If Eagles Want To Scout QBs, Take A Look At Colin Kaepernick's Successor
By Kevin McGuire
With starting quarterback Nick Foles down and out for at least the next month, now might be as good a time as any for Philadelphia Eagles fans to start taking a good look at some of the top quarterbacks playing college football. Without trying to run Foles out of town, it might be wise to at least start opening up the possibility of trying to find a potential franchise quarterback in the 2015 NFL Draft. This just so happens to be an important time for college football’s best to start rising to the occasion with big games setting the stage for a run to the brand new College Football Playoff. Are there any stars in the making with franchise potential?
Mark Sanchez will take over the offense for now while Foles is in a sling, but Eagles fans looking to the future should pay attention to a handful of players hitting the field on Saturdays. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is the most obvious name to keep an eye on, and for good reason. Mariota became a star thanks to the recruiting of Chip Kelly at Oregon, and Mariota remains one of the top names in the Heisman Trophy conversation. Mariota is perfect for Kelly’s offense, and this season he has proven capable of leading his team to victory against some of the strongest defenses on the schedule, Stanford and Michigan State. This week, Mariota leads the Ducks against Utah, a team that has been playing outstanding defense this season.
But Mariota is not likely to be available for the Eagles whenever they end up drafting in the 2015 draft. Mariota may be one of the top picks off the board, and the Eagles may not be able to move up high enough to get him barring any major trades. So who else is there?
Florida State’s Jameis Winston has some people fascinated with his potential. Every time he takes the field he is one of the best players on the field at the college level, but his off-field drama carries some serious concerns about his character, and that could be a problem for his draft stock. If the Eagles like Winston, he could potentially fall far enough for the Eagles to make a move if necessary.
One name that may be flying under the radar for some Eagles fans is Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo. Right now, Fajardo looks like little more than a late-round draft pick in the upcoming draft, but he offers the skills to run the system Kelly would like. He is mobile and can make some plays with his arm. Casual college football fans in the Philadelphia area have probably not seen much Mountain West Conference football, and the level of competition may not impress, but keep in mind that Nevada also turned out a pretty good quarterback not so long ago: Colin Kaepernick. Fajardo is following in Kaepernick’s footsteps at Nevada, and making history along the way. Last weekend, Fajardo became just the second player in college football history to pass for 9,000 career yards and rush for 3,000 career yards The only other player to do that? Kaepernick, of course.
Maybe Foles is still the guy to lead the Eagles offense under Chip Kelly’s system. Heck, maybe Sanchez shows something to think about in the coming month. If not, try to tune in to watch some Nevada football when you get a chance.
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Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.