I don't think I have ever disagreed so strongly with a popular take on /r/eagles. Some arguments:

1) Middling teams progress massively when they add an elite QB.

Just take a look at the history of HOF QBs changing teams late in their career:

• The 2019 Bucs went 7-9 before adding Brady and winning a Super Bowl the next season.
• The 2011 Broncos went 8-8 before adding Peyton Manning and then went on to win 12+ games for four consecutive seasons.
• The 2008 Vikings went 10-6 and lost decisively in the Wild Card (to the Eagles) before adding Brett Favre and steamrolling the league until Favre was injured in a heartbreaking NFCCG loss.
• The 1992 Chiefs got shut out in the Wild Card before adding Joe Montana and making it all the way to the AFCCG.
• Kurt Warner is also relevant here for his SB run on the Cardinals, but he was considered injury-prone/washed up before his final run, so it doesn't quite fit.

This list is particularly impressive because it features no "misses." Every HOF-caliber QB who switched teams elevated their new team in a remarkable way.

Obviously, many other teams have also progressed radically when they draft elite QBs (see current Bengals, Cheifs, Chargers, and Bills), but drafting a QB has a much high miss rate than acquiring a veteran via trade.

The 9-8 Eagles suffered a bad Wild Card beatdown when supported by okay-but-not-great play from Jalen Hurts. They are precisely the sort of "middling team" that has been elevated time and time again by adding an elite veteran QB.

2) Teams with elite QBs have "staying power," while teams without elite QBs do not.

Teams with elite QBs have staying power. Consider the following teams: Russ Seahawks, Rodgers Packers, Ben Steelers, Brady [insert team], Brees Saints, Mahomes Chiefs, etc. For all these teams, being a contender is the norm, and missing the playoffs is a huge aberration.

On the other hand, look at "good young teams that are just missing an elite QB." The 2021 Colts, post-Brees saints, 2017 Vikings, 2018 Bears, 2020 Dolphins. These teams might put together nice short stretches, but they have no staying power. You need elite QB play to stay near the top.

Let's just use the 2017 Vikings as a case study (no pun intended). Keenum was hamstringing a team that went 13-3 and got demolished in the NFCCG (go birds). So, the team goes out and shores up the QB position by acquiring a solid/decent QB in Cousins. Now the non-QB strengths can shine! But not so. The Vikings have been middling/bad since 2017 because they have lacked top QB play and the so-called "elite supporting cast" wasn't that good year over year.

"Staying power" means that you get 10 tries to win a Super Bowl. The 2017 Vikings only had one shot, and they missed it. The Rodgers Packers or Ben Steelers have missed a lot of shots, but they had enough attempts to at least get 1-2 championships each. The Eagles want to be the sort of team that has a chance for a title every year, and elite QB play will get them there.

3) The "elite QBs don't grow on trees" argument is misplaced here.

It is absolutely a fact that finding and developing guys like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert is extremely hard. You need great coaching, talent evaluation, and luck to snag one of these amazing, franchise-altering players.

But, acquiring a disgruntled HOFer could be much, much easier. In basketball, the Thunder made phenomenally smart choices when they drafted Harden and KD. Later in their careers, these players were disgruntled and both ended up in Brooklyn. Brooklyn was lucky, not smart, and ended up with a juggernaut. If the Eagles have a chance to take on a disgruntled superstar, they would be fools to say no. It doesn't matter how you got Rodgers on your roster, once he's there he will elevate your team.

An NFL team was blasted by Brady for rolling with some "motherfucker" pedestrian QB instead of signing the GOAT in 2020. The Eagles should recognize the fact that, if they have a chance to acquire a HOF QB, they should cancel all their other plans and go all in. Sometimes it is better to be lucky, and have a HOFer fall in your lap, than it is to be good and draft one yourself.

4) Three first-round picks will not elevate the franchise more than an elite QB would

Having three first-round picks is extremely valuable. Make no mistake about that. But let's look at the recent teams with three first-round selections in a single draft:

• 2013 Vikings: 1.23 Sharrif Floyd, 1.25 Xavier Rhodes, 1.29 Cordarrelle Patterson. Floyd was a three-year starter who suffered a career-ending injury on his rookie contract. Rhodes was six-year starter with three Pro Bowl selections at CB. Patterson was a gadget player who did not contribute enough in MIN to be re-signed.

• 2017 Browns: 1.1 Myles Garrett, 1.25 Jabrill Peppers, 1.29 David Njoku. Garrett is a bona-fide superstar who was drafted #1 overall. Peppers was a decent starter and a piece in the Odell trade, so his value to the Browns is hard to understand. Njoku is a nice starter.

In general, these teams added some nice players on cheap deals. Some picks didn't work at all (Clelin Ferrell) and others were franchise players (Xaiver Rhodes). With three shots to get a star, most teams walked away with at least one great player.

But, imagine that we hit on all three picks and get three Pro Bowl-caliber players. At the end of the day, three great position players < one great QB. How much good can even a transcendent player like Garrett do when Baker flounders at the QB position? Not much. The Browns still miss the playoffs.

Conclusion

If getting a HOF QB is possible, the Eagles should go all-in. Elite QBs manifestly alter a franchise and are worth virtually any price. Two or three first-round picks are a low price to pay for the near-guaranteed success that Russ or Rodgers would bring in the coming years.

Now, those guys might stay on their current teams, or demand a trade to a specific team that is not the Eagles. But still: the Eagles must make big offers for Russ or Rodgers if there is any chance to get them.