Graham

Harrell

Harrell had been a candidate for Philadelphia’s vacant OC position, but it appears he’s staying put. The Eagles are seeking a replacement for fired OC Mike Groh, though drumming up interest has been harder than anticipated. Regardless of who the Eagles end up hiring, head coach Doug Pederson is fully expected to handle play-calling duties for the NFC East champs.

The interview will take place Friday. Harrell has a long history with the air raid, playing QB at Texas Tech under Mike Leach from 2004-2008 before later coaching under Leach at Washington State. Any team could probably use a coach with a strong knowledge of how to throw the ball, but the Eagles’ primary problem in 2019 was simply their abundance of injuries. Still, ensuring Carson Wentz progresses in 2020 should be at the top of the team’s priority list.

“I think he’s got instincts and toughness,” said McCarthy. “I want to take him to the quarterback school. I like his makeup.” McCarthy will likely target a mid-to-late round prospect as well. Former Arena Football League southpaw Nick Hill is third on the depth chart.

After losing Matt Flynn to Seattle, the Packers appear prepared to head into the 2012 season with Graham Harrell as Aaron Rodgers’ primary backup. Seventh-round pick B.J. Coleman and former Arena League star Nick Hill will compete for the No. 3 job.

After McCarthy touted Harrell as the backup of the future last August, the Packers more than doubled his practice squad salary. The team went on to promote Harrell to the 53-man roster in December to prevent the Bills from poaching him. The former Texas Tech star is slated to replace Matt Flynn as Aaron Rodgers’ backup.

Harrell decided to stay in Green Bay because current backup Matt Flynn is an impending free agent. The Packers are high on Harrell as a potential long-term No. 2 quarterback after a couple of years in the system. The Bills would have put Harrell behind Ryan Fitzpatrick (signed through 2017) and Tyler Thigpen (under control through 2013). Harrell made the right choice.

This could be a case of another team trying to poach Harrell off the Packers’ practice squad. Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn have no known injuries.

Although coach Mike McCarthy placed much of the blame for Harrell’s poor performance to date on the second-team offensive line, Thompson concedes that he does “fish from time to time” on exploratory trade calls. Even if Harrell graded out better than we might expect -- as McCarthy stated Tuesday -- it’s hard to imagine a Super Bowl contender going forward with him as the No. 2 QB.

The annual Super Bowl contenders are taking a leap of faith with Harrell in the No. 2 role. Although seventh-rounder B.J. Coleman showed improvement during OTAs, he’s still slated for the developmental No. 3 job as a rookie. By late August, Green Bay could be the favored landing spot for trade candidate Colt McCoy.

Harrell went undrafted in 2009 because he lacked velocity and arm strength. Coach Mike McCarthy insists he’s throwing with more power than ever, but Harrell has attempted zero career NFL passes and struggled last preseason. “This is clearly his best opportunity of his professional career,” said McCarthy of Harrell. “He’s getting better. It’s right there for him as far as being the No. 2.”