Looking at Some OLBs

Posted: February 26th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 105 Comments »

The Eagles could use an OLB or two. On Monday they had a chance to see some pretty good ones.

Khalil Mack (6-3, 251) put on a show and looked like a high pick. I don’t think the Eagles would have a chance to move up for him without paying a ridiculously high price and as good as Mack is, I don’t think he’s that level of “Must Have Him” player. He ran 4.65 and had a 40-inch vertical jump. That’s the kind of speed and explosion you want at OLB, especially in the 3-4. Mack was good, but a bit sloppy in the drills. Does he go before Jadeveon Clowney? Never thought I’d seriously ask that question.

Anthony Barr had a very good workout. He measured in at 6-5, 255, which is bigger than I expected. I’m sure Chip Kelly is in love with that frame. Barr almost matched Mack in the 40, running a 4.66. He only posted 34.5 in the VJ. Barr had an outstanding 3-cone time of 6.82. That is great agility for a tall, longer player. That agility shows up on tape as you see him bend and dip by OL when he’s pass rushing. Barr could be a Top 5 pick or he could slide to pick 15. I don’t think he gets anywhere close to 22. The Eagles could move up for him, depending upon how far he falls. If Barr makes it outside the Top 10, the price might become reasonable. The question is whether he’s worth giving up a 2nd round pick (possibly more) to get.

At this point, I think both Mack and Barr will be long gone.

One of my personal favorites, Jeremiah Attaochu, wasn’t able to perform. Hopefully he’s back to 100 percent for his Pro Day. The Eagles did get to study him closely at the Senior Bowl so there isn’t as much mystery with him.

Marcus Smith weighed in at 251, which is 7 pounds lighter than the Senior Bowl. Some guys do this so they will be faster. He ran 4.68, which is a good time. He had a 35-inch VJ, which is good. The one area where Smith struggled was the 3-cone. He came in at 7.48. That needs to be down closer to 7.00-7.15. I didn’t get to see his on-field workouts yet, but I’m still a fan of his.

Chris Smith from Arkansas is shorter than what Kelly wants at just 6-1, but he has 34-inch arms and that helps to make up for the lack of height. Chris had a similar workout to Marcus. He ran 4.71 and had a VJ of 37 inches. His 3-cone time was 7.55, which isn’t good for an edge rusher.

Dee Ford chose not to work out. He did measure in at 6-2, 252, which is up 9 pounds from the Senior Bowl. I’m disappointed that he didn’t workout. Makes you wonder if that added weight was the right kind.

I was surprised with the numbers Adrian Hubbard put up. He measured in at 6-6, 257 and ran a 4.69. That’s faster than I would have guessed for him. He had a VJ of 38.5, showing way more explosion than I expected. He wasn’t explosive on tape. I definitely need to watch more of him.

Kyle Van Noy came in at 6-3, 243. He ran 4.71, which isn’t great for someone at that weight. His VJ was just 32.5 inches. His 3-cone was 7.22, which isn’t impressive for a guy his size. That’s a pedestrian showing. Not bad, but it didn’t help him at all. I like Van Noy, but not as a pass rusher. I value him as an ILB or as The Jack, Connor Barwin’s spot. Van Noy is a better football player than athlete. He could go as high as the 2nd round, but he’s not the answer to the Eagles need for a pass rusher. I would have no problem with the Eagles taking him and using him as an ILB and backup OLB.

James Gayle from Virginia Tech helped himself. Gayle (6-4, 259) ran 4.70. He did 26 reps on the bench. He had a VJ of 37 inches. His 3-cone time of 7.19 is good for his weight. Gayle is more physical than athletic when you watch the game tape. He’s another guy I’ll need to watch some more.

The Missouri guys didn’t fare so well. Both Kony Ealy (4.92) and Michael Sam (4.91) ran poorly in the 40. That’s going to kill Sam, who also didn’t lift or jump well. He measured in at 6-2, 261 and needed to show better athleticism than that. He’s now looking like a 5th or 6th round pick. Ealy is 6-4, 273. He can overcome the poor 40 due to that size. He also had a great 3-cone time, 6.83. Agility and quickness are more important for DL than pure speed. I don’t think the Eagles will be very interested in either guy. Neither looks like a 3-4 OLB.

Some small school kids did stand out.

