QBs and the Eagles

Posted: March 11th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 51 Comments »

Yesterday we talked about RG3 going to the Skins.  Now let’s talk about how this move affects the Eagles, aside from the obvious fact that the Skins actually have a talented signal caller.

IND needs a QB and will take Andrew Luck.  The Skins need a QB and will take RG3.  We don’t yet know where Peyton Manning will land.  DEN, ARZ, KC, SEA…???  Miami definitely needs a QB and would love Manning.  The Dolphins have ties to a couple of other QBs.  Joe Philbin coached Matt Flynn up in GB.  You’d have to think he would want Flynn if the Peyton situation didn’t work.  Mike Sherman is the OC in Miami.  He came over from Texas A&M, where Ryan Tannehill was his QB the last couple of years.

Let’s talk about a scenario.  Peyton goes to Seattle.  Flynn signs with Miami.  Cleveland could spend the #4 overall pick on Tannehill or they could decide he’s not worth it and they could focus on taking Brandon Weeden with pick 22.  If this happens, there is a possibility that Tannehill would be on the board at pick 15.  If that happens, there is a very real possibility that the Eagles would take him.

I’ve talked about how trading up for RG3 didn’t make all that much sense to me.  Tannehill at 15 would be a different story.  The problem with RG3 is that the Eagles would have used a lot of resources to make that move.  They would have spent multiple picks in multiple years to address a position that wasn’t a need.  I just don’t think you can do that.

Taking Tannehill at 15 is far different.  This would be more like the Packers taking Aaron Rodgers when they had Brett Favre already in place.  If a good QB drops to you, there is nothing wrong with adding him.  You are then spending one pick on the player.  And the Eagles may not have any needs depending on what they do in FA.  Focus on the word needs.  There is always a desire to upgrade positions and focus on youth, but you can consider taking Tannehill doing that very same thing.

I also think there is a major distinction in expectations and pressure.  If you trade up using a bunch of resources, that player needs to get on the field soon.  How would Mike Vick react to that?  Suddenly he’s on a major hot seat.  If you take Tannehill at 15, he can sit for a couple of years, just like Rodgers.  If Vick is playing great, you deal Tannehill.  If Vick is up and down, you let them battle for the job.

I don’t know for a fact that the Eagles like Tannehill.  I’m making an assumption.  He’s big and athletic.  He’s a good passer.  Smart kid.  Played for Mike Sherman, who Andy worked with in Green Bay.  I still think Tannehill is unlikely to get to 15, but if he does…could be an Eagles target.

* * * * *

Peter King had an interesting nugget in his write-up of the RG3 trade.

Washington was joined in the pursuit for the pick by Cleveland (who owns the fourth overall pick in the draft) and Miami (picking eighth overall) — and two teams beyond the 10th overall pick. Those two teams couldn’t be identified late Friday night, but with the fervent interest Philadelphia showed in both Andrew Luck and Griffin, the two top quarterbacks in this draft, it wouldn’t be surprising if Philadelphia wanted to move up to take either a quarterback or another top prospect.

The Eagles showed interest in Luck and RG3.  Fervent interest.  I’m curious what Pete is talking about.  The Eagles check out the top QBs every year.  Andy Reid loves QBs.  The Eagles were one of the first teams to talk to Brady Quinn’s high school coach about him.  This came at a time when it was expected that Quinn would be a Top 10 QB and the Eagles were picking in the 20s.  I don’t know if the Eagles liked Quinn, but the point is that they were doing the research.  When Matt Leinart started to slide in 2006 the Eagles were ready to take him if he got all the way down to 14.  They had studied him thoroughly.  The Eagles did extensive research on Sam Bradford.  The team had serious interest in a QB last year, but he was taken before pick 23.  The Eagles did meet with RG3 this year.  I’m sure they like him a lot.  Who wouldn’t?  Does this mean the Eagles were ready to trade 37 picks to get him or was this like me looking at Kate Upton and thinking that it sure would be fun to have her as my CPR class partner?

I’m not making too much of Pete’s report.  The Eagles check out QBs every year.  Andy is a window shopper.

* * * * *

A few people have asked about Kevin Kolb’s return.  Should ARZ sign Peyton, they may have to cut Kolb.  His return is highly unlikely.  Kevin wants to play.  He would come here to sit.  Kevin loves Big Red and the feeling is mutual.  If Kevin thought he could start, he’d be here in a heartbeat.  I know Pete Carroll likes Kolb quite a bit and would have interest in him.  Seattle would give Kevin a chance to be the starter so I’d make that his number one target.  You also wonder if Cleveland would have interest.  Now…should there be no market for Kolb, he could come back.  I just think some team would sign him with the idea that he could challenge for the starting spot.

