Eagles Draft Needs
Posted: April 24th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 85 Comments »It may seem curious to discuss draft needs at this point, but I think too often we are generic when we talk about what the Eagles are looking for. Remember that NFL teams make a draft board with between 80-150 players. You can go to a draft site and see a list of 40 WRs with draftable grades. The Eagles might be interested in 10 guys. That’s true of every position. NFL teams aren’t just interested in anybody. They have specific needs and specific targets.
QB – This is a mystery spot. We know the team would love to add a QB, but we don’t know which one or how early. There is a lot of speculation that the Eagles are interested in Geno Smith and EJ Manuel. The team has checked them out, but that doesn’t mean they really want the players. I think Nick Foles makes this situation tricky. If Chip Kelly thinks Nick has a serious chance to be the guy, maybe you don’t want to invest a high pick on a QB. Once you spend the early pick, you’re somewhat committed to that player. Of course, all bets are off if either Kelly sees Foles as a longshot or if Kelly falls in love with one of the prospects.
The thing to remember here is that the Eagles will only take a QB that Kelly truly wants. If he takes a pocket passer, it won’t be because that guy was good value. It will be because Kelly thinks the guy can succeed in the offense. If Kelly takes an athletic guy, it will be because he thinks the QB is or can develop into a good passer.
RB – The Eagles are set with Shady and Bryce Brown. The need here is for depth. Kelly is looking for one of two things. He’ll want a smaller RB (5-9, 195) or a bigger guy (220 pounds). Kelly would love a guy with speed, but more importantly he’ll want someone that is a N-S runner. Kelly also will want someone that can catch the ball.
H-back – James Casey is the starter. Emil Igwenagu and Clay Harbor will battle for the backup role. The Eagles could add a late rounder at this spot, but I don’t think they’d go for anyone early. The player wouldn’t just be an undersized TE. He must be a good blocker. Remember that this role has replaced the FB in the offense. On some run plays, the H-back will need to make important blocks. You must have a player who is willing to take on LBs and can do a good job of it.
TE – The need here is for an athletic pass catcher. The player will need to be 6-4 and preferably will be 6-5 or taller. He needs to be about 250 pounds. Kelly will want someone that can split out as a receiver. When it comes to blocking, effort is a must, but the player doesn’t have to be an overwhelming blocker. Receiving skills and RAC ability are key traits.
WR – It seems that the team wants a slot guy. Chip Kelly loves to use the middle of the field. This was a weakness for the 2012 Eagles. The team has looked at small and big guys. In an ideal world, I think they would love to have a small to medium-size WR with big time speed. This could be Tavon Austin, Ryan Swope, Marquise Goodwin, Josh Boyce, or Denard Robinson. Kelly wants a slot receiver who can catch the ball and make something happen. He wants someone that is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Once it gets to the late rounds or UDFA stage, the team is looking for size/speed guys.
OL – While the team hopes Danny Watkins bounces back and plays well, they can’t count on it. The goal is to add a starting OT early. Kelly will not want a massive plodder type (DJ Fluker). He will want sleek, athletic OL. And tall. Oregon’s top 4 OTs last year were 6-6 or 6-7. I don’t think Kelly will say no to a 6-5 player, but you do wonder if he’d draft a 6-4 OT. To some of you, this may seem silly. I like the fact that Kelly has very specific ideas on what he wants.
The Eagles haven’t shown any interest in pure OGs. They did work out C Khaled Holmes and were at the Pro Day of some late round Centers. It won’t surprise me in the least to see them add a C late. The hope is that Jason Kelce will be fine, but adding an athletic backup C could be wise. This player would probably be 6-3 or 6-4.
DE – Mystery time. The Eagles have looked at guys 6-4, 280, 6-6. 270, 6-3, 311 and 6-5, 320. We really don’t know what they want. We have a lot to learn about the defense. The pick could be in the 1st round, 4th, or 7th. Again, totally unsure of what’s going on here. Think about free agency. The Eagles tried to sign Ricky Jean-Francois (6-3, 295). Didn’t work out. So they moved Vinny Curry to DE (6-3, 278) and traded for Clifton Geathers (6-7, 325).