Larry Webster from Bloomsburg measured in at 6-6, 252. He ran 4.58. That is a great size-speed combo. He had a VJ of 36.5 inches. His 3-cone time of 7.29 wasn’t impressive, but the overall workout got the attention of teams.

Howard Jones is a player I’d never heard of prior to Monday. He went to Shepherd College. Jones is only 6-2, 235, but he showed terrific athleticism. He ran 4.60 and had a VJ of 40.5 inches. His 3-cone time of 7.16 is solid, but was helped by only being 235 pounds. Hopefully we can find some game tape of him. Could be an interesting late round target.

I didn’t cover every OLB prospect, but these are the big names and most interesting guys.

I’ll write about the ILBs in another post. That’s not as big of a need area, but could be one of interest.

_


105 Comments on “Looking at Some OLBs”

  1. 1 Patrick said at 8:24 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Tommy, i thought Dee Ford got a medical scratch from the league and couldn’t work out?

  2. 2 Anthony Hart said at 9:46 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I assume Tommy’s saying he’s disappointed that he didn’t get to see Ford work out, not that he’s disappointed in the player, although a medical scratch isn’t exactly a boon to his draft stock.

  3. 3 Patrick said at 10:09 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    He mentions that Ford CHOSE not to work out, which is not what I have read.

  4. 4 Eric Weaver said at 8:32 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Trent Murphy is another guy to look at. He didn’t do well in the vert and broad but was excellent in the 20 yard and 3 cone. His production on the field proves he can play and he’s much more stout against the run than Barr.

  5. 5 Anders said at 9:20 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Murphy’s 3 cone do not show up on the tape, so that was very suprissing for me. I still do not consider him an OLB, but maybe the Eagles will love his frame and production along with some good combine numbers?

  6. 6 Mitchell said at 9:25 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Plus the fact that with his shaved head he is pretty terrifying.

  7. 7 Anders said at 9:29 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I love the way Murphy plays. I just do not see him as an impact OLB at the NFL level. I think he lacks the ability to dip the corner

  8. 8 Jon said at 9:46 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Yea he has great tape. Think he would be a better fit at the “Jack” backer that Barwin holds down.

  9. 9 Anders said at 9:56 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I do not see Murphy at OLB at all. He be a great 3-4 DE in a Rob Ryan type scheme

  10. 10 D3FB said at 10:03 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Problem is he’s only 250 so he’s too light to even do that.

  11. 11 Jon said at 10:09 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Exactly he should be able to put on another 20 pounds but that’s about it. I’m sure his game can translate to the NFL in some capacity. He’s a smart kid that knows the game of football

  12. 12 D3FB said at 10:13 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I think LDE in a 43 after a year in the weightroom.

  13. 13 Anders said at 1:48 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    yea just noticed he lost weight compared to his listed Stanford weight. 250 is good weight for OLB and if the coaches think he can play, I wouldnt mind him in the 2nd. At worst we convert him to DE like CUrry

  14. 14 Tom W said at 10:53 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I think he dropped a ton of weight for the combine to look faster and more athletic to be considered an olb. but you could tell he lost strength because of his 225 reps were weak and he looked weak up top. those long arms and gigantic though could cause havoc as a 4-3 d end. i agree that atheticism doesn’t show on tape …

    third round prospect

  15. 15 Anders said at 1:47 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    He was 250, so he lost around 15 pound, but 250 is actually more perfect for OLB than his listed at 266.

    Murphy has almost 34 inches arms, so he will never impress in the bench.

  16. 16 D3FB said at 10:12 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Don’t confuse college production with NFL potential. Go back and look at the top 10 sack leaders the last five years. There will be alot of names that will be complete unknowns. DTN was Washingtons career sack leader.

  17. 17 Mac said at 10:01 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Could there be any thought given toward getting another JACK and letting Barwin get more reps rushing the passer? He did have decent success with pass rushing in Houston.

  18. 18 D3FB said at 10:04 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I believe Jimmy did a breakdown back in the summer and a majority of his sacks were some combination of scheme, effort, and coverage.

  19. 19 SteveH said at 10:11 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    He did have that one sack against San Diego where he blew up the RT and sacked Rivers. I think you’re right though Barwin isn’t a guy who is going to get pressure consistently if you ask him to 1 on 1 a tackle who knows he’s coming.