* * * * *

A couple of people have brought up this subject…could the Eagles have interest in Tim Tebow if Peyton Manning does go to Denver?  First, I think it is highly, highly unlikely for Peyton to go there.  Just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

The Eagles had interest in Tebow when he came out.  Passive interest.  They could see he needed a lot of work as a passer and we run a pass-heavy offense.  Had he been available in the 3rd round…maybe we grab him.  Should Denver get Peyton, they could trade Tebow.  The Eagles would not be a top bidder.  The passing issues remain.  Some other team would get him and plug him in and figure out an offense.  Heck, he could be the franchise savior in Jacksonville.  If Tebow was available for a late pick, the Eagles might have interest, but that isn’t going to happen.

* * * * *

Those of you who like small college players, check out the numbers put up by this D2 CB.

* * * * *

Jarrad Page is now going to try and play baseball.  He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers.  No jokes from me.  Everyone tells me that he’s a great guy so I wish him well.  He was a disaster for us due to dreadfully awful tackling.  I’d love to see the guy be successful elsewhere.  Never heard a bad word about him off the field.

51 Comments on “QBs and the Eagles”

  1. 1 Jeppe Elmelund van Ee said at 1:18 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Who was the QB who we had interest in last year? Jake Locker?

    I would love it, if you could make some sort of post/list with all the players from the past few drafts, that you “know” the Eagles had serious interest in.

  2. 2 Kammich said at 5:23 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Tommy has some good insider buzz, and some of the nuggets he’s passed along have blown my mind. Specifically, I remember Tommy saying that if Matt Leinart had fallen to #14 in 2006, we were going to take him.

    Dodged a bullet there.

  3. 3 D3Keith said at 6:48 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I’m guessing the way he can keep getting this insider info is by not being too overt about who it’s coming from.

    Locker was my guess too. No idea why.

  4. 4 iskar36 said at 3:57 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I am not sure you can say “it is highly, highly unlikely” that Peyton would go to Denver when it was his first visit. Denver is likely high on the list of places he is likely to go. AFC team. Division that is very winnable. Peyton would be one of the few guys that could overcome the Tebow support. If I’m not mistaken, Peyton also owns a home there. Lastly, Denver seems extremely interested in bringing him in. I am not saying he will definitely go there, but I just don’t understand why it would be so unlikely in your opinion.

  5. 5 TommyLawlor said at 4:18 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    The passing offense was a mess in 2011. Will that change in one year? Wasn’t all on Tebow. Demaryius Thomas is really talented, but isn’t the kind of WR Peyton is used to. He’s a big athlete instead of a highly skilled, precision WR. OL is built for the running game. Dealing with Tebow stuff. Just doesn’t seem like a place Peyton would want to go.

    Other teams are better fit.

  6. 6 iskar36 said at 4:32 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    You may be right at the end of the day, but the fact that he went suggests to me it is a place he certainly would consider. If he didn’t want to go, I think he would have made it clear the same way he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in the Redskins. As for the Tebow factor, I think Peyton is fairly comfortable with the media, so he would be prepared to deal with it. On top of that, I think the Broncos would seriously try to trade Tebow regardless making it a nonstory after a few weeks anyway.

    Like I said, he certainly may not go there for the reasons you listed, but I would consider the Cardinals, Broncos, and Dolphins among the most likely landing spots for Peyton. I certainly don’t see the Broncos as “highly, highly unlikely”.

  7. 7 Mark823 said at 4:54 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Yeah, ESPN is saying the Cardinals and Broncos seem to be the most likely destinations, but that he is leaning towards the Broncos. So we’ll see, but I agree that the highly unlikely tag may be a bit of an over statement.

  8. 8 TommyLawlor said at 6:38 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I could be wrong. No sources or anything. Just my take on things.

  9. 9 Ilya Rossinsky said at 4:06 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Hi Tommy,
    Some mock drafts have us drafting Brock Osweiler in the second round. What do you think about this idea?

    Thanks

  10. 10 TommyLawlor said at 4:19 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Hate it. I’m not an Osweiler fan. Not sure what Eagles think.

