Reports of “an increasing amount of chatter” regarding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ potential interest in 16-year veteran quarterback Philip Rivers nearly set fan circles ablaze Monday afternoon.
Lost in all of the commotion was the accompanying report from Pro Football Network’s Benjamin Albright that the Buccaneers have also shown a “good amount of interest” in Washington Huskies quarterback, Jacob Eason.
With the Buccaneers at least a month away from a decision regarding Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, or any other veteran signal-callers, here is a closer look at the rumored-to-be-coveted Eason.
Background
Jacob Eason was a five-star Rivals’ recruit out of Lake Stevens High School in Lake Stevens, Wash. He was dubbed Junior of the Year by the scouting publication in 2014 before winning the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in 2015 as a senior.
Eason committed to the University of Georgia in 2014 prior to his senior season and entered via early enrollment in the spring of 2016. He appeared in 13 games for Georgia as a true freshman and was named the starter heading into 2017.
However, Eason suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season’s first game and was replaced by then-freshman Jake Fromm. Fromm performed well enough to keep the job, prompting Eason to transfer back to his home state to play for the Huskies.
After sitting out the 2018 season per NCAA transfer regulations, Eason started 13 games for the Huskies, completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Strengths
The carrying trait of Jacob Eason is unmistakably his arm strength. He puts an extraordinary amount of velocity on the ball. There is no question he can make all the required throws at the next level and even some that really shouldn’t be possible.
Play-action roll right. Eason resets mid-field and fires a 35-yard rope across his body hitting his guy in stride. How. pic.twitter.com/0l2vDnZoOm
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
Often, he looks more like a shortstop firing a ball from deep in the hole than he does a quarterback. Also, much like a baseball infielder, Eason changes platforms often, particularly when throwing quick slants, shallow crossers, or working into the flat.
Regardless of the arm angle, the velocity he puts on most of his throws is frankly crazy.
Here's another tight-window TD throw. A perfectly placed rocket in the seem-hole. pic.twitter.com/sMpD8XisHs
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
Throughout his tape, you see him fit balls into tight windows and is particularly adept at throwing between levels of zone coverage as shown both above and below. Some of these just had no business getting through.
This is a staple throw in the NFL. The deep big in between the second and third level. This is Eason's bread and butter. pic.twitter.com/L848ZxcLBF
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
Typically, guys with this type of fastball struggle to throw with touch but Eason’s ability to hang the ball when it needs some air under it is quite impressive. This is specifically true of his throws on fade routes.
Another fade this time from the slot on the field side. He knows he has single-high and just throws it away from the safety. pic.twitter.com/ey4Dx2xJL4
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
Eason’s ridiculous arm allows him to have extremely quiet throwing mechanics. He releases the ball quickly with no big wind-ups nor exaggerated or extra hitches to generate momentum. Even his 50-plus-yard throws look effortless.
An absolutely effortless 50-yard toss by Eason. pic.twitter.com/wmwWpmMuhH
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
Combine this with his quiet, efficient footwork and sometimes it appears as though he is executing practice reps rather than playing in a live game. He plays with poise and rarely looks panicked.
Eason also cycles through his progressions quickly. He’s decisive and isn’t afraid to check it down when it’s not there. He doesn’t take many unnecessary risks while in structure.
Negatives
The most polarizing component I found in Eason’s game is his tendency to spinning left to escape pressure and reset. This is the source of both his most miraculous plays and biggest mistakes.
Other times you get this: pic.twitter.com/82kwBV3qQH
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
This happens multiple times a game and it almost feels like a roll of the dice. One throw incredible, the next into triple coverage. A huge third-down conversion, then a terrible, drive-killing sack.
You get the idea.
While Eason is an otherworldly arm talent, that athleticism doesn’t extend to his legs. He is not as fast as he thinks he is and often gets caught from behind when being flushed.
Eason is not as fast as he thinks he is. Whether he's being flushed or executing his characteristic spin-move he often overestimates is speed and gets caught from behind. pic.twitter.com/EhcWuVDnxc
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
As with most cannon arm types, Eason occasionally overestimates his arm. This manifests itself in a couple ways. Sometimes, he throws while drifting backward which causes him to pull off the ball and deliver it late. It doesn’t happen terribly often, but when it does, it can be disastrous.
Eason gets himself into trouble when he throws while drifting. pic.twitter.com/YVi6b4asoP
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
Other times, he delivers the ball late, thinking he can still blow it past the defender.
Here he is simply late getting the ball out but still thinks he can get it there. pic.twitter.com/ynjogpXiIi
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
The above play also illustrates another concern I have with Eason at the next level. He rarely throws with anticipation. He is what many refer to as a “see it, throw it” guy.
Through six games, it is hard to find a single instance of him throwing well before a receiver was open. Obviously, he has the arm to get the ball into tight windows even after his target comes out of their break, but the NFL will ask him to throw to guys that aren’t open yet; this could be an issue.
Lastly, he throws an awful lot while being hit. Much like the spins, this yields mixed results. He gets away with it for the most part, even practically shot-putting the ball on occasion, but it is nerve-wracking.
Did he seriously just shotput a ball 20 yards while being hit? pic.twitter.com/HSWwzRacnC
— Ken Grant (@KenGrantNFL) January 21, 2020
Conclusion
Jacob Eason has an undeniably incredible arm. His mechanics are clean and quiet and he is poised in the pocket. He cycles through his reads quickly, is decisive getting the ball out, and generally makes good decisions with the football while in structure.
However, he overestimates his speed and occasionally his arm, which leads to negative plays. He can make any throw under the sun but doesn’t show the kind of anticipation that will be required in the pros.