  20. 20 Mac said at 11:18 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I recall reading that now… but i also neglected to type out the other thought in my head which is the fact that we currently have no depth at Barwins spot… whereas we currently have Cole and graham and potentially barwin to.rush the passer.

  21. 21 deg0ey said at 5:53 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I think the breakdown you’re talking about is this one, right? http://blogs.mcall.com/eagles/2013/03/charting-all-of-connor-barwins-2011-sacks.html

    The last paragraph of that one is quite interesting: “Barwin’s sack total in 2011 was completely legitimate. He showed speed, the ability to bull rush, and by far his best feature is any inside move where he can use his lateral quickness. 2011 was not a fluke.”

    And, if anyone’s at all interested, I did a breakdown of his 2012 here http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/3/22/4137316/breakdown-of-barwins-lack-of-production-in-2012

  22. 22 Cliff said at 9:02 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Not a criticism, but aren’t ALL sacks “some combination of scheme, effort, and coverage?” LOL

    Maybe I’d throw “luck” in there too.

  23. 23 Ben Hert said at 10:06 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Am I the only one who thinks this extension for Peters signals a change to guard in the two or three years? Can’t imagine him playing at a LT level for 5 more years, but would be fun to watch at G. I don’t know the details of the contract though so I guess the counter point could be made that it might be a lot of money for a OG. Interesting to see if the details point to something like this maybe.

  24. 24 D3FB said at 10:10 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Without seeing some details of the contract…
    Who the hell let Amaro into the NovaCare?

  25. 25 goeagles55 said at 10:18 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    $19.35 million guaranteed, so I’d speculate that the Eagles are only locked in for 2 or 3 years. Plus, it seems like good tackles last longer than the average skill position player. Not quite a Ruben move, but definitely not a Joe Banner one either.

  26. 26 theycallmerob said at 12:41 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    that includes the 10 from this year. Essentially, a 9.5 guarantee next year. Looks to be a 2 year deal, guaranteeing his money this year (it wasn’t) and next. Better than a banner move IMO

  27. 27 deg0ey said at 6:00 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Reports suggesting they’ve made a $2m cap saving with this move, so my guess is it’ll be three years of guarantees (unless they’re gonna give him the better part of $12m next season)

  28. 28 mksp said at 10:26 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Impossible to compare baseball contracts to football.

    I think its a great move – rewards Peters for an outstanding year coming back from injury, will play well in locker room, and its only $19mm guaranteed, so 2-3 years max. Its not like ~$10mm is above market for a top-5 LT.

  29. 29 Ben Hert said at 10:38 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Fair point. PFF pointed out they had him 4th best LT and 2nd best second half of season. He’s sure to decline, but Peters is a freak, so we’ll see.

  30. 30 Jerry Pomroy said at 10:35 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I’m curious if there is a trade brewing in the background or did they re-sign him to a more cap friendly deal? Seems a very odd thing to come from the Eagles brass in signing a veteran over 30 to a long term extension…hmm?

  31. 31 Cliff said at 9:03 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Per someone commenting up top, the move saves $2 mil in cap space.

  32. 32 anon said at 10:04 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    New sheriff in town.

  33. 33 Jerry Pomroy said at 10:23 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I personally think the jury is out on who the Eagles, and particularly Chip, are holding in high regard for OLB. However, I think if we look towards Kelly’s recent past, there is somewhat of a glimmer of an idea. Just looking back a few years we can see that Kelly not only had Jordan at Oregon, but was clamoring for him to be there at #4, last year. We can probably also draw somewhat of a better picture by looking at who has been brought on since Kelly took the helm (Conner Barwin). So given the info with which we have to work with, it appears that Kelly definitely prefers a longer guy with range & versatility on the outside. Seeing how he not only had Jordan at Oregon, but also wanted him in the pros kinda speaks to him leaning towards that rush OLB being a quick and speedy guy that’s gonna be in the backfield disrupting plays, has the length to bat passes & the athleticism to drop into coverage occasionally.

    I just don’t see him being high on the smaller fireballs (Ford/Attoachu) or the big, slower footed (less athletic) guys like an Ealy & even a Murphy.