NT – Isaac Sopoaga is a short term fix here. He’s 6-2, 330. The team has hopes for Antonio Dixon, but still could add a NT. This pick would be based almost purely on draft grade. If they love a NT, maybe they go for one in the 2nd round. If they don’t love anyone, could be a late pick or even just a UDFA. I’m assuming the goal is to get someone 320 pounds or more. Height isn’t a major issue.
OLB – I think this is a critical need. I know we have Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, and Trent Cole, but it is hard to be overly confident in any of those guys. I hope they all play well, but they combined for 11 sacks last year. Graham and Cole are new to the 3-4. How will they adjust? PFF rated Graham highly, but making too much of that could prove to be fool’s gold. Once is an event. Twice is a trend. Three times is a fact. Say the Eagles spend pick 4 on a LB and then Graham, Cole, and Barwin all do play well. Good problem to have. Remember that Cole is a short term player. He could be gone in 2014. Barwin signed a cheap deal. He could be let go if the team wants. Graham is on his rookie deal and costs reasonable money. The Eagles have flexibility here.
Barwin is 6-4. I think Kelly will want taller OLBs. 6-3 might be okay, but he’d love guys to be 6-4 or above. That’s why when you guys talk about the athletic 6-1 and 6-2 guys I say I don’t expect the Eagles to be interested. I’m sure there are exceptions to every rule. If Kelly falls in love with a player, he’ll be willing to bend the rules. We don’t know who that might be so for now look for taller OLBs.
ILB – The Eagles appear to be set with Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans, but the team wants better depth. They added Jason Phillips and might sign a veteran after the draft (per Adam Caplan). The team has scouted a lot of good ILBs. There is no specific rhyme or reason. They’ve looked at smaller, athletic guys and thicker tough guys. They’ve looked at tall and short guys. This looks like another spot based more on talent than anything else.
S – I get the feeling that the Eagles like Patrick Chung and have high hopes for him. That means they’ll be looking for more of a FS in the draft. Right now Nate Allen and Kenny Phillips are battling for the job. The Eagles have looked at early, middle, and late Safeties. They’ve checked out guys that have a variety of sizes. I think they would prefer someone to be 6-1. 200, but will go down to 5-10. I do question what they’ll think of guys like Matt Elam and Shamarko Thomas. This maybe a case-by-case decision or Kelly may say that guys need to be 5-10 or more.
CB – The team added 2 CBs in free agency. They were 6-1, 190 and 6-0, 200. I’m guessing the desired size for a CB is 5-11, 190 or bigger. Getting a read on the CB situation is tough. The Eagles have been very choosy about which prospects they showed special interest in. The guys are spread from the 1st round to the late rounds. I know fans want a CB taken early, but I’m not sure that’s a done deal. With limited resources, you can’t address everything. The Eagles do like Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams. And Brandon Boykin is good in the slot.
In terms of specific skills, I’m not totally sure what to look for. Would the Eagles prefer speed over ball skills? How critical is hitting/tackling? We’ll get some clues in the draft.
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I’ll put up a post tonight on trade-back scenarios and targets. So many crazy rumors going around that I’m trying to soak them all in and see if anything new pops up.
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In case you missed it, Jimmy Bama wrote the longest mock draft in history.
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David Syvertsen posted his NFC East draft preview.
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Jimmy and I did a couple of podcasts a few days back. I don’t know if I ever linked them. We are planning to do a final draft preview on Thursday morning. We’ll then do recaps each night.
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How many drafts do you think it will take to “figure out” Chip Kelly? I know you had a good read on Reid… Chip seems like a divergent thinker, and I would assume that will make it more challenging to pin down his likes and dislikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0epRjfGLw
We really need 3 drafts to have a good feel for him. Each draft will give us some clues, but you need long term trends to really see patterns develop.
I thought I had Reid pegged, until I found out he was responsible for Jaiquan Jarrett. The guy that always snatches up the undersized high-motor fast-balls suddenly going for the nonathletic safety with a reputations for physicality.
I get the feeling that Chip will reveal that he isn’t a stubborn sort. I think people are getting too caught up in player dimensions and athleticism at certain places and see these things as pre-requisites.
I believe our previous personnel philosophy saw value in undersized players. I think they saw smaller players who are good football players but available much later than their bigger counter-parts. I think that outlook is gone. But I really don’t think that Chip and Howie would take the lesser of 2 football players in favor of size and speed.
