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One of the many topics Jeffrey Lurie discussed during his Tuesday press conference involved the team's quarterback situation. The Eagles Chairman and CEO continuously stressed the importance of the position.
Lurie: The best structure is a franchise QB who is going to play for 10 years
— Eagles Insider (@EaglesInsider) March 24, 2015
Lurie: A franchise QB sets the ceiling for the team.
— Eagles Insider (@EaglesInsider) March 24, 2015
The Eagles owner also had high praise for Sam Bradford. Lurie went as far to say the former No. 1 overall pick "was the best young QB we had seen since probably Peyton Manning."
Lurie says that Chip has watched Bradford "100's" of time. Says the decision was well researched #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) March 24, 2015
Lurie said that if you can get a franchise QB out of the second-round pick sent to the Rams it's worth it.
— Eagles Insider (@EaglesInsider) March 24, 2015
Evidence suggests Lurie isn't just spewing fluff quotes about Bradford, either. As @Noah_Becker points out, the Eagles were very high on Bradford. Reports from 2010 indicate part of the reason why Philadelphia traded Donovan McNabb to Washington was to prevent Bradford from ending up on the Redskins. Chip Kelly obviously wasn't with the Eagles back then, but it's still interesting to see how high the organization has been on him.
Speaking of Peyton Manning comparisons, it's no secret that Chip Kelly once likened Marcus Mariota to the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Kelly said he has no plans to mortgage the team's future to get his former Oregon Ducks quarterback. Lurie's stance seemed less firm.
Lurie also is not philosophically opposed to "mortgaging" future for a QB in draft. Said he isn't when it's Manning, is when it's Leaf
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 24, 2015
He responded to another Mariota question with a joke.
Lurie when asked about Mariota: "We gotta keep the ratings going, right?" #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) March 24, 2015
While no one is ready to rule out the Mariota possibility quite yet, it does seem increasingly clear the organization is high on Bradford. At the same time, Lurie knows the injury-prone passer is not a safe bet.
Lurie says Bradford is a gamble, but it's so hard to get a franchise quarterback. #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) March 24, 2015