    One thing that I do kind of wonder though. With the BPA draft strategy, are we honestly going to select say a guy that may be a square peg to our round hole, just because we have him rated really high as a player and not necessarily as a player that fits what we want to do? For example, the obvious is Barkley last year. But go a step further and you have to think, did we select Ertz not only because he was our highest rated player on the board, but because we liked how he fit? I mean think about it, we signed Casey to basically be that back up pass catching TE & allocated some good money there (money that very well could’ve been spent elsewhere on say…eh em, Safety. Someone with less risk/reward than Smith & Chung).

  34. 34 mtn_green said at 11:03 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Eagles had a good all around TE, celek, and a good FB blocking TE, Casey, but not a nimble fast big wr style TE, Ertz. And two or three TE can be on field at same time. It wasn’t like signing an identical player with a high pick that is gonna sit behind the starter without a chance to play.

  35. 35 Jerry Pomroy said at 5:13 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I think you’re missing the point. I’m trying to figure out whether they’ll just draft whom they have listed as their BPA regardless of current roster & whether that player fits your scheme. Not saying anything about Ertz and whether I liked the pick. But the fact that they selected him after dropping a decent chunk of change on Casey, says that current roster “may” not impact their selection. Barkley tends to lend that they’ll take square peg/round hole if there is value in the player. Let’s not forget as well that they moved up to snag Barkley and their reasoning was that they had him graded much higher and saw value there.

    So the point is if we’re looking at making our selections would we just keep adding based on player rating regardless of how strong you already are at a particular position or whether that guy fits? For example, let’s say that the Eagles are on the clock at #22 & their BPA is a TE or a OT. Do they select the TE knowing full well that they selected a TE last year, signed one in FA & also still have Celek? Or do they select the OT knowing full well that they took one at #4 last year and also just extended their all-pro LT for 5yrs? I mean JP’s deal is probably actually 2-3yrs, but do you see my point? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Not whether the players were good players.

  36. 36 CrackSammich said at 11:39 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    If the BPA is a guy you don’t want/need, you can always trade back…

  37. 37 Jerry Pomroy said at 6:57 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    True, but we haven’t seen that the past two years & we’ve only witnessed one Kelly/Roseman draft. So it’s a possibility. I’m just trying to understand their draft philosophy. Just saying that we draft BPA, doesn’t really tell the full story. It just means they aren’t going to highly over value a player at a position of significant need.

    So let’s say they have a guy (TE or OT to follow my earlier points) graded at an 89 and he’s the “BPA”, but the OLB we have graded at 85 is sitting there & picking him at #22 is of relative value. Do we just say aww screw it, we’re taking another TE or OT, or do we grab that OLB?

  38. 38 James Adair said at 12:16 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    Scheme fit is factored into the rating. If they have Ebron and Martin, as in your example at 89 and the next player on the list is an 85. You can play Ebron/Ertz at WR to replace Avant and you can play Martin at guard and they need OL depth anyway. You could also trade Celek. Or as was stated earlier you can trade back with someone who would overpay if either of those players were still available at 22. Also, they should plug any gaping holes in FA anyway, so that it isn’t necessary to reach at any point in the draft.

  39. 39 Cliff said at 9:05 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    This BPA argument is as old as the chicken vs. egg debate.

  40. 40 Jerry Pomroy said at 10:49 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    No argument. Trying to figure out their strategy. Are they BPA all the way, or do they veer slightly off that course if the player they need is rated pretty close to their highest rated player available.

  41. 41 livingonapear said at 11:55 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    BPA doesn’t necessarily mean blindly taking a player based on their metrics regardless of system fit; BPA is BPA for your team.

  42. 42 SteveH said at 10:24 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Hey Tommy on the subject of pass rushers, I remember you telling a little anecdote a while back about Vernon Gholston. I remember you said that you were sure Gholston was going to be a stud, but you were talking to a scout who thought that Gholston was going to bust. Time has borne out that Gholston isn’t just a bust, but a colossal bust (consider this, Jerome Mcdougle, for all his injuries and getting shot and whatnot, had 3 career sacks. Gholston only played 3 years in the league and finished with *0* sacks).

    However, prior to the draft it seemed like you’d have to be nuts not to think Gholston was going to be a star in the league. He had bigtime production at a bigtime school, he had tremendous production in big games, and his workout was off the charts.

    So I guess my question is, what did that scout see that led him to believe that Gholston was not going to be a good player when virtually every indication was that he was the best pass rusher in the class? What tipped him off and is it something that we can apply to our evaluations of other pass rushers moving forward?