I think recruiting in college is VERY different from the NFL draft. Everyone out of high school is relatively raw and spent 4 years absolutely obliterating opponents, playing positions the won’t be playing for the rest of their football careers. As a college coach you plan on refining these players. I think it’s easier to recruit on measurables out of highschool and mold a team on that. Drafting in the NFL you have tons of tape against solid opponents to be able to compare player A to player B and say, player A is better than player B at this stage of development, and we project him to remain better than player B, regardless of measurables.
Good pt about difference between college recruiting and the draft.
Very nice post. This gives a pretty comprehensive outlook of the team. Gives an idea of what to expect in the draft and in the free agency that follows.
Definitely seeing us picking up some DL players late and in FA since we are apparently running a 2 gap. Seems to me in the 2 gap you either take someone who is absolutely dominant (see: special) and can put O-linemen “on roller skates” and manage his gaps from the backfield or get guys who can just hold their ground and maintain gap integrity so the faster guys behind them can make a play. I’m not sure Star is a special D-lineman, so I say go for the other option and wait, good value.
Stoked for the Draft podcasts – thank you for putting in the time/effort…tomorrow is a big day…#NOGENOSNOGENOSNOGENOS
So you prefer Pat’s?
Well played.
Who doesn’t
Point on length, you focus too much on height.
It’s more “reach” than height, so arm length becomes very important.
A 6’3 guy with 32″ arms (Floyd) isn’t as long as a 6’2 guy with 34″ arms (Richardson). Same holds at OLB.
Arm length is actually more important than height IF it’s combined with upper body strength (Cox, 35″ with 30 reps is the ultimate Chip guy) – because it allows you to fend off blockers and stay clean, and knock down passes or reach ball carriers.
Yeah this is also true in the NBA where guys with t-rex arms usually suck (Evan Turner) b/c they can’t get their shot off in the paint.
A-fan,
I don’t have the arm length data from Chip’s teams at Oregon. All I can go off is height. I certainly agree that he would like players with good arm length, but I have no specific context for minimums and that type thing.
What I’d do is simply adjust to arm length by assuming an “average” for a position, then looking for a height/arm optimum, but only if the player benches (or is known for a powerful punch) a minimum for his position (i.e. dump DBs who bench under 10 reps, etc.).
So if OTs are normally 6-5 with 34″ arms, then 6’4 with 35″ arms or 6’6 with 33″ arms is probably acceptable.
If he prefers DEs who are 6’3 to 6’5 with 32 inch arms, then only consider 6’2 DEs with 33″ or greater arm length.
Point is to look at slightly shorter players with long arm and upper body strength as viable candidates, but shorter players with average or below average arm length are off the board.
What I think Chip wants is a balance between speed, athleticism, length and strength, he doesn’t want players below that minimum even if they have great instincts because they may see the play but not be able to make the play (Matthews is a good example).
But this is a complete guess on your part. I’m not going to make up a theory based on my opinion and then apply it to someone else’s line of thinking.
You are being logical with the idea, but the notion that we should expect Chip to follow it is a complete leap. We must deal with what we know for a fact. He had a lot of tall players at Oregon.That shows that he does value height.
I was hoping for a video clip, but this will have to do.
http://www.hark.com/braveheart/some-men-are-longer-than-others
Snoop Dog… or rather Snoop Lion’s pot party was busted. I thought that he had turned over a new leaf, but apparently he is still rolling the same old leaf. Some said the joint where the party was held was dope, others who were interviewed said the party was a drag.
I’m sensing a theme with your word choice.
The entendre is strong with this one
We talked about this a little yesterday, but the reason I really like the idea of Tavon Austin or Denard Robinson is that I think both could fill the role of a small 3rd/4th RB in addition to slot receiver. Their roles wouldn’t be identical, but I think both would be very flexible in Chip’s offense and really confuse defenses.
That does make both guys attractive.
but durable enough?
Austin is too tiny to line up at RB
He did it often enough in college. Obviously it’s not exactly the same, but he’s got a chance of doing it.
Not if used from time to time.
so is Sproles
Even a midget like Sproles still outweighs Austin by a good 20 lbs.
