Mac is Back

Posted: February 28th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 124 Comments »

The Eagles continued their spending spree on Friday as Jeremy Maclin signed a 1-year deal to remain with the team. This has been a great week for the Eagles. They were able to extend Jason Peters and Jason Kelce, while re-signing Riley Cooper and Maclin. All 4 are key players and should be a big part of an elite offense in 2014.

Maclin told the media that he talked to the Eagles about signing a 5-year deal, but the two sides could not come to an agreement on money. That is an interesting nugget. If the Eagles talked to him about a long deal, the money had to at least be decent. Would the Eagles really commit big money to Maclin, Cooper and DeSean on long term deals? That would have been a lot of resources going to WR.

As it is, the Eagles have a lot of money invested there for 2014. Chip Kelly used a lot of 3-WR sets in 2013 and could be hoping to do even more of that this year. The other possibility is that Kelly could be looking to substitute his WRs more often. The offense played at a quick tempo last year,  but you got the feeling they could be even faster. The lack of WR depth meant that Cooper and DeSean had to play a ton of snaps. If Kelly can rotate the players and keep them a bit fresher, that might help the offense.

There were times when the offense bogged down in the 2nd half. You wonder if the WRs wore down at all during games and if that had any effect. This is just me shooting out some random ideas, not really offering definitive theories.

It will be interesting to see how Kelly uses his WRs this season. Who will line up where? Which guys will play the most snaps? Who will have the most catches? And so on. We’ll learn a lot and get some ideas on how these guys fit into the future.

Mac says he will continue talking to the team to see if they can work something out. He wants to stay here. What offensive player wouldn’t want to stay? Kelly is an offensive guru. The O-line is good. Shady is arguably the best RB in the league. Nick Foles is a young QB that could become a huge star. If I’m a pass catcher, the Eagles are where I want to be. There will be lots of chances for big plays.

I do think Mac can thrive in this offense. He has good speed and is a solid deep receiver. Mac has RAC skills and can be effective on WR screens. The big test for him will be physicality. Jimmy Bama gave him the nickname of “Self-Tacklin’ Jeremy Maclin” for a reason. The guy went down way too easily in 2012. Chip Kelly won’t tolerate that. I think playing for Kelly will bring out the best in Mac. We saw other players step their game up last year and Mac is a high character guy. I think the new vibe on the team will push him in the right direction.

The physicality also ties in to blocking. Mac must be aggressive and physical. DeSean was an effective blocker last year and is 25 pounds lighter than Mac. The Eagles are now a running team and also use a lot of bubble screens. It is crucial for WRs to block. Mac has to produce in this category if he does want to stay long term.

All this week’s moves have me fired up for 2014 and the offseason.

* * * * *

The hot rumor of the day involves Dolphins DE/LB Dion Jordan.

Jason La Canfora reported that Miami is shopping Jordan.

A year after trading up to get Dion Jordan with the third overall pick in the draft, the Dolphins have begun shopping him to other clubs, league sources said. Miami has talked to other teams already to gauge Jordan’s trade value.

And

Jordan did not click with the coaches last season, he had to play through a very difficult shoulder injury, and was not seen as a strong fit in their scheme (he’s an edge rusher that best fits a 3-4 defense).

The man who drafted Jordan (former GM Jeff Ireland) is gone, so it might be time for Jordan to move on as well. With Koa Misi and Olivier Vernon occupying defensive end spots with Miami in its 4-3 scheme, finding playing time for Jordan might be tough barring injury.

Jordan’s return time from a shoulder injury limited his progress, and with rookie compensation so low, it is easy to trade even first-round picks (the 49ers and Chiefs swapped recent first-round picks last year, for instance, and the Browns traded Trent Richardson to the Colts).

Jordan should be an Eagles target, assuming that his shoulder is okay and that Kelly likes him. Kelly said a bunch of positive things about Jordan last year, but you don’t know how much of that was PR fluff and how much was legit praise for his former star player.

Originally I thought pick 22 and Brandon Graham would be a fair price to pay for Jordan, but if Miami is shopping him, the Eagles might be able to get a better deal. I’d be ecstatic if they could give Graham and a 2nd rounder for Jordan. In a fantasy world, the Eagles would then use pick 22 on a good DB and would give the defense a major boost.

The Dolphins denied the report that they were shopping their players around.

I had my doubts about this situation, but can you really be surprised by anything happening with the Dolphins these days?

_


124 Comments on “Mac is Back”

  1. 1 Weapon Y said at 11:12 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    Jordan will likely be better than any OLB available at Pick #22. If he doesn’t turn out to be a good pass rusher (my biggest concern due to his lack of production in college and Miami), he’ll at least be a second Connor Barwin which isn’t the worst thing. Better yet, we don’t have to make any substitutions in our nickel package and Boykin can be a starting outside CB. Jordan can move from OLB to nickel CB when we use a 3-3-5 front look. I’m leaning towards favoring a trade to get him.

  2. 2 TheRogerPodacter said at 11:33 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    kind of makes you wonder if Chip will want to go with another versatile guy over a (potential) elite pass rusher

  3. 3 Weapon Y said at 11:37 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    The thing is he still COULD be an elite pass rusher. It’s just a major projection at this point. He has all of the pieces you look for (he uses a variety of hand moves and is very fast). Like Kendricks, I think he plays a little out of control at times. I’m hoping he really is 260 lbs. like the Dolphins roster says.

  4. 4 Amber Jack said at 3:20 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Jordan will not be able to play nickel corner in the nfl. He is versatile and give you make coverage options but nickle corner no way. I would love to get one of the safety prospects in the draft who can also play nickel like fsus joyner or brooks

  5. 5 the guy said at 11:19 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    I can confirm that I trust anything that Jason La Canfora writes.
    http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/21553122/monday-observations-scrutiny-now-settling-on-shaky-eagles-gm

  6. 6 Joe Minx said at 11:27 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    Normally I wouldn’t trust him either but Louis Riddick tweeted that he’s known about them shopping Jordan for weeks now, & he’s a pretty reliable guy.

    Trade Graham & a 2nd for Jordan, grab the best DB on the board at 22, & I’m a VERY happy guy.

  7. 7 Weapon Y said at 11:30 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    Miami might decide they want an O-Lineman. Allen Barbre is someone who I think is good enough to start for other teams. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Dolphins asked the Eagles to include Barbre in the deal.

  8. 8 Insomniac said at 11:39 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    Barbre has no value.

  9. 9 Weapon Y said at 11:41 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    A backup guard/tackle who played very well last year has no value for a team that is desperate to replace at least 4 of its starting o-linemen in one offseason? Yeah, right.

  10. 10 Insomniac said at 11:42 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    A old journeyman who looked decent and will likely be on the streets again soon? Yeah ok.

  11. 11 Weapon Y said at 11:44 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    If they don’t look for cheap replacements, their alternