Hurts would pull the soccer down in response to stress and look to create together with his legs, relatively than make a throw from the pocket. Hurts’ athleticism is a real weapon, and he delivered some athletic moments on Sunday in Detroit, however right here he takes benefit of the data gained presnap and makes a learn and throw from the pocket, transferring the chains.
Philadelphia would end the drive with a landing.
Or take this play towards the Houston Texans from Week 9:
The Eagles run a vertical idea right here off of play-action, with Brown attacking downfield on the left facet of the formation and DeVonta Smith working the deep crossing route from right-to-left. Houston brings stress, and linebacker Christian Kirksey has a free run on the quarterback. However Hurts hangs within the pocket within the face of this free stress — realizing that it’s coming — and hits Smith working throughout the sector for an enormous acquire.
We even noticed examples of Hurts delivering from a collapsing pocket — relatively than bailing from it — within the playoffs. In Philadelphia’s win over the New York Giants, Hurts and Smith linked on a landing early within the second quarter on a throw alongside the best facet of the sector. Whereas sure, the security took a poor angle, you additionally must credit score the QB for hanging within the pocket because it collapsed round him, giving this play an opportunity to develop:
We noticed different examples of Hurts balancing that “combat or flight” intuition within the pocket through the 2022 marketing campaign. Take this play towards the Washington Commanders in Week 10:
Hurts opens as much as the left facet of the formation, to learn out a two-receiver idea. However with these choices lined, he will get his eyes to the center of the sector, choosing up Quez Watkins on the bottom dig route. As that is taking place, the Commanders are blitzing each linebackers and he has some free runners in his face.
Whereas the Hurts of 2020, and even early 2021, may need pulled this down and regarded for an escape route, this yr’s model of the passer hung within the pocket, obtained to his third choice on the idea, and made a throw to maneuver the chains on third down.
That is high-level quarterback play.
However maybe my favourite instance of Hurts pushing apart the demons of the previous and studying to combat within the pocket got here from early in Week 2. In opposition to the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles face an early third-down state of affairs. Going through third and 13, watch as Hurts fights the urge to drag the ball down and escape to the left — the place there may be loads of inexperienced grass — and as an alternative hangs within the pocket, giving Brown’s deep curl route time to develop:
The Hurts of 2020 or 2021 in all probability pulls this down.
The Hurts of 2022, nonetheless, makes a a lot completely different choice.
There are, after all, different the reason why the Eagles made the choice to ink Hurts to a long-term deal. Successful actually helps, and with the Eagles holding but two extra first-round picks within the 2023 NFL Draft, there may be each expectation that Philadelphia will make one other deep playoff run in 2023.
Then there may be the athleticism Hurts brings to the desk. In in the present day’s NFL, with defenses counting on two-high security appears and light-weight containers up entrance, the flexibility of the quarterback to be a dynamic power within the working recreation is a big asset for an NFL offense. Take this run from Hurts towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers:
The play begins with Inexperienced Bay aligned with two deep safeties, and simply 5 defenders within the field. With the tight finish aligned in-line subsequent to the left deal with, the Eagles are +1 within the field, not less than when it comes to our bodies.
However watch how shortly +1 for the offense turns into +2 — or extra — if you contain the QB as a run risk. The Eagles run GT Counter Bash, pulling the bottom guard and deal with in entrance of Hurts. Hurts can provide the soccer to the working again aiming for the best facet, however when he sees that defensive finish keep dwelling, he pulls the soccer and retains it, following the two-man convoy to the left facet.
The guard picks up the playside defensive finish, the deal with climbs to one of many deep safeties, and the Eagles have an enormous acquire within the working recreation.
Hurts’ presence — and talent — as a risk within the working recreation is a big plus for the Philadelphia offense.
There may be additionally a management issue. Quarterback is among the final “management” positions in sports activities, and having somebody who can encourage the opposite ten gamers within the huddle — and even the remainder of the roster — is an enormous enhance for a workforce. That is one thing each head coach Nick Sirianni and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie talked about through the playoffs and the offseason:
Eagles’ HC Nick Sirianni on Jalen Hurts in January: “It is like having Michael Jordan on the market. He is your chief. He is your man.”
Eagles’ proprietor Jeffrey Lurie final month: “The toughest half, for certain, is the shortage of actually good quarterbacks, and we obtained one, and we obtained a really…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 17, 2023
However it’s his progress as a passer, notably from the pocket, that led to in the present day, with him changing into the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past.
Now when you’ll excuse me, I’m off to drag my son and daughter out of college for the day. They should work on their pocket footwork.