I don’t see how OLB is any more critical a need than DE or NT.
At OLB, you have two proven players in Barwin and Graham, and a proven player on the downside of his career in Cole. That’s more than enough that listing “OLB” as a need any higher than the 3rd round is questionable.
Remember that Graham wasn’t just good last year according to Profootabllfocus, but he was a top pass rusher according to Pass Rush Productivity in his rookie year as well. He clearly has talent and it’s not just a “flash in the pan”.
At NT, you have an older player who wasn’t even all that good in SF (Sopoaga) and a player with little NFL experience (Dixon).
At DE, you have Cedric Thornton and Fletcher Cox. That gives you only one sure-fire starter and he’s a second year player.
Calling Graham and Cole proven is a bit of a stretch. Neither player has ever played OLB. That will require significant adjustment and we have no idea if Cole or Graham can make that adjustment. If we were sticking with a 4-3, I don’t think anyone would argue that we are relatively OK at DE, at least in terms of targgetting an early round player, but there are no indications that we will be running a 4-3. In a 3-4, both Cole and Graham (and Barwin for that matter) are very much unproven players. We can project how successful they will be, but don’t assume a good 4-3 DE will automatically be a good 3-4 OLB.
Exactly.
Not sure I totally agree. If your saying neither Cole or Graham could play OLB then we should cut/trade whoever doesn’t fit. If Cole doesn’t fit then cut him, roster spaces are resources as much as cap room, and in our case probably more so. If you don’t think this is a case then it means you need depth, but lacks the definition of a critical need. Odds are they didn’t bring in Barwin for the amount they are paying him for the guaranteed years not to start. Which means you are already putting either Cole, Graham or X as another starter. I think just about every position on defense we have has the same issues, where CB/S we have two people projected as starters who have had injury issues. The line we have a lot of in experience. Granted I’m not saying we couldn’t use a LB but I think we could equally use a OT, CB, S, DE, WR, etc. which again leads to just take the BPA however they rank them. Personally, I agree with your post before that Chip will go offense more than defense for his first draft as he knows what he needs to get it working more and to get one side of the ball set and let the pieces work themselves out on defense to the point we see what we positions we need to fill next year on the defensive side.
How is a rookie who’s only played in college any more proven?
Cole and Graham are at least proven insomuch that they have shown the ability to dominate OTs in the NFL. 3-4 OLBs aren’t that drastically different from 4-3 DEs in any facet except that they are tasked with more coverage duties, but not an overly dramatic amount. DeMarcus Ware, for most of his career, has only spent marginally more time dropping into coverage than Trent Cole. And Cole has spent time dropping back into coverage in Jim Johnson and Sean McDermott’s 4-3 Zone Blitz schemes.
We have no evidence that someone like Dion Jordan can even beat an NFL OT with regularity. I personally am skeptical of his ability to do this, and if so, it would make him almost useless as a 3-4 OLB unless you want to drop him into coverage 90% of the time.
3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE are very different positions. Just because you can play one, doesn’t mean you can do the other. Dwight Freeney had to make the change and had his worst season in a long time (just 5 sacks).
No one is saying the rookie is a sure thing. The point in taking the rookie is that you would believe that player is better suited to the 3-4.
This is a fallacy. There is nothing to say that a rookie like Dion
Jordan is more suited to playing 3-4 OLB in the NFL than an NFL 4-3 DE
is. Both have learning curves, but the existing NFL player has already
proven himself to have the physical skills necessary to beat NFL OTs.
Jordan could just as easily not even have the physical skills necessary
to do this, because you are only projecting what you “think” he can do
in the NFL. The projection you are making for Jordan is actually even
more of a reach than any projection you make re: Graham or Cole as 3-4
OLBs.
Regarding Dwight Freeney, how do you know his “worst”
season is due to age-related decline? He wasn’t that great in 2011
either. You can’t make this kind of statement because you are confusing
cause and effect.
3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE are not terribly different.
The difference is primarily coverage responsibilities, and in a 4-3
Under front, the OLB typically has less coverage responsibilities than a
traditional 3-4 OLB. The #1 duty of any 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE is pass rush
and setting the edge in run support, which I trust Trent Cole and
Brandon Graham to do more effecitvely than any rookie, because I’ve
actually seen them do it well in the NFL already.