  43. 43 Jerry Pomroy said at 10:31 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I’d be curious of what the answer would be here as well Tommy. Did this scout just have that weird feeling or did he see something in the kid’s game that spoke to the contrary of him being a potential stud?

  44. 44 D3FB said at 10:35 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I can’t speak to Gholston, but I can on Aaron Maybin. I’ve see a few draftniks and former front office people say looking back at Aaron Maybin they should’ve seen alot more red flags. Maybin had a hell of a speed rush. But that was it. He had no bull move and no real counter. His game was based purely on speed and had no power element to it, and he was rail thin for a DE.

  45. 45 SteveH said at 11:52 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    I could be wrong but wasn’t Maybin taken ahead of where a lot of draftniks were projecting him to go? I seem to recall thinking that some pass rush needy team was reaching to take him… 11th I think? Either way its interesting to hear front office types admitting that they probably put the blinders on and got tunnel vision. Speaks to how important it is to get a good pass rusher, that you can talk yourself into the Aaron Maybins of the world.

  46. 46 Tom W said at 10:50 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    Hubbard is a giant dog. I really hope we don’t get lured in. Hopefully Stoutland gets the real scoop from bama coaches.

    Really can’t do a complete olb evaluation until we see Dee Ford’s and Atta-Boys prodays and see how they run but more importantly 3-cone, broad jump and 20. Could be there difference between looking at both of them at 22, 40 or 55.

    Big fan of Atta-boy and Marcus Smith. I think Atta-boy is the better edge rusher and has more potential getting to the qb, but Marcus will be the more complete olb because of his smarts as a former qb and his uncanny read-reaction time.

    Don’t sleep on Ronnie Powell either from Florida Tommy … number one recruit in the country out of high school as a te and olb by Meyer. played well his freshman year at FLORIDA and tore his acl at spring game before soph year. came back junior year and played well but not great. had a god complex but maybe the injury changed him. put up good combine numbers. I would take a shot on him in the 5th certainly or 6th if still there.

  47. 47 ACViking said at 11:14 AM on February 26th, 2014:

    T-Law:

    This post is 991 words of high octane off-season Eagles’ fuel.

    Outstanding.

  48. 48 Patrick said at 1:25 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    He failed to mention Clowney and he only wrote 4 sentences about Michael Sam. NFL Network will not be calling since Tommy also lacked a lot of words on Manti Teo in the last draft. How will they draw viewers, by actually talking about, i don’t know, football? Silly ACViking, the mob doesn’t want football on the NFL network, they want TMZ journalism and “experts” discussing Chip the college boy and how much he will fail next season since the coaches have seen his gimmick plays.

    On a more serious note, i can’t imagine how i get exited for the draft without T-law. Deserves a name on the Eagles honor roll, or at least a dining hall named after him at App State.

  49. 49 ACViking said at 1:41 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    P–

    well done

  50. 50 RobNE said at 2:29 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    this description sounds like the coverage of the Olympics. 45 minute back story, 2 minutes of sports. Rinse and repeat.

  51. 51 Patrick said at 2:50 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    We probably didn’t have the same coverage of the Olympics since I’m in Denmark, but I just remember last years draft. Once we reached the 15th pick, Rich Eisen(who I actually like) started talking about Manti Te’o and it got old real fast. Why is it they(NFL Network) couldn’t understand that Te’o was a mediocre prospect and has a play style thats fading quickly in the NFL and is playing a position that becoming less valuable by the minute and that the whole “drama” was irrelevant and old news, which it had been for the what, last month or so?
    I fear the exact same thing happening to Michael Sam, and I just don’t find it interesting. He is gay, I get it, I don’t care. Nevertheless I imagine that when we reach the 3rd day, the only storyline that the network find interesting will be when will Sam go, how will he fit in etc. and I could not be less interested.

  52. 52 RobNE said at 3:37 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I think like the Olympics the network figures the people that care anyway (like us for the draft) are watching no matter what, but the soap opera type stories can keep the other people watching.

  53. 53 Cliff said at 9:09 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    The “problem” is, ESPN and NFL Network have a lot of time to fill and need to keep the “casual” viewer tuned in. They do that by talking the popular topics to death. The rest of us are left to dig all over the internet for the important stuff.

  54. 54 Cliff said at 9:07 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    He mentioned Clowney in the 2nd paragraph. Lawlor must’ve gone back and edited for the web hits.

