Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles aren't afraid to surprise people with personnel moves.

There was the Jordan Matthews-Ronald Darby trade a year ago, the Alshon Jeffery and Tim Jernigan extensions last season and the Michael Bennett trade in March. Executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman and company have turned plenty of heads.

The latest move in that vein happened Sunday when the Eagles announced the signing of former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg is a former second-round pick who has never appeared in an NFL game and is on his third team in four months.

While Hackenberg hasn't found any success as an NFL quarterback, there is some alluring potential there. He is a former five-star recruit who showed glimpses of ability during his freshman year in Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien's pro-style offense at Penn State. But he didn't mesh with James Franklin's more spread-style that has suited Trace McSorley well.

So what does signing Hackenberg mean? It's a good question, especially with training camp set to break Tuesday and three more preseason games left on the schedule. Here's a look at what the Hackenberg signing means for each quarterback on the Eagles roster and the team as a whole.

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Carson Wentz

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Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com

Carson Wentz's place in the Eagles organization is safe, obviously. Coach Doug Pederson has said he is "married" to Wentz, and their futures are intertwined. When Wentz is healthy enough to return from his torn ACL and LCL -- whether that's Week 1 or later -- he'll be the team's starting quarterback. Wentz hasn't taken 11-on-11 reps during training camp since July 28, and it's not likely he'll play in the preseason. He's still aiming for a Week 1 return, while Pederson has been adamant Wentz's recovery is going to plan, and the Eagles don't want to expose Wentz to any hazards in practice.

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Nick Foles

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Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com

Much like Wentz, Nick Foles' place in the Eagles organization is safe. If Wentz isn't ready for the start of the season, Foles will continue to start. If Wentz is ready, Foles will be the backup and provide insurance against another injury. During last season's Super Bowl run, Foles showed the value of having a talented backup quarterback. Foles' contract expires after this season, and it seems likely that he'll test the open market and look for another starting job. The 29-year-old could be a sought after commodity in a quarterback-needy league, which would open up the No. 2 job behind Wentz. In terms of the immediate future, Foles didn't play in the first preseason game because of muscle spasms in his neck and right shoulder. He's returned to practice, but if he appears in a preseason game, it's likely it would be on an extremely limited basis. A series or two against New England on Thursday and then a similar workload next week against Cleveland before sitting out the finale against the Jets seems like a logical prediction for Foles.

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Nate Sudfeld

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Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com

Here is where things get a little more interesting. Nate Sudfeld and Hackenberg were both selected in the 2016 draft -- Hackenberg in the second round, Sudfeld in the sixth -- and both have done plenty of watching in their careers. Sudfeld has appeared in only one regular season game. The Eagles have been impressed with Sudfeld's development since they signed him to their practice squad last September and brought him to the active roster in November. He seems a potential No. 2 quarterback of the future if Foles walks in free agency. Sudfeld has shown the good and the bad in the preseason, such as his 63-yard touchdown pass to Shelton Gibson and his two interceptions. He should remain the starter for the preseason games Foles doesn't appear in, but his playing time could be cut down by the presence of Hackenberg. Could Hackenberg potentially push Sudfeld for the backup job in 2019? It seems like a longshot.

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Daniel Gallen/PennLive

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Joe Callahan

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AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Here is where Hackenberg's presence could have its biggest impact. Joe Callahan joined the Eagles in the spring and has worked with the third team for most of training camp. The South Jersey native is a camp arm, but he's made some head-turning plays and has made somethings happen with his feet in practice. In the preseason opener, he played more than half of the Eagles offensive snaps and completed 8 of 18 passes for 91 yards. Hackenberg could cut into his practice and game reps.

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Christian Hackenberg

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AP Photo/Seth Wenig

So what does this all mean for the man of the hour? Like everything, it could mean something, or it could mean nothing. Hackenberg is still only 23, so it feels hyperbolic to call this a make-or-break scenario for him. But it could provide him the chance to jumpstart his NFL career.

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There are a couple of things in Hackenberg's favor:

He won't have the pressure or expectation of becoming the Eagles' starting quarterback.

During the Super Bowl run, Doug Pederson and the Eagles offensive coaching staff showed it can tailor its offense to specific quarterbacks like it did for Foles. Obviously, the staff won't be drawing up plays for Hackenberg right now, but the flexibility bodes well for him to have the chance to develop.

There were questions about Wentz coming out of North Dakota State, and he developed into an MVP candidate. Foles was pondering retirement, and the Eagles molded him into a Super Bowl MVP. Sudfeld was a late-round pick and Washington Redskins castoff, and he's shown starter potential here and there. Pederson and his staff -- though it underwent some changes in the offseason -- have a track record of quarterback development.

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Of course, there are some things Hackenberg will have to overcome:

He's learning a new offense on the fly.

If he plays in the preseason, it will be with backups. He showed in college that he plays better with a clean pocket, and he was statue-esque at times for Penn State. That could be tricky with the Eagles second- and third-teamers along the offensive line.

We're not sure if he's an NFL-caliber quarterback. There are things working against him.

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On the whole, though, this could be a mutually beneficial situation. Hackenberg has the chance to work behind established quarterbacks and hone his game out of public view. If the Eagles can develop Hackenberg, they could find solid insurance for Wentz in the future, or Hackenberg could be an asset in potential trades. That might be the best case scenario. And if things don't pan out, it's not a huge investment for the Eagles.

The most likely scenario seems to be Hackenberg splitting reps with Callahan behind Sudfeld during the final three preseason games and in practice. From there, he could land on the practice squad. Given Hackenberg's brief stint with the Raiders and his time as a free agent, it seems like the Eagles would have little trouble keeping them on their practice squad for an extended amount of time.

So here we are. Things are never boring with the Eagles.

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