Philadelphia Eagles: Give Carson Strong a chance to sling it

Carson Strong has been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles for, oh, about four months now, and never has the hype surrounding a UDFA dissipated so quickly.

He went from the steal of the post-draft process, a QB once considered a legit Day 2 prospect who explicitly chose to sign in Philly over other options due to his chances of making the team, to a player who has thrown exactly one pass in the preseason.

So what gives? Why did Strong go from a player who received $320,000 in guaranteed money with a $20,000 signing bonus to a guy who almost certainly won’t make the 53-man roster?

In the face of pure shock, some fans have concocted a plan that Howie Roseman is trying to “hide” Strong in the preseason and then sneak him through waivers and onto the practice squad. This theory isn’t impossible but completely ignores that every team still has Strong’s college tape and could easily claim him off of waivers if they like his potential.

So, if the chances of “hiding” Strong is rather unlikely and Reid Sinnett‘s ceiling probably that of a low-end QB2, why not give the Nevada product a right proper go with the second-team offense – assuming Jalen Hurts and Gardner Minshew are given the night off – and see if he can dazzle the coaching staff once and for all?

The Philadelphia Eagles need to give Carson Strong a chance to shine.

Coming out of college, Strong was lauded for his proficiency as a passer. He had a massive arm capable of hitting any throw, impeccable touch to deliver the ball effortlessly into a receiver’s hands, and experience carving up defenses from within the pocket, which had become a bit of a lost art in college.

If Strong had cleaner medical, he likely would have been the first quarterback off the board after Sam Howell, but alas, his injury history dashed any hopes of that happening. He went undrafted because teams are wary about the prospects of playing a pocket passer with a bad right knee and hasn’t exactly lit it up for the Birds in camp, as his status as a fourth quarterback clearly shows.

If Strong was allowed to test his mettle against the Miami Dolphins’ live defense, would he struggle? Probably. Could he take a particularly tough hit and end up having to spend his rookie season on IR? That’s possible too. But could he also put up a 50-yard bomb to Devon Allen and capture the hearts of fans clamoring for another backup QB from the Nick Foles school of play?

Yes, that not only feels like a firm possibility but one worthy of pursuing in a game that is otherwise meaningless.

Despite the initial optimism, it feels like a longshot that Strong will ever become a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL. His lack of mobility is antithetical to the modern-day game, and his medical issues put an artificial ceiling on his product that he may never ultimately be able to overcome. Still, he signed with the Eagles for a reason, and to completely rob him of a chance to show off his game in the preseason just feels wrong. With his fate more or less set, why not let Strong go down swinging?