You seem to be taking a really bizarre approach to this.
No, you’re right, we don’t have any more idea that Jordan will pan out than Graham or Cole, but it’s not a straight choice of one or the other. If you’re not completely sure about Graham and Cole (and how could you be) then drafting Dion means you get him AS WELL.
So you’ve then got whatever the probability is of Graham/Cole panning out + the probability of Jordan panning out. That’s a higher probability of ending up with a good OLB than by not drafting Jordan.
I guess the problem I have with Austin can be summed up with the phrase “too many little guys on the field at once.” That’s assuming we also have DJax and Maclin. Yeah, I know, Maclin isn’t that small, but he plays small.
Fair point, but…Mac is in the final year of his deal. We don’t know what his future is. Don’t be too short term with your thinking.
True enough. Maybe he even gets moved during the draft.
I have no issue with the size of our receivers until the red zone. I think we have enough weapons to have….maybe none of them on the field when we get inside the 10.
Listen, we know Peters can block 2 guys at one time… so we put out 9 other O-linemen and suddenly we have all 11 defenders with a blocker. Direct snap to Austin or Jackson or Vick and then do it again for the PAT.
You kidding me? Snap it to Peters.
My oversight was so horrendous that I will now hit my palm with my face.
A guy that really fascinates me in the 7th round (or as a potential UDFA if he gets there) is Zach Boren.
Played LB in high school, spent two and a half seasons as FB in college and then got thrown back in at LB for the last 6 games of 2012 when Etienne Sabino broke his leg. Already known as a good lead blocker, in 6 games to start the season he had 11 carries for 33 yards and 3 TDs. In the following 6 games, he had 50 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack and 1 FF. The stats here are pretty impressive, but they don’t do justice to the fact he was straight up making plays toward the end of the season.
I know Chip doesn’t really want a FB on the roster, but a guy that can be a backup ILB and also contribute as a short-yardage back and STer (another area he stood out in college) might be of interest. I also think that, whilst Chip might not want a full back on his active roster, he’s probably going to need one on the practice squad to simulate other teams that use somebody in that position; might as well be a guy with a chance to make the team in other areas too.
PS I could see, but there won’t be one on the roster.
Yeah, that wasn’t all necessarily related to the Eagles. He’s just a guy I find really interesting. If he’s got a chance to make the roster for LB/ST reasons then maybe Chip would find a way to mix him in (admittedly sparingly) on offense too. There’s a difference between thinking that FB isn’t important enough to spend a roster spot on and thinking there’s no use for one in any situation at all; not sure which side of that divide Kelly actually sits on.
Two questions, please!
1) Does Tommy really have EJ Manuel as the 8th best QB over on Scouts Notebook?
2) Do we see it as likely that Chip Kelly will use a number of different Offensive packages? (For example, one based on size, another based on speed, etc). This comes to mind when I consider the current guys on the roster and then the possibility of adding a Tavon Austin or Marquise Goodwin.
1 – I do not like Manuel. I don’t think he will pan out in the NFL. If I had a draft board, he would not be on it. He has lots of potential, but guys who go to big schools for 4 years and come out a project are red flags to me. When exactly is he going to develop?
2 – I think Chip will use various packages and he’ll mix/match groupings. He may go big with skill players except one small guy. Run a WR screen and the big guys all block. Stuff like that.
It seems a little concerning that the type of OL player that Kelly doesn’t want in Fluker is a product of our new line coach, Jeff Stoutland. Will it be difficult for Stoutland to adapt to Kelly’s style?
Alabama and Oregon both ran zone blocking schemes
Also Stoutland was only line coach for the Bama for 2 years, so Fluker and Warmack was on the roster before he came there. Who knows what he really prefers.
All I know is they have to work as a unit, so there should be no mix-and-match. A guy like Peters can play in any system, but a guy like Mathis or Kelce probably can’t.
Kelly wants OL in top shape so they can be effective in his up-tempo offense. Bigger guys struggle with conditioning.
Stoutland will be fine. He was supposedly largely responsible for Warmack going from being a questionable player to a bad one. Alabama also ran the inside zone read.
