Will Eagles Go For Skill Players?

Posted: April 24th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 12 Comments »

As loaded as the offense is for the Eagles, I took a look at some WRs and RBs who might be of interest in my SB Nation Philly column.  I couldn’t cover everyone.  I tried to focus on players that the Eagles have shown interest in or who seem like a good fit for the team.

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Trading Kolb instead of Vick?  I’m sure the Eagles talked about this.  Kevin is younger and feels like a player you can count on for the next 5 to 7 years.  He is squeaky clean off the field.  Kevin handles the media well.  There are literally no concerns with him.  He also would be cheaper.  There is logic to keeping him.

So why go with Vick?  He’s better.  Simple as that.  Vick at his best does things that few, if any, other QBs in the history of the game can do.  Reid and Roseman are willing to bet that his talent is worth the downside to the situation.  I don’t blame them.

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Drafting for need and how rookies fit in?  I do realize that rookies will have less time to get coached up and learn the schemes.  My point in regard to free agency is that you cannot count on landing a top player.  You can’t make guys sign with you.  If we pass on Jimmy Smith and then miss out on Nnamdi…who are we going to land?  By taking the CB in the draft you assure yourself of having that person on the roster.  That doesn’t mean the rookie will be a great player or be able to start right away.  You’re always rolling the dice in those areas.


12 Comments on “Will Eagles Go For Skill Players?”

  1. 1 JVB said at 6:31 PM on April 24th, 2011:

    Thanks for answering my question Tommy. I get what you’re saying but its not like its Nnamdi or nothing. There are other solid players who will likely be available.

  2. 2 Thunderlips said at 6:39 PM on April 24th, 2011:

    RE Vick vs Kolb: Reid probably has a max of 3 seasons left. Makes sense that he’d rather have the last few years of Vick’s prime than 5 – 7 years of Kolb.

  3. 3 ian no 2 said at 9:21 PM on April 24th, 2011:

    Smith may also be the best value player, or one of the two or three best, on the board at 23. I don’t have any questions about whether he’s a good guy in the locker room or motivated enough, and cockiness is historically a good trait or CBs. The Eagles have had so many draft picks and continue to have draft picks that there’s something to be said or staying put, or maybe trading up or Prince A if he falls a little.

    That said, it would seem so bizarre if the Eagles stayed put at their allocated pick and drafted the guy everyone expected them to draft. Huh? Did that just happen?

  4. 4 Kammich said at 9:29 PM on April 24th, 2011:

    I enjoyed the Packers article you posted over at ScoutsNotebook, Tommy. I can’t get enough of that type of stuff(really looking forward to Bill Parcells’ “Draft Confidential” thing on ESPN, Tuesday night at 9:30).

    Also a pretty interesting 2-round mock to look at. You beat me to the punch of having a published mock with Locker going #10. I completely agree with that assessment. Your mock is also the 2nd or 3rd that I’ve seen where Kaepernick goes #16 to Jacksonville. It certainly seems to fit their modus operandi. But is that just an educated guess on your part, or is there actual league scuttlebutt going around that links Jacksonville to Kaepernick. That’d be one of those left-field picks that could really shake up the draft.

    I also wanted to ask: I’ve heard, on a few different sites around the net, that some reporters are hearing from “league sources” that Nick Fairly might be poised for a precipitous, Alan Branch-type of fall to the top of the 2nd round. Personally, I don’t buy it. But I trust you and your sources, so… have you heard anything of the sort?

    Thanks in advance, keep up the good work. We’re so close to Thursday!

  5. 5 ian no 2 said at 9:33 PM on April 24th, 2011:

    I would also love to see the Eagles get a speedburner WR in the late rounds, someone they can line up with DJax and Maclin and also run deep routes, which with Vick’s arm would give defenses fits.

  6. 6 Tommy Lawlor said at 11:31 PM on April 24th, 2011:

    @ ian…

    It would be pretty darn weird to see the Eagles be conventional. That might actually be the only unconventional thing they could do…be conventional. Is this Twilight Zone material or what?

    RE: speed WR

    I’m certainly open to that. Ricardo Lockette ran a blazing 40 at the Combine, but projects to being a late round pick. Guy like him might be an interesting project for Big Red and Co.

  7. 7 Tommy Lawlor said at 11:35 PM on April 24th, 2011:

    @ Kammich…

    Like I wrote on SNB…almost seems like WAS has to go for a QB at 10. That or trade back.

    No scuttlebutt on Kaepernick to JAX. Just a guess. We know they need a QB for the future.

    I can’t see Nick Fairley falling too far. I went back and re-read some notes on him. He was dominant in multiple games. He might slide, but don’t expect to see him make it to pick 20. He might slide out of the Top 10, but is too good to go much further.

  8. 8 T_S_O_P said at 8:01 AM on April 25th, 2011:

    At WR, I like the guy that you mocked from WTA&M.

    Can we confirm Thursday here?

  9. 9 Pitmanite said at 9:24 AM on April 25th, 2011:

    As always, great info Tommy. I couldn’t be more happy to have you back writing regularly.

    In the couple of months you didn’t have a site I was walking around in a stupor like McMurphy after his lobotomy. Please don’t ever go away again.

    Anyway, I was just thinking about our d-line and assuming the scheme works, I just got giddy thinking about Antonio Dixon being able to work w/ Jim Washburn. After the jump he took under the artist formerly known as Rory Seagrest, can you imagine what he might do under a real coach?

    I always laugh when we talk about who the Eagles might draft at backup RB, since I’m not too concerned about a guy who will get 1 to 2 carries per game (max).

  10. 10 ATG said at 11:50 AM on April 25th, 2011:

    If the Eagles aren’t looking to get skill players in the first few rounds, we should hire Matt Millan. He is great at finding unskilled players in the draft.

    As to drafting for need, this year seems to have a little bit of “chicken” in it. If one team can remain confident that they can fill any holes through free agency and improving current players than the other teams, they can draft BPA when others are drafting for need. There is a chance to find some real value in guys that didn’t fill the holes of the teams before them. On the other hand, the teams that blink first could miss out on some real gems, but also don’t have as high of a risk of crashing and burning if free agency doesn’t break they way they hoped.

  11. 11 arby said at 3:11 PM on April 25th, 2011:

    I do think we’ll take one of those RB’s on your list (and who worked out for the Eagles) in the 3rd thru 5th rounds as you say. It seems the only common denominator is “middle rounds”. The guy I’d like to see the most in an Eagle uniform is Ryan Williams who you have going at #41 but I can’t see us spending a 2nd on an RB.

  12. 12 Morton said at 11:06 AM on April 26th, 2011:

    Re: Clayborn vs. Reed @ #23… I want no part of Brooks Reed at any point in this draft. This is a case of mistaken identity – people are comparing him to Clay Matthews because they have similar hairstyles and will play the same position in the NFL. The important difference is that Clay Matthews was a stellar athlete who aced all of the relevant combine drills (exceptional short shuttle and vertical jump) whereas Brooks Reed is a mediocre athlete with below-average combine workout numbers. I’ll be shocked if Reed becomes anything more than a backup or rotational player in the NFL.