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Much has been made about how the Eagles invested a lot of resources in the quarterback position this offseason. Philadelphia is set to pay Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, and Carson Wentz a total of $43 million this year. Then there's the fact the Eagles gave up five picks, including a 2017 first, in order to trade up to acquire Wentz.
During the NFL meetings in Charlotte this week, Eagles CEO and chairman Jeffrey Lurie explained why the franchise invested in quarterbacks.
"We see it differently than I guess some other people may," Lurie said via Jenny Ventras of The MMQB. "We see Sam [Bradford] as absolutely the right guy to quarterback the team. We are so rarely able to draft in the Top 5 in the draft. It’s only been twice in about 15-20 years. So we saw the opportunity, and we liked two quarterbacks. We had to make the move to secure having a potential franchise quarterback for many, many years."
"Having a lot of assets at the most important position in the NFL is a good strategic move for now," he continued. "And it can only benefit us. Because in the NFL, it’s the one position you can’t just go get. And so when you have an opportunity, you’ve gotta take your shot, and you’ve gotta be bold. Otherwise, if you say to yourself, 'you know, it is probably a 50-50 shot that maybe the quarterback will be really good,' you can't let that deter you. So that’s how I look at it: You either have a really good QB and you compete for the Super Bowl, or you don’t and you are probably not competing for the Super Bowl. And that’s simple."
It really is that simple. Quarterback is the most important position in the game. Teams should do everything they can to make sure they get it right. If that means hedging your bet like the Eagles are currently doing, then so be it. Putting all your eggs in one basket, especially one delicate as Bradford's, could end up badly.
The Eagles deserve credit for their approach to the quarterback position this offseason. At the very least, they had the right idea in mind. Whether or not the plan actually works out is a different story. There's a lot of pressure on Wentz to eventually into the Eagles' next franchise quarterback. In the meantime, the Eagles are trying to eliminate the immediacy of that pressure by trotting out Bradford as a stop-gap and future potential trade chip.