Really nice article .. I think you are right about safety and corner. unless real nice value represents itself in rds 2 and 3 I expect we wait till rds 4 -7 for a safety and corner (Commings, McGhee, Miles, Thomas, McFadden).
I know I shouldn’t read into visits/interview/workouts/seniorbowl interviews/EW Shrine game interviews/prodays etc … but it seems eagles are leaning OL/TE in rds 2 and 3 and 5 tech/Corner/S later on. Ideally I hope we can get an extra pick or 2 in the 2d and 3d (maybe my merely trading down in those rds) or trading back w lions cards or dolphins.
O and btw, SALPAL reporting we are targeting OTACKLE and TAVON at 4. Based on his horrendous track record, I think it is a lock we take jordan if he is there and we are really pimping it about the tackles and tavon so someone trades w us.
I’ve said it before, but perhaps it’s worth repeating:
When you rearrange the letters in Sal Paolantonio, you get ANAL PIANO STOOL.
Literary genius.
I think of this fact every time I hear or read about Sal Pal.
T-Law:
Which two or three QBs in this draft have, in your view, (i) the best arm, combined with (ii) the best accuracy . . . and then of those two or three, how would you order them?
I think of QBs like Trent Green and Kurt Warner — both of whom didn’t make an NFL roster until age 27 and then didn’t blossom until age 28.
Neither was a scrambler. But both were pretty damned accurate. And had pretty good arms. Not great. But pretty good.
hey guys, I just wrote a lengthy mock draft at http://redcupsports.blogspot.com/2013/04/2013-nfl-mock-draft.html and I would love if you guys could check it out and give me some feedback. Thanks!
I kinda love it. A few things I’d have differently, mind. I think the Lions pick Johnson if he’s there at 5 which leaves Ansah to the Browns and draft hell for the Cardinals (I’d have them take Mingo as the best available at a position they’ve got a hole).
Rest of the top-half goes the same as you have it, except Panthers take Richardson and Saints get Star (I’ve been saying for a while that Carolina is the absolute earliest I see him go). Outside of that I can’t really object to any of your picks; they’re all about as realistic as one could hope for in a mock with no trades.
Still hoping Hankins (imo best DT in the draft) falls to us at 35, but I’ve got a horrible feeling that SF or JAX will take him at the top of the second if he starts to fall.
Worst mock ever. You got all 32 picks wrong.
Just kidding. I get that type stuff thrown my way, but almost never get to say it myself. Most of those picks make good sense. Nice touch with the Manti pick.
Worst mock ever eh, how dare you, nfl network media mock draft is taking all comers. BRING IT!
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/media-mock-drafts#pick=1
I’m finding Melissa “I’m here for my football knowledge, honest” Stark to be quite amusing
Thanks guys!
passing Johnson at pick 5 was tough but I just think jim schwarts and obviously jim washburn (no explanation necessary) will take ansah.
haha yeah worst mock ever juuuuust about sums it up.
Re: Impact Players
T-Law:
After QB, which position of the other 21 is — in your opinion — the next most important in terms of having an *impact* player?
The faster this draft comes, the more ambiguous everything gets.
I am pretty confused.
Saw Dion Jordan in an interview on nfl network, with his demeanor he kinda reminded me of a big DRC. Man that dude is lean.
Solomon Wilcots who is in Cleveland just talked about the Browns loving Manuel’s private workout with them. There are a lot of wacky QB rumors/smokescreens whatever you want to call them.
I’d imagine they will take a QB somewhere since Lombardi hates Weeden.
I still think secondary is a pretty big need area. It was so bad that all 4 starters have been replaced. Yet to assume that the position is fixed because we signed the Patriots backup safety and the Rams 3rd CB (or was he 4th??) is ambitious. Additionally, if Kelly really liked Chung and Fletcher wouldn’t he have given them more money/years on contract? Fletcher in particular only signed for 2 years and $5 mill.
I hope the Eagles trust their young players a bit rather than drafting over the top of them: I’m thinking Watkins, Curry, Kendricks, Foles – all below average looking starters RIGHT NOW but I don’t think a draft pick is going to be obviously better.
And I’m a bit surprised that slot WR is the need. If Maclin leaves next year then an outside receiver will be needed. Given that drafting is about future needs, I would have thought a future outside WR more important than a slot guy. And a tall guy to complement DeSean’s lack of height.
