3 Eagles players the Buccaneers should target after SNF embarrassment

Jalen Hurts

As the quarterback who was benched for Nate Sudfeld, Jalen Hurts has experienced the active tanking firsthand. While one decision like that shouldn’t be enough to call for his end in Philly, that sixth overall pick makes his future uncertain.

Hurts has been decent during his limited stint with the Eagles, but are fans really convinced that Philly wouldn’t take a Zach Wilson or a Trey Lance if they are available? If the Eagles wanted to rally behind Hurts and draft around him this offseason, they didn’t need the sixth overall pick to do that. Plenty of wide receivers and tackles will be available around the 10th pick, so gunning for the sixth so hard is questionable.

Hurts wouldn’t be the first time that a team has moved on from a young QB early. The Cardinals moved on from Josh Rosen after less than a full season as a starter to draft Kyler Murray, and the quarterbacks in this class look like they have the same potential. Sticking with Hurts could be the far bigger gamble for Philly, and teams on the brink of disaster can’t afford risks like that.

If the Eagles decide that they want to look elsewhere, they will have to move on from Hurts and Carson Wentz. Neither quarterback would have any reason to remain, and Hurts has too much buzz to serve as a backup to Trey Lance indefinitely.

These are a lot of “ifs,” but the Buccaneers should jump on this scenario if it occurs. The Eagles would lose all of their power in a trade, and the Bucs would get the chance to add an exciting quarterback for a lesser draft pick.

This would set Jalen Hurts up to serve as a backup to Tom Brady for one season, and during that time, Tampa Bay can figure out if he is the next franchise quarterback at a minimal cost and limited risk.