  11. 11 bdbd20 said at 8:02 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I’m in favor of drafting him……as a TE

  12. 12 kurtz said at 4:18 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I must say I am surprised to hear that you would be satisfied if the Eagles drafted Tannehill. Could you explain what he is showing you that makes you think he is worth the 15th pick? I just see him as more of a late first round guy then a top ten pick. I could see a team like Miami, KC or Seattle picking him but I would say it would be a major reach due to their desperate need for a good QB. I did not watch many A&M games over the last two years so I am generally interested in hearing what you see in this kid that makes you think he is a good bet.

  13. 13 metaReign said at 4:20 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I’m not against picking up a QB in the draft, it would be hardcore competitions for all our QBs. Vick would be the eventual starter when the season starts. We could use a QB in practice squad to honed his skills. The fact we don’t have much needs, except getting backups to secure both units and key positions, RB/WR/CB and LB, we could fairly well use all 10 pl picks. Depending on FA, could package a couple of picks to cover a player in a needed position. AR said he’d be aggressive this off-season, but right now it’s so quiet, it’s almost too conservative, rather. Almost as if a surprise is in hiding, this is the part where everyone’s just speculating and the media throwing things around, in a what to believe and not to believe situations. All we can do is wait, and hear “This is my final answer” to the million dollar question. And it doesn’t matter the outcome, some will be happy, some won’t, that’s just the reality of it. I’ll be more than happy to get our defense going and see how they do, if indeed Washington gets what they’re looking for, against their offense.

  14. 14 Mark823 said at 4:56 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I couldn’t really see the Eagles taking Tannehill, but you can’t rule it out. It’s not too early to think about who will replace Vick.

  15. 15 D3Keith said at 6:50 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Especially if MLB is addressed in free agency. That’s the only starter we need. The other needs (return specialist, No. 2 RB, SLB, etc.) can be addressed later in the draft or late in free agency.

    We got DeSean in the fold. If we get the MLB back, we can truly draft the best player we can get our hands on at 15.

    And considering we should be picking 32nd the next few years, we have to grab Vick’s replacement at 15 while we’re up that.

  16. 16 Kammich said at 5:21 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I’ve been without my desktop OR my laptop for the last 2 weeks, and it has been murder trying to follow all of the news on my phone. I am very glad, and very relieved to be back on Iggles Blitz on a tangible operating system.

    Great post, a lot to digest. I have yet to delve deeply into this QB class from a film-study perspective. I’ve always felt that QB was the most “naked eye” evaluation of any of the positions, so I usually just brush up via youtube a few weeks before the draft. Hence, I don’t have a passionate take on Tannehill either way.

    But I think it is very viable, for many of the reasons you mentioned. The rookie salary cap in the new CBA also makes it extremely prudent to draft a potential “franchise” QB if he were to fall to pick 15. You’re paying a mid-level price for a potentially premium player.

    It will all boil down to how the board falls on that Thursday night in April, and just what exactly the Eagles consider to be their “needs.” This has already been a massively interesting offseason, and we’re barely underway.

  17. 17 GeorgeFleep said at 5:25 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    hearing on twitter manning will go to cardinals
    https://twitter.com/#!/Gambo620

  18. 18 D3Keith said at 6:52 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Interesting. That guy doesn’t seem too certain about his own report though.

    As an Eagles fan, I’d be okay with Peyton to AZ. I’d prefer he go to Miami though. Kolb coming available might be nice, but Tommy’s right, Seattle and Cleveland seem like a better fits.

  19. 19 Kammich said at 8:04 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I really, really wanted Peyton to go to the Skins. It would’ve killed their cap space, and I’m personally very weary of a mid-30’s QB who is coming off of 4 consecutive neck surgeries and still coping with nerve damage and forearm weakness. I feel safer betting AGAINST Peyton, at this point.

    Conversely, the ‘Skins landing RG3 is keeping me up at night. Not looking forward to facing him twice a year for the next 12 years.

  20. 20 Anders Jensen said at 8:41 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Why would Peyton kill the Skins cap? they have like $40 mill in cap space.

  21. 21 Kammich said at 11:10 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    You’re right, they’ve been pretty prudent with their cap space… especially for a Daniel Snyder team. Perhaps “killing the cap” was the wrong phrase. “Saddling them with a huge financial burden” may have been more apt.

  22. 22 D3Keith said at 8:59 PM on March 12th, 2012:

    But your overarching point remains. Any team counting on Peyton to be his old self is taking a huge — and hugely expensive — gamble. Better them than us.

  23. 23 TommyLawlor said at 9:06 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Off Topic: One simple thing I love about The Walking Dead is the opening credits. Good music, cool visuals.

