Roseman feeling pain from Hurts, Gutekunst prefers Love to Rodgers
Updated Friday, May 1, 2020
Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles general manager, benefited from last week’s NFL Draft being conducted by Zoom, with no fans present. Eagles fans, that most vocal breed of boo birds, would have objected loudly to his first two selections.
In a draft that scouts said is the best-ever for receivers, the Eagles made a dubious choice at No. 21: Justin Reagor of TCU. Most of the NFL draft evaluators had Reagor ranked behind Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk, who were available at that point. ESPN’s draft predictor had calculated a 9% probability of Reagor going in the first round.
Reagor last season had a catch rate of 47% — third worst in Division 1 football. He also had a 9.8% drop rate that was fourth highest in the Big 12. As controversial as the Reagor selection is, Roseman invited even more scorn by drafting Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round.
Hurts is a running quarterback with limited arm strength who most draft experts thought would last until the third round. Chris Simms, former NFL quarterback who now works for NBC Sports Network, said prior to the Draft, “I will be shocked if Jalen Hurts is taken in the second round.”
Hurts goes to a team that should not be investing heavily in quarterbacking. The Eagles 10 months ago signed Carson Wentz to a $107 million deal that at the time made him the highest-paid player in the sport.
But Roseman is not the only general manager on the Hot Seat for going quarterback-crazy. Green Bay’s Brian Gutekunst traded up to draft Utah State’s Jordan Love with the 26th pick in the first round. This is interpreted as a slight of the two-time MVP, Super Bowl-winning, future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay last season was 13-3 and played in the NFC Championship Game. Expectations were that in a draft that harvested a record 33 receivers, Gutekunst would find one for Rodgers. Instead, Gutekunst opted for a future – perhaps near future — replacement for Rodgers.
In the second round Gutekunst again skipped over the receivers and selected a running back, A.J. Dillon, even though Green Bay has two well-regarded tailbacks in Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Green Bay’s problem is not run offense, it’s a run defense that ranked 22nd in the league. Rodgers can hardly be happy that Dillon is of little use in the air game; he caught 21 passes in three seasons for Boston College.
In the third round Gutekunst chose a tight end, Cincinnati’s Josiah Deguara, who’s valued more for blocking than receiving. He will be an H-back. Gutekunst explained that coach Matt LaFleur “wants to tie everything to the run game.”
But Bob McGinn, who’s covered the Packers for 38 years, reported that LaFleur is running away from Rodgers.
McGinn wrote in The Athletic that the team wants to “gain leverage with their imperial quarterback and his passive-aggressive style,” that LaFleur “has had enough of Aaron Rodgers’ act.”
At 36, Rodgers has lost some quickness and arm strength, but a bigger issue is body language and lack of leadership. Instead of trying to rally his team, a la Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, Rodgers in the Championship Game conveyed frustration and surrender.
Even more annoying to Lafleur, Rodgers during the regular season publicly criticized his coaching, just as he had cast shade on the previous coach, Mike McCarthy.
In the aftermath of the Draft, Rodgers dutifully promised to be “a mentor” for Love, whose physical skills are compared to those of the Super Bowl champion Mahomes. The reason Love lasted as long as he did is attributed to lack of polish. A coaching change disrupted his college career. The plan is for Love to learn from Rodgers, who’s guaranteed $66 million over the next two seasons but could then be jettisoned without causing heavy financial damage to the team.
Brett Favre spoke with Rodgers over the phone and said he expected his former understudy to finish his career “somewhere else.”
As for the Eagles, they’ve reached the playoffs three consecutive years. But because of injuries, Wentz has a total of only 9 postseason snaps. Unlike Aaron Rodgers, Wentz lacks durability.
Hurts, who wowed coaches at the Scouting Combine with his knowledge of football strategy, should be a quality sub the next time Wentz goes down. But there’s another element here. Eagles coach Doug Pederson is known for gadget plays, and he sees Hurts being similar to Taysom Hill in New Orleans. “He might not be the glamorous pick,” the coach said, “but we’re going to use his strengths as a runner and maybe some other things.”
Roseman understands that Reagor is also lacking in glamor. But he insisted, “Reagor is the right fit for us,” pointing out that his player has faster feet and longer reach than Jefferson, who starred for national champion LSU.
However, other evaluators contend that Aiyuk, who played for Colorado and was drafted by San Francisco at No. 25, is more explosive than either Reagor or Jefferson.
It’s way too early to talk of draft busts. Historically, about half the players chosen in the first round fail to have much impact in the NFL. Many All-Pros have been plucked from the lower rounds. San Francisco’s tight end George Kittle was a fifth-rounder. But general managers who make controversial selections put themselves in peril. Nowhere more so than in the City of Brotherly Love. Lots of people will be eager to say, “I told you so.”
