Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Strong already looks right at home

It’s not too often that a UDFA quarterback makes an opening day roster, let alone is counted on to become a part of their team’s future. These prospects are often too raw, their skill sets are too limited, and there’s a better chance they’ll stick around at another position entirely than become a starter.

Sure, every now and then, you’ll see a player like Tony Romo who beats out the odds to become a franchise quarterback, but when highly heralded collegiate signal-caller like Connor Cook can’t even stick around as a fourth-round pick, the path to prolonged success for a UDFA is harrowing, to say the least.

And yet, Carson Strong isn’t your standard undrafted free agent. If he had a clean bill of health, Strong would have at worst been the fifth quarterback taken and may have even gone higher to a team looking to exploit the downfield game with a rocket-armed passer.

So, with the ex-Nevada Wolfpack quarterback slinging passes to his new teammates at rookie mini-camp, let’s take a look at the new Carson in town’s game and see how it could fit in with the Philadelphia Eagles both now and moving forward.

The Philadelphia Eagles need a three-year plan for Carson Strong.

Carson Strong might just be the best pure passer in the 2022 NFL Draft class.

He’s a big-armed pocket passer who can make any throw an offensive coordinator throws his way and has the uncanny ability to maintain exceptional touch throughout his short, medium, and long-range game. While mobility isn’t his strength, as he only ran 139 times for *checks notes* -305 yards over his four seasons with the Wolfpack, his mobility is more functional than some give him credit for.

One NFL generation ago, Strong would have been lauded in a similar way to Jarden Goff coming out of Cal and at the very least would have been drafted relatively high for his upside, but between his inability to test at the combine, his extensive injury history, and his perceived limitations at running a modern NFL offense, that just wasn’t meant to be; while Brock Purdy celebrated being named Mr. Irrelevant, Strong’s agent was getting to work on a UDFA deal.

Barring an incredible turn of events, Strong isn’t going to be starting for the Philadelphia Eagles this fall. That is 100 percent Jalen Hurts’ job, and unless he suffers a season-ending injury, that probably isn’t going to change anytime soon. Strong likely won’t be the team’s QB2 either, as Gardner Minshew has an additional year in Nick Sirianni’s scheme and unless he’s traded away, his spot feels more or less set too.

With that being said, if Strong can play, he’s almost a lock to make the Eagles’ roster this fall, as subjecting him to waivers would be a fool’s errand, as some team would surely steal him away off of waivers, if not the practice squad, shortly thereafter. He’ll likely spend most of his rookie season in street clothes before taking on a more expansive role in 2023 as either Hurts’ direct backup or in a competition for the starting spot alongside whoever fills out the room.

And from there? Well, Strong’s contract only runs through the 2024 season before he hits restricted free agency, so the Eagles will have a decent enough window to fully define his ceiling and floor as an NFL player.

There’s no doubt about it; landing Carson Strong in undrafted free agency was an absolute blessing for the Philadelphia Eagles. His talent is expansive, no one would have faulted a team for drafting him in the middle rounds, and because he wasn’t selected at all, his presence on the roster shouldn’t create any unnecessary drama in a city known for falling irrationally in love with a good backup quarterback.