PHILADELPHIA -- While most of the focus was naturally on what Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie had to say about his shuffling of the organizational chart last week, Lurie also revealed something more fundamental about his team's flaws.
In a word: quarterbacks. While Lurie lets his hired hands make the decisions in free agency and the draft, he also keeps close tabs on what's happening at the NovaCare Complex, and why. Especially why. So when Lurie made it clear the Eagles were lacking in the quarterback department, you could be sure that was something he'd picked up from conversations with coach Chip Kelly and new personnel man Ed Marynowitz.
"It's not easy to trade the young quarterback that you're developing, who had a terrific year the year before and got hurt this year," Lurie said last week. "But you've got to go on your evaluations. There was an opportunity to do an upside gamble with an outstanding young quarterback who you hope can become healthier throughout his career. It is so hard to get a franchise quarterback, as you know. It sets the ceiling on what you have as a team, and do you want to take upside gambles or not? You've got to make that decision."
Translation: Kelly believes Sam Bradford, if healthy, can give the Eagles a franchise quarterback with Super Bowl potential. He did not see those qualities in Nick Foles.
If there is one franchise Lurie has paid close attention to over the years, it is the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick has emerged as perhaps the best head coach in the NFL -- maybe ever -- largely because a sixth-round draft choice from 2000 blossomed into the league's best quarterback. With Tom Brady as the one on-field constant, Belichick's Patriots have won four Super Bowls, played in two others and won 10 games or more in 13 out of 14 seasons.
The Eagles played in five NFC title games in eight years from 2001 through 2008. They had Donovan McNabb at quarterback for that run. Since 2008, the Eagles have not won a single playoff game. They have had Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Foles and Mark Sanchez at quarterback over those fruitless seasons.
"Our whole way of looking at it is not be satisfied with just 10-6, 10-6," Lurie said. "It's to try and go for it. You've got to take risks to do that. It's worth it to take the risk. We've won so many division championships and playoff games, it's just not worth it not to take the risk.
"The biggest issue in the NFL, as we all know, is can you get a franchise quarterback? OK, well, if Sam were healthy and followed that rookie of the year and a consensus No. 1 pick, there's no chance to trade for him. So you've got to take your risks when you can and they may not work. And it may work."
The question is whether the Eagles would have had a better chance at obtaining that elite quarterback by acquiring Bradford or by making a deal that allowed them to draft Oregon's Marcus Mariota. Kelly has said he doesn't believe in mortgaging a team's future by sacrificing draft choices for a single player.
Lurie clarified that sentiment.
"It's great to mortgage the future for Peyton Manning," Lurie said. "It's not very good to mortgage it for Ryan Leaf. It's great to mortgage it for Donovan McNabb, but not for Tim Couch or Cade McNown. Again, it comes back to people. It's not a system. If the Redskins had traded for Andrew [Luck instead of Robert Griffin III], we'd all be saying what a great trade."