When the Eagles released safety Jaiquawn Jarrett on Tuesday, it was an admission of failure: You don’t cut a player just 16 months after taking him in the second round of the NFL draft unless you know you never should have drafted him in the first place.
Now Eagles coach Andy Reid has said that drafting Jarrett was a mistake, and it was his mistake.
“That’s my responsibility. I misevaluated that,” Reid said, via Philly.com. “I think one of the key things is when you make a mistake for your system that you correct it and you can’t let your ego get in the way of that. You just can’t do it.”
Saying the Eagles screwed up when they took Jarrett isn’t just second-guessing: He was declared a reach by many draft analysts at the time. Reid said the reach was his, although he also indicated that he still likes Jarrett and thinks Jarrett might catch on with another team.
“I have final say on all the picks,” Reid said. “You’re going to find ones that fit into your system and some that don’t. You’re going to be right sometimes, you’re going to be wrong sometimes. That doesn’t mean that the kid can’t play in this league for somebody.”
Perhaps Jarrett can play for somebody. But he hasn’t looked like he can play in the NFL during his time with the Eagles. Reid knows he has to take the blame for that.