More Retro Stuff

The Eagles traded draft picks for MLB DeMeco Ryans this year.  Can you remember the last time the Eagles swapped a pair of picks for a veteran defensive player who had become a victim of his team switching to the 3-4?

Think and I’ll post the answer below.

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The Jeremiah Trotter we remember from 2006 was slow and old.  The guy we saw in 2009 was the same…or worse.

It is hard to believe, but he was an athletic freak at one time.  In the 1998 Scouting Combine, Trot was 6-1, 260.  He did 32 reps on the bench, 4th highest total that year.  He then ran 4.57 in the 40.

Jerry Angelo, former GM of the Bears, was with the Bucs back then.  He said, “A guy his size running (that fast)…that’s phenomenal.  Nobody expected that.”

Trot played 3 years at Stephen F. Austin.  He totaled 300 tackles, 3 INTs, and 5 sacks.  He had to leave college early to support his family.  His dad was 74 at the time and wasn’t able to work anymore.

Trot was thought to be a 2nd round prospect after the great Combine, but he luckily slipped to the early 3rd where the Eagles nabbed him (pick 72 overall).  He played sparingly as a rookie in 1998, mostly on STs.  He then was lucky when Jim Johnson was brought in the next year.  Trot was a perfect fit for JJ’s scheme and the two of them had 3 great years together.  Trot came back to the Eagles in 2004 and was very good that year and in 2005.

By 2006, his body had started to really break down.  He didn’t miss games, but the wear and tear of the NFL and injured knees caught up with him.  He simply didn’t have the 4.57 speed anymore.

For those who didn’t become Eagles fans until 2004 or beyond…seek out some highlights from the old days.  I didn’t see anything good at YouTube, but there may be some somewhere.  Trot was a lot of fun to watch when he was young.  I imagine Centers hated him more than any LB in the league.  Trot would run over them on inside blitzes.  He was short, thick, and powerful.  That would be like having a charging rhino hit you.  No fun.

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Back in the 2001 draft there was an odd collection of QBs.

Drew Brees – short, played in a gimmick offense at Purdue, didn’t have a good Combine
Chris Weinke – big pocket passer, but old due to time playing baseball
Jesse Palmer – productive, but was product of the Steve Spurrier offense
Marques Tuiasosopo – more athlete than QB?
David Rivers – small school flavor of the month…from Western Carolina
Josh Booty – former HS phenom had a so-so career at LSU

The one elite prospect was Michael Vick.  Of course, he was far from a sure thing.  Vick was short.  He played in a limited offense at Va Tech.  Every NFL team was fascinated by him, but also had concerns.  The Chargers had the #1 overall pick.  GM John Butler was prepared to take Vick, but his concerns had him uneasy.  He was hoping and praying someone would make a trade offer.  The Falcons did just that.  They gave up pick #5, a 2001 3rd, a 2002 2nd, and Tim Dwight ( a solid RS at the time) for the #1 pick.  That’s a very reasonable cost compared to the STL/WAS trade.

Atlanta took Vick and that organization did well for the next few years.  The Chargers took LaDainian Tomlinson at 5 and then got Drew Brees in the 2nd.  That draft worked very well for them.

The other QB in 2001 who generated a lot of buzz was … Mike McMahon.  He posted so-so numbers at Rutgers, but had a strong arm and was a very good athlete.  The feeling was that his athletic ability would leave to him being drafted earlier than he should.  That didn’t happen.  Detroit took him in the 5th round.  Another QB who was taken in the 5th round…A.J. Feeley.  The Eagles took the Oregon backup and benefited a great deal from that move.

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Back to the earlier question.  In 1998 the Eagles traded 2nd and 5th round picks to the NY Jets for DE Hugh Douglas.  He began his career in the 4-3 and was terrific.  Then Bill Parcells came along and installed the 3-4.  Douglas wasn’t big enough for DE, nor athletic enough for LB.  That moved turned out to be a great one.  Let’s hope the DeMeco Ryans trade works anywhere near that well.

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MEMORIAL DAY STUFF

I don’t know how many of you know who Bob Kalsu is.  Bob played for the Buffalo Bills in 1968.  That would be his only year in the NFL.  Kalsu went to Vietnam and was the only American pro athlete to die there.  SI did a great story on him years ago.

Of course it is hard to think of football and soldiers without bringing up Pat Tillman.  I don’t think Pat would be very comfortable with us talking about him so go check out his foundation and the good work they’re doing.

Pat was a Ranger.  I’m sure he learned skills that Nick Rowe helped design.  Nick has nothing to do with football, but he is a soldier that not enough people know about.  Read his book Five Years To Freedom.  Nick was captured in 1963 and spent 5 years in prison.  He wasn’t in the Hanoi Hilton, though.  Nick was in small places all over Vietnam.  He finally escaped and made his way to freedom.  His story is absolutely amazing.

3 special people.

3 special soldiers.

Gone, but never forgotten.