When NFL free agency begins on March 16, the Eagles will be looking to bolster a roster that made it to the playoffs in Year 1 under Nick Sirianni.
We’ll look position-by-position for some possible targets. We started with running backs and receivers and will continue with quarterbacks today.
The Eagles might not need to add a quarterback. They could run it back with Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew and Reid Sinnett in 2022 and be fine. Aside from possibly going after an upgrade at the starter job, the other possibility is that the Eagles trade Minshew to a team that wants him to compete for a starting gig. If that happens, the Eagles will be in the market for a new backup.
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Here are five options:
Marcus Mariota: The Eagles can finally get Mariota years after all the hype in the 2015 draft, when he went No. 2 overall, well out of Chip Kelly's reach. After spending his first five years in Tennessee, Mariota has been Derek Carr’s backup for a couple years in Las Vegas but his contract is up. Mariota is 28 now but is still a good backup option and his dual-threat ability might make him an ideal No. 2 behind Jalen Hurts because they could run a lot of the same plays.
Jacoby Brissett: While Brissett never really made it as a starting quarterback in the NFL, he’s definitely a high-level backup. With the Dolphins in 2021, Brissett started five games, completing 62.7% of his passes with 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He makes sense for the Eagles because of his familiarity with Sirianni and the offense he brought with him from Indianapolis. Brissett was the Colts’ full-time starter in 2019 after Andrew Luck retired. That year, Brissett threw for just under 3,000 yards with 18 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Joe Flacco: Run it back? While the Eagles might have overpaid for Flacco last year, he already knows the system and they didn’t trade him to the Jets until they knew Minshew was ready to be the backup. Does Flacco have anything left? Not sure. He’s played in just seven games over the last two years with five starts. But the Eagles brought him in to be their backup last year, so if they can do it for cheaper, maybe they run that back with the 37-year-old.
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Mitchell Trubisky: The former No. 2 overall pick didn’t work out in Chicago and spent last year as Josh Allen’s backup in Buffalo on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. That wouldn’t be a bad price for a decent backup, which is what Trubisky is. He’s probably not an NFL starting quarterback but Trubisky has had some success in the NFL and was even a Pro Bowler in 2018. You could do worse at the QB2 spot.
Tyrod Taylor: The 32-year-old has bounced around in the years since he left Buffalo. He was in Cleveland in 2018, with the LA Chargers in 2019-20 and spent last year with the Houston Texans. He started six games in Houston last year and put together a 2-4 record with 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions for a team that ended up using Davis Mills more. But Taylor is an experienced high level backup, low-level starter in the league.