NFC Notes: Eagles, Giants, Washington

“That is a great question. That is a great question,” Hurts said via 94 WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks. “I’ll tell you that I am putting the work in on my end. Trying to build relationships with my guys. Excited for this offseason. Excited to take the next step. Regardless of what’s what, I am challenging myself to be the best quarterback I can be. Learn from my mistakes. As a learn from our mistakes from last year. Personally, those four games I got the opportunity to get my feet wet in, and take off next year.”

Hurts is no stranger to quarterback competitions given his path in college from true freshman starter at Alabama, losing his job and then transferring to Oklahoma after a season as a backup. 

“It has always been a business. In the college and in the pros. I understand that,” Hurts said. “One thing that I do and I always have done is try to keep the right mentality. I control what I can. I have always been that way and I always will be that way. The main thing I can control is my work ethic, my effort, where my head is at, the relationships I have with those around me. Just building. Building as a man, building as a player and always being rooted in my faith.”

Hurts also has an extensive existing relationship with new Eagles QB coach Brian Johnson.

“Coach Brian is like family. I have known him since I was four years old,” he said. “My dad actually coached him (in high school). I grew up watching him play. Got a lot of love for him. Crazy how it works. He was actually recruiting me to play at Mississippi State when Dak left. Ended up going to Alabama. Thought about going to Florida during my second recruitment process, ended up going to Oklahoma. So now it all fell into the right place I guess so I am excited to be working with him.”

Going into 2021, Hurts is focused on improving across the board in every aspect of his game. 

“I think simply just leveling up. Leveling up on every part of my game,” Hurts said. “Building those relationships with the coaches we have. Seeing it how they see it. That is always pivotal. Ultimately, creating an identity. Having an identity of what we want to be. How they want to go about it. That is a big point for me, and that will help me as well as a player. The team things will definitely help individual success.”

• Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the fact that the Eagles are taking calls on Wentz actually means they want to trade him and are trying to create the illusion of leverage. However, McLane thinks the Eagles will have to take it on the chin to move Wentz in terms of his contract and the compensation they could get back. 
• Former Eagles president Joe Banner writes he doesn’t think the Eagles will have much of a market for Wentz, perhaps only a second or third-round pick, due to his sizable contract and guarantees. (The33rdTeam)

Giants

Giants RB Saquon Barkley said he is doing “really well” with his rehab after undergoing ACL surgery back in September. 

“I’m doing really well in rehab,” said Barkley, via the Associated Press. “Very lucky to have a great team around me, great trainers, great doctors. Everyone has been very beneficial to me and very helpful to me. So whenever the opportunity I’m able to get back on the football field with my team, I’m definitely going to cherish that moment and I just honestly can’t wait for that day to happen soon.”

Barkley said he’s had to re-learn walking, jogging, and other athletic moves after tearing his ACL. 

“You have to start all over and you have to teach yourself how to walk, jog, run, sprint, cut and all that stuff again,” Barkley said. “But the mental part, especially when I hurt myself, at the moment I felt I was letting all my teammates down. To watch those guys on Sundays was very emotional. But everything happens for a reason. I have to continue to work. You control the things I can control and let the rest take over.”

Barkley believes the team will be in a “very good place” moving forward. 

“Very excited,” Barkley said. “Obviously things were a little shaky in the beginning of the year. … I got hurt, they started getting things clicking and I think you saw when we got the running game going, we were very hard to beat. When you have a great running game, a great defense and a great quarterback and talent all around, which I believe we have, we can take that middle portion toward the end of the season when we played some of our best ball and start off with that, I think we’re going to be in a very good place.”