  24. 24 the guy said at 9:38 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Agreed. And it’s one thing I really don’t like about HBO’s “Luck”.

  25. 25 TommyLawlor said at 9:50 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Love the music for Luck’s opening. I’m a Michael Mann worshiper so that probably makes sense.

  26. 26 the guy said at 10:18 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I like Michael Mann too. I also like Massive Attack, who did the song. But I really don’t like the credits for “Luck” at all. And I’m not really conviced about the show itself either.

    Favorite credits on current shows: Walking Dead, Justified, Archer.

    Actually, speaking of Massive Attack I liked the credits for “House” too but after 8 years the impact has somewhat worn off.

  27. 27 Kammich said at 11:11 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    HBO is kind of hit-and-miss for me with their opening credits. I love “Boardwalk Empire” but the credits don’t groove for me. I feel that they’re a poor representation of the show itself.

    “Game of Thrones” on the other hand… holy shit. Goosebumps every time that intro kicks in.

  28. 28 Baloophi said at 11:16 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    “Dexter” is a fun opening sequence as well.

    For the cinephiles in the crowd, how about “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?”

  29. 29 Kammich said at 11:53 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    I’ve yet to see the American film, but Fincher is one of the absolute best at utilizing opening credits. “Se7en” and “Fight Club” immediately come to mind as some of my favorite opening credit sequences.

  30. 30 TommyLawlor said at 2:09 PM on March 12th, 2012:

    Tattoo was great, as is always the case with Fincher. Se7en still is one of the greatest ever.

  31. 31 TommyLawlor said at 2:09 PM on March 12th, 2012:

    Love the song that opens Boardwalk Empire. Game of Thrones is brilliant. Great visuals, vibe.

    One of my favorite show credits ever was The Shield. Loved the way that opened. Set a good tone for the show.

  32. 32 A_T_G said at 9:38 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Come on, somebody has to say it, Page sure looked like a dodger when he was on the field for us last year.

  33. 33 TommyLawlor said at 10:00 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    UPDATE: Word is that Peyton won’t visit SEA or KC and does like Denver. Won’t be the last time that I’m dead wrong.

    Also, apparently SEA is very high on Tannehill.

  34. 34 the guy said at 10:21 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    If Peyton really isn’t capable of throwing yet, I’d hate to be a Denver fan this season if they sign him.

    With him and Tebow, combined they’d have about 2/3rds of a starting QB.

  35. 35 GeorgeFleep said at 11:12 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    its a good story peyton put in as starter struggles dies on field of a neck spasm tebow comes on heals him with hi god like powers and then brings them to superbowl only to face the eagles. eagles win their first superbowl

  36. 36 iskar36 said at 11:38 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Honestly, I don’t know if Denver is ideal for Peyton, but I do think Peyton would be great for Denver. I am not a believer in Tebow at all. He may prove me wrong, but I think now that teams have solid film on him and will have a full offseason to game plan against him, he will struggle to win games the same way he did last year. I also think Elway and possibly John Fox share that belief. The Broncos are in a tough position though. Tebow did win them games and proved to be a leader, so they can’t just bench him. That being said, if you bring in a guy like Manning and believe in him (read: sell the fan base on him being healthy) you can justify benching Tebow in favor of Manning. You also can trade Tebow while his stock is high (again, I am guessing he struggles in the future, which I could end up being completely wrong about). I am not saying it wouldn’t be a risky move, but if Peyton plays well, it could make the Broncos solid contenders, if he struggles, you have to go find a new QB, but the Broncos may have to do that anyway with Tebow as the starter (and they may be considering it even as early as this year).

  37. 37 ian_no_2 said at 10:07 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    I think Russell Wilson can start in the NFL and someone will get a bargain, maybe in the 4th Round. Tannehill is a bargain at 15 if he turns out to be, well, a guy you can trade for a first and another pick or win the big one as a starter. Can he do this? I don’t think you take a raw talent at 15 who kept throwing three picks picks against top defenses (Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State) and put up solid numbers against bad teams. You can say, “he needs experience and coaching” but as far as I’m concerned you can say that about a 2nd or 3rd round pick, not a mid first round pick.

  38. 38 TommyLawlor said at 10:16 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Russell Wilson struggles in the pocket. Big time. I was a fan of his during the year, but he doesn’t hold up well to tape study.

    Tannehill is a good QB prospect.