  55. 55 ChaosOnion said at 12:37 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10519888/jason-peters-philadelphia-eagles-agree-513-million-contract

    Locking up Peters for the next 5 years at $51M.

  56. 56 eagleyankfan said at 1:19 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    quality stuff — thank you…

  57. 57 austinfan said at 1:22 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    For edge rushers, the jumps and short shuttle are more important than the cone drill, the short shuttle is a test of the ability to drop weight and cut sharply, similar to what outside rushers do, while the cone drill is more general agility, and seems to correlate more to DTs and DBs (DTs don’t make sharp cuts, but they do need to shift their weight and be light on their feet).

    Eagles seem to like LBs who can get the SS under 4.20, Mack, Barr and Van Noy all hit that mark, unfortunately, they didn’t seem to test (or report) the SS for the DEs. Kennard, Bradford and Shembo were around 4.30.

    Jordan Tripp (Montana) put up some amazing workout numbers, 3.96 SS, 6.89 cone, 37″ VT, 10′ LJ, but at 6’3 234, needs to add 10 lbs to play WOLB.

  58. 58 Anders said at 1:42 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    actually 3 cone is widely regarded as the most important for pass rushers

  59. 59 Insomniac said at 1:53 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I’d have to disagree. I want my edge rushers to get after the QB. Proving that you can go fast from sideline from sideline doesn’t tell me that you can get past the OT or slip through gaps.

  60. 60 Vick or Nick said at 2:12 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Barr and Mack are both top 10 picks at this point.

    Pass Rushers are at a premium in the NFL.

    The foundation of a great team always starts with:
    1. Quarterback
    2. Pass Rusher
    3. Left Tackle

    Those are also the most coveted players in every draft.

    I really wish the Eagles were picking at #4 this year than last year.

    Having said that, I really believe that when the draft gets to #22, the value players will be Corners and WR’s (Unless either Pryor or Clinton-Dix last till 22). There’s plenty of depth at these positions, that we should be able to get a player that could have been a top 10 player in last years draft.

    The Corners and Receivers show cased some of the best speed-size combos in a very long time. I would be more than happy to see Eagles walk away with one in the first round.

  61. 61 anon said at 8:55 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Corner situation was soo deep at the combine we can go 3rd round or later and take a developmental guy that’s going to be a beast. I think we need better CB coaching, but whatever.

    I think secondary it’s not worth taking in the first round — that position is so much about communication and knowing the scheme / players that I think all of those guys need to be coached up.

  62. 62 Vick or Nick said at 2:19 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Also I really hope Eagles are able to swing Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry for some decent draft picks. I liked each player at a certain point in time, but based on how much time they got on the field its easy to note they aren’t going to be a factor in the future.

    Wish there were more trade chips, maybe Jason Avant?

    It will be hard to find teams that are willing to give up draft picks.

    At best, I believe Graham can net a 4th rounder and based on playing time, etc. and future 5th rounder.

    Curry may net a 5th rounder with future consideration.

    Avant maybe 5th or 6th.

    It’s not great value for what the Eagles spent esp with Graham but its important to accept reality rather than just hoping for things to change.

  63. 63 mksp said at 2:37 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Nobody is trading anything for Avant. He’s frankly worth more to the Eagles than anyone else for his leadership.

    Graham / Curry / Bryce Brown are probably your best bets.

  64. 64 anon said at 8:35 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Yeah hopefully all of those guys get moved — lots of teams need a RB.

  65. 65 Vick or Nick said at 2:24 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I am on record saying this since last season:

    My preferred choice at #22, if possible:

    WR Kelvin Benjamin 6’5 240 4.5 unofficial (4.61 but who cares) speed.

    He would be a game changer on our offense.

  66. 66 Media Mike said at 5:25 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    His hands and concentration, or lack therof, are major red flags for me. Gil Brandt, on Sirius last month, said Benjamin was a guy who you’d need to spend a full year teaching how to be an NFL WR while also keeping him away from off of the field issues. He could be the best WR talent in this draft, but some of that stuff scares me.

  67. 67 Cliff said at 9:12 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I’ll jump on this bandwagon.