I dont see how we can keep two blocking recievers in Avant and Cooper(one has to go)
If we could count on a big kid like Benn, with that YAC ability to stay healthy, it would be much easier to part with Mac
In fairness, though, most Rams fans wanted Fletcher to start and were pretty pissed he never got used properly. Doesn’t necessarily mean much, but we can’t just be assuming he’s a scrub (I actually like him better than Cary Williams).
I’m not sure if you guys are also seeing this recent trend, but I feel as if CB, once a premier position, has begun to be viewed as a second tier position. There appears to be a lack of star players at the position league-wide and less emphasis on obtaining star players at the CB position by front offices. Aside from Revis, I can’t really name many star CBs still playing. Nnamdi is a shell of his former self, Asante has plenty of warts and have had two separate teams say no thank you to 6-7 picks per year, because of them, Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson are ancient. Do the names Ike Taylor, Jonathan Joseph, Cortland Finnegan or Carlos Rogers really scream Star Talent? It seems to me that with the new rules, that essentially make it impossible for a WR to do the job of covering/shutting down a WR, the essential skill set for a starting CB is to be athletic enough to keep pace with most WRs speed and to be able to consistently tackle a WR after the catch to prevent big gains. If a CB has good ball skills and can get their hands on 3-5 INTs per year, that’s money in the bank. These skills are not something, however, that I think are hard to find. I feel confident that most teams can find an Ike Taylor or a Carlos Rogers or Cortland Finnegan. Further, even a shut down corner like Revis who takes away an entire offensive weapon game long, is starting to be marginalized as teams go to more 3 and 4 WR sets, move their players around the formation, have two TEs, ect. Play making CBs are just too easy to avoid. And, thus…I’m starting to see a trend of devaluing the position of CB. I’d argue that safety, a once maligned position a decade or so ago, has now become a more vital position and certainly a position where it’s more difficult to fill the requisite skill set.
I don’t have a problem getting a CB and Safety in the 3rd/4th rounds if the safeties don’t fall to them at 35. There is a lot of talk today about Reid and Elam going in the first in addition to Vaccaro and Cyprien could also go.
There are a ton of corners in the 2nd to mid 3rd and even some promising 4th round prospects also so unless a Trufant falls to 35, I don’t see a corner that really stands out enough. I like Jamar Taylor but I watched a lot of video on him recently and he gives a little bit of cushion (Not a lot) and I think the other corners are pretty close to him. I heard Slay has a knee injury today.
I dont have a problem, just loading up on 7th round safeties, and hope to hit on 2: Coop Tay, Rontez Miles, Dex McCoil, and Robert Lester………then again, I also like the idea of Taking Poyer and turning him into a safety
I like Poyer a lot in the right draft spot though I’m pretty skeptical the Eagles would see him as a press corner.
PANUT TILMAN(my fav corner probably of all time, and Im not some young 20yr old)…Richard Sherm
Interesting that Baldi thinks Long and Armstead will be better than Fish and Joek, who he thinks will struggle with the athletic pro pass rushers….on a side note, McShay,Kiper, and SalPal are pretty pathetic. Their lack of draft knowledge is baffling. They are simply puppets for 32 GM’s…I think Listening to Merril Reese talk about the draft is more insightful than those 3 baboons..where the Hell would we be without the Ty laws and Jimmy Keps of Philly? How can Kiper even show his face the day after the draft?
I don”t listen to baldy about anything
Its alot harder to cover 32 teams than just 1.
yeah I get that! But I expect the man who created this industry not to be mocking Manti Teo as the #1 pick in the draft 3 friggin months ago
Just curious with all of our guidelines on height if that holds true for Kendricks. He looks to have potential, but was he so good we overlook his height or is height a non factor for ILB? Seems odd to me that an inch or two can make that much a difference…get that you cannot teach height and height has advantages, but is a 6’5 guy with a 32″ VJ better than a 6’3 guy with a 40″ VJ?
E.J. Manuel tweeting “The Eagles want me pretty badly”. Don’t like players doing that.
yeah the kid has alot to learn…nothing good can come of this. Its ok to say he wants to come here, although I wouldnt have recommended it…but to be talking like this can only set you up to look dum,b
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