  39. 39 iskar36 said at 11:00 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Off topic: According to Jason Cole and Eliot Shorr-Parks on twitter, the Eagles have shown interest in LaRon Landry. I have no idea how reliable that info is and I know you have talked about Landry a few times, but I am curious what you think of him from an on-field standpoint. You have discussed his injury concerns and his mentality concerns (which I definitely agree are significant concerns), but ignoring those concerns, what would you say his strengths and weaknesses on the field are?

    Generally, I think you have a great feel for what the Eagles want to do/will do, so I tend to believe you when you say you don’t think they will pursue Landry. Still, part of me hopes the Eagles are not as confident in their safeties as you are and at least tries to bring veteran competition into the mix.

  40. 40 TommyLawlor said at 11:44 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    LaRon has only played in 17 of the last 32 games. Can you trust him to stay healthy?

    Great physical ability, but drives me nuts because he’s such a sloppy player. Misses more tackles than he should because he loves to hit and not wrap up. Loved him at LSU, but not as big a fan of his NFL work. And that has nothing to do with the fact he’s a Skin.

  41. 41 iskar36 said at 11:59 PM on March 11th, 2012:

    Don’t get me wrong, I think the injury concerns and the fact that he seems a bit out there are very legitimate concerns. On top of that, we haven’t had a ton of luck when it comes to guys with injury histories, so I am not saying he is a guy I covet by any means.

    We obviously disagree about the need at safety. I am hoping you are right and I am wrong, and I also would have guessed your view (both on our current safeties as well as Landry) more closely resembles the Eagles’ view. I was just curious what best case scenario could be if there is any truth to the rumors.

  42. 42 Eric Weaver said at 9:48 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    But the Eagles are one for one with guys with the last name Landri/Landry!

  43. 43 JRO91 said at 7:12 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    I would rather bring in Bullit to compete with JaJar and Coleman. He pushes them both to be better players, if neither can beat him out, then we have a vet safety who starts and a 2nd round bust at SS!! Coleman may have already reached his peak.

  44. 44 Kammich said at 11:14 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    The new pictures of Laron Landry scare the hell out of me. He has “David Boston” written all over him(I’ll give Landry the benefit of the doubt and presume that he naturally added all that bulk, but I digress). His knees are gonna pop underneath that mass, I guarantee it.

  45. 45 ceteris_paribus1776 said at 7:45 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    I don’t want the Birds going anywhere near Landry. He’s an injury waiting to happen and isn’t very good playing outside of the box. The fact that he got all jacked up on a bum knee is just screaming for another injury. I’ll pass

  46. 46 GermanEagle said at 9:41 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    After spending the weekend in Munich I had to realize that you have still not posted your Free Agency masterplan for the Eagles, Tommy!!!

  47. 47 Eric Weaver said at 10:21 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    If I were making at least a priority positional signing list it’d be:

    1. Re-sign Mathis
    2. Sign a MLB
    3. Sign a slot corner
    4. Sign an OLB
    5. Sign a backup OT
    6. Sign a backup safety
    7. Sign a backup RB

  48. 48 brza said at 10:27 AM on March 12th, 2012:

    No re-sign for Landri? That would be 1b on my list. Plus I’d look to the draft for a slot corner (Tommy got me on the Brandon Boykin bandwagon) and sign either an MLB or an OLB but not both. I think we’ll get the other LB position in the draft if we don’t draft both an inside and outside guy.

  49. 49 Eric Weaver said at 12:20 PM on March 12th, 2012:

    Yeah, I missed that one. I’d put that as probably 2B or 3.

  50. 50 JRO91 said at 12:18 PM on March 12th, 2012:

    Bears are interested in Hawthorne as their SAM, and eventually MLB. Wow, Im jealous. Briggs, Urlacher, Hawthrone!! I could only wish the Eagles valued the LB position like that!!

  51. 51 brza said at 2:30 PM on March 12th, 2012:

    I seriously hope they don’t do this.

    I’m not against getting a QB of the future if the right guy is there but I just don’t know about Tannehill. I can’t say that I’ve seen Tannehill anywhere close to as much as Tommy has but I just feel like this is a guy thats getting overrated because there is just such a huge dropoff after the first two guys and there needs to be 3 QBs taken in the first round. Sort of like Ponder. Nothing special about him but too many QB-needy teams caused him to get picked way too early. This is a guy who couldn’t beat out Jerrod Johnson right? Jerrod Johnson who went undrafted.

    I will prepare to be thwarted by Tommys knowledge but I still will hold out hope for Kuechly or Cox.