  68. 68 Phils Goodman said at 2:50 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    The drop-off after Barr and Mack looks so steep right now. I think both have the potential skills to dominate as every-down players. I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss either one as a must-have player just yet. Each of them is arguably better than any prospect from last year’s class. Moving into the top 10 is probably too hard, but with such a stacked board, some great prospects are bound to fall. The question is if anyone would be willing to take a 2015 pick. Hate to give up picks in this draft.

  69. 69 Anders said at 2:58 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    A lot of draftnicks (take it for what it is worth) have Barr dropping as far as 20 to the Cards. If Barr drops father than 15, I cant see how we stay put. He is simply to much of a perfect prospect for us.

  70. 70 Patrick said at 3:05 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Agreed, i have a HUGE man crush on Barr. He just has sooooooo much potential.

  71. 71 Phils Goodman said at 3:07 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I think part of it has to do with the draft community projecting Barr as a top-10 pick for nearly a year, getting bored with him, over-critiquing and seeing a bunch of shiny new toys around this time of year. I’d be very pleasantly surprised if something like that actually happened on draft day, but not counting on it. His size/speed/skill combo is just too good.

  72. 72 Anders said at 3:10 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    well both Star and Floyd dropped last year and they was darlings from a lot of people. So one never know

  73. 73 Phils Goodman said at 3:17 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    I think Floyd may have been a medical thing (knee) and I thought Star’s upside had been a little overrated.

  74. 74 anon said at 8:34 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    No Kony Ealy fans?

  75. 75 Phils Goodman said at 1:09 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    It’s not even clear to me that Ealy is anything but a DE in the league.

  76. 76 theycallmerob said at 8:02 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    lest we not forget Sheldon Richardson as well

  77. 77 holeplug said at 8:09 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Star had that health issue with his heart at the combine

  78. 78 Anders said at 3:14 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/46337/349/peshek-sack-study-10

    must read imo

  79. 79 Phils Goodman said at 3:31 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Almost 80% speed sacks for Barr is incredible. Shows he quickly beats the tackle on his own and isn’t getting numbers by capitalizing on pressure created by others.

  80. 80 Anders said at 3:33 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    It also shows that once he get more moves how crazy scary he can be

  81. 81 anon said at 8:12 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Yeah i took the opposite view — that he must have no moves, either he beats them with speed or not at all really.

    Ealy’s numbers look better to me — equally spread between speed and regular. But maybe you’re view is right.

  82. 82 Insomniac said at 10:42 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    He has zero instincts. Watch his tape. If I were Howie, I’d take Ealy completely off my board unless he’s there in the 5th.

  83. 83 Anders said at 4:47 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    I like Ealy as well and I can he can play OLB, but he think he goes before Barr

  84. 84 Jerry Pomroy said at 10:04 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    That’s all good if we were still running a 4-3, but Ealy does not do well enough in space to be a ROLB. Not only is he limited athletically, but as Insomniac noted just below, he’s not great instinctively. One other thing that I notice about Ealy’s play that screams 4-3 DE, is that he’s NOT a high motor/effort guy if the sack is no longer there. Yeah, he’ll chase the play, but he somewhat lollygags it & let’s his teammates make the play. We need a guy that can chase down the line in the backfield and bring down the RB/QB from the backside.

    The ROLB in the 3-4 needs to be an athlete with some range. That’s not Ealy. You can always teach a physically gifted athlete technique or add strength, but you can’t make what I like to call a mush rusher, into a gifted athlete.

  85. 85 Jerry Pomroy said at 11:22 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    More moves, strength & the aid of others would benefit him immensely as he’s practically been doing it all by his lonesome at UCLA, albeit rather efficiently (quickly). Hmm, just wondering if Chip would salivate over the fact that not only is Barr getting there, but getting there so quickly that he’s basically giving the offense more time on the field with which to work with.

  86. 86 Jerry Pomroy said at 11:17 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    That was a great read! I’ll have to keep that for reference going fwd.

  87. 87 Anders said at 4:02 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/article.php?article=bloommanzielrecord

    best breakdown of Manziel I have ever read.

  88. 88 ACViking said at 6:01 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    your supply of links continues to impress. great material.

