The Philadelphia Eagles interview a polarizing quarterback prospect

Welp, before the discussions could devolve into controversy, Howie Roseman ended any speculation before it could run rampant: Jalen Hurts is the Philadelphia Eagles‘ quarterback.

That’s right, on this, March 2nd, the once and future Philadelphia GM has decreed that nothing has changed with the Eagles’ current quarterback situation and that they fully expect to roll into Week 1 of the regular season with Hurts under center… at least right now… in March… before both free agency and the draft.

Now granted, could Roseman’s words ultimately prove true? Sure, but he said something similar about Carson Wentz, too, and we all know how that turned out.

But do you know what? Whether it’s Hurts, Gardner Minshew, or even Russell Wilson running the show this fall, the Eagles will likely land another quarterback during – or shortly after – the 2022 NFL Draft, as the team has a bunch of picks and only one other signal-caller under contract in midseason signee Reid Sinnett.

Fortunately, with the NFL Draft Combine officially underway in Indianapolis, the Philadelphia Eagles will have a chance to watch, evaluate, and even interview some of the best quarterbacks the NCAA had to offer in 2021, and if initial reports from Eliot Shorr-Parks are of any indication, one of those quarterbacks is a polarizing passer in this year’s class.

Do the Philadelphia Eagles actually have eyes for Matt Corral?

Matt Corral isn’t for everyone.

Some people love his on-field swagger, his cannon of an arm, and his willingness to play in Ole Miss’ bowl game despite being in the conversation to be the first quarterback off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Ventura, California product was a star at DeSean Jackson’s alma mater, Long Beach Poly, parlayed that into interest from Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and his hometown UCLA as a four-star recruit, and ultimately finished out his run with the Rebels with 614 completions for 8,287 yards and 57 touchdowns.

If you’re a fan, you’ll laud his backyard style, creativity, and ability to make something out of nothing when a play breaks down, as it’s in that modern-day quarterback style that made Patrick Mahomes, Zach Wilson, and Jordan Love so highly touted coming out of college. His production exploded running Lane Kiffin’s air raid offense during his final two years in the SEC and proved that he could operate in a prolific offense built around easy reads and a high-powered passing attack.

But if you’re more a fan of a seasoned signal-caller who ran a pro-style offense and picked apart opposing defenses with precision, well, then Corral probably isn’t the player for you. Despite having 37 games of action under his belt in Oxford, Mississippi, Corral is still a relatively green defense reader and would often end up scrambling around behind the line of scrimmage if his first and sometimes second offensive options were unavailable. Factor in 23 interceptions, including 14 during his redshirt sophomore season, and the “project” label steered some teams towards a “safer” option like Pitt’s Kyle Pickett.

Which side do the Philadelphia Eagles fall on? Are they into “toolsy” quarterbacks who need an offense built around their strengths and weaknesses? Or would they instead like to land a more pro-ready prospect who can run Nick Sirianni’s offense to his exact specifications?

Well, clearly the Eagles were intrigued enough in Corral’s talents to informally interview him at the combine, with “more coming down the road with the team (IMO likely a visit to Philly),” as per ESP.

… interesting.

Now mind you, there’s a good bit to like about Corral, especially when compared to Jalen Hurts coming out of college. He has a stronger arm and put up more yards as a Rebel than Hurts did splitting his time between the Crimson Tide and the Sooners, but much like QB1, Corral would likely have to be worked along slowly before being thrown off the deep end with a full playbook at his disposal, with the Birds surely having to rely on their run game once more.

If the Eagles aren’t sold on Hurts then yeah, Roseman should totally consider drafting Corral with one of his three first-rounders, but considering the pride of Ventura is at best a lateral move versus the Eagles’ current quarterback situation, this interview feels like more about overall intel-gathering than any indication of a forthcoming swap of one rookie-contract QB to another.

How the Philadelphia Eagles choose to address their quarterback situation moving forward is going to be fascinating. They could go all-in on a veteran, roll with what they had plus a more established backup, or shake things all the way up and draft another quarterback early that they feel could be “the guy.” However, if the final option was to be the move, something tells me the quarterback selected would be one with a more pro-ready set of skills, instead of a player with a relatively similar skill set to the guy they already have minus the ability to make game-changing plays with his legs.