The Philadelphia Eagles traded for Jalen Hurts insurance on Wednesday afternoon, adding former Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton to their QB room. The addition of Dalton could signal another trade, as Tanner McKee remains on the roster and available prior to the NFL Draft.
McKee has played well in the NFL preseason. However, he has little actual NFL regular season experience. Quarterbacks are valuable commodities, and if Philadelphia wants to shop a player like McKee for a mid-round pick, getting Dalton for peanuts could prove important.
Who won the Eagles trade for Panthers QB Andy Dalton?
The likelihood of a seventh-round pick becoming anything of value is exceptionally slim. In fact, it's almost as unlikely as McKee being anything more than a very productive backup in the preseason. The Eagles have made a habit of trading their backup QBs in recent offseasons. It's because they're needed in the regular seasons prior.
As great as Hurts can be, he was limited last season in Kevin Patullo's offense. One can only hope he'll fare better with offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, but I'll have to see it before I believe it.
Eagles trade grade: B
Panthers trade grade: C
What the Eagles gain in Andy Dalton
Philly doesn't need McKee. That's the most important aspect of this entire trade. The Eagles added Dalton because, as this point of his career, he is a true backup. McKee still has something to prove, and thus play for. It'd be wise for the Eagles to get what they can for McKee now. His value will never be higher, and there are plenty of suitors since the quarterback market is stagnant.
When I say there are no productive quarterbacks on the trade market, I mean it. The NFL Draft is set to take place just a few miles from my home in a month. Pittsburgh, for one, could use a quarterback. Aaron Rodgers hasn't decided whether he'll come back for his age-43 season. He is just one example.
But if the Eagles are smart – which they typically are – they are making this move in coordination with another. Trading McKee before the draft makes all the sense in the world. Uncertainty is at its height in the NFL landscape right now.
Why waste it?