  89. 89 Anders said at 4:49 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    I do my best

  90. 90 GEAGLE said at 5:07 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    No Trent Murphy love? I was pleasenty surprised with how he was moving at the combine. Looked like a real OLB and not just another stiff Bjoern Werner DE type…I was under the assumption that he wouldn’t be able to play OLB, but after the combine, I think he is definitely another option for us

    But Marcus Daaaaarling is top on my wish list after Barr..Attaboy comes in at 3

  91. 91 GEAGLE said at 5:09 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Did not expect the browns to cut Dqwell Jackson, this is bad news for hoping Ward hits the market…Monday is the last day for the franchise Tag…fingers crossed boys or we will be stuck with Malcom Jenkins
    ..
    Word is the skins like Mike Mitchell which means he can’t play lol
    ..
    Niners have too many picks, they will have to trade some. Hopefully Gamble can get Baalke to do business. They moved up last year to replace Goldson, hopefully they like one of the safeties(Pryor could fall to 22 after the combine) enough to trade up. Cowboys got the 74th pick letting Niners trade up for Reid..If CJ Mosely makes it past GB, they could be interested in trading up for some Navarro Bowman injury insurance

  92. 92 anon said at 8:01 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    i’d take d’qwell over ryans, but yeah they probably are going to pay ward and maybe even pay some more high priced players — surprising cut considering how good dqwell is and their cap space.

  93. 93 Dragon_Eagle said at 7:49 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    At what point is it OK to panic over the fact that the Eagles have not resigned Donnie Jones yet?

  94. 94 A_T_G said at 9:09 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    He was a one-year deal, so they can’t resign him until FA starts, right?

  95. 95 A_T_G said at 9:28 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    That said, panic is still an appropriate reaction at this point.

  96. 96 Jerry Pomroy said at 9:37 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    Agreed. Once they saw how well he was punting towards the end of the year, they should’ve extended him a year & just locked that up.

  97. 97 Anders said at 4:48 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    correct

  98. 98 Alex Karklins said at 8:49 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    It seems like the premium OLB prospects will be long gone before the 22nd pick. What do you think of FSU’s Christian Jones as a prospect? He’s listed as an ILB, but has play making ability as an edge rusher. I can see him as a key contributor off the bench at all LB spots, perhaps growing into a starting role down the line. Chip loves versatility . . .

  99. 99 Alex Karklins said at 9:03 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    My favorite Fanspeak Mock Draft so far:

    22 S HA’SEAN CLINTON-DIX (ALABAMA)
    54 ILB CHRISTIAN JONES (FLORIDA STATE)
    86 DE MARCUS SMITH (LOUISVILLE)
    118 C MARCUS MARTIN (USC)
    150 RB DE’ANTHONY THOMAS (OREGON)
    157 QB DAVID FALES (SAN JOSE STATE)
    214 CB DONTAE JOHNSON (NORTH CAROLINA STATE)

    Matt Barkley finds himself in the middle of a Foles-Fales sandwich.

  100. 100 Jerry Pomroy said at 9:33 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    The only thing missing is a WR being taken. Not so sure that Smith lasts all the way until the bottom end of the 3rd rd. But I like the pick.

  101. 101 Alex Karklins said at 11:53 AM on February 27th, 2014:

    Yeah, The Fanspeak engine is probably not as accurate as it could be with regard to BPA and need for each team, but it’s still fun to play with.

    I agree that Smith would likely be gone at that position, in real life. I count DAT as a WR/RB pick, and was operating on the assumption that both Cooper and Maclin would be brought back. I also think DAT and Fales go earlier than the 5th round. It’s just nice to see things fall perfectly to the Eagles in this scenario.

  102. 102 anon said at 8:58 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    The fact that Dqwell is on the market makes me want to cut Ryans — bad i know — but that’d be a definite upgrade. I also wouldn’t mind asking Kendricks to take a seat.

  103. 103 Cliff said at 9:17 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Oh man, I don’t think so. If you look at the stats (admit I didn’t watch any Browns football), Ryans and Jackson are close. In fact, you could make the argument that Ryans had the better stats last season, so that combined with his role as a leader on our defense makes him the better choice if you ask me. I’d be in favor of bringing competition to challenge Mychal Kendricks and keep him motivated to improve.

  104. 104 A_T_G said at 9:23 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    As a Bloomsburg alum, I’ll be rooting for the small school guy. Any thoughts on what round he is projected to be picked?

  105. 105 anon said at 10:17 PM on February 26th, 2014:

    Great breakdown by Roto of second tier WRs. Landry seems like the man.

    http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/46136/349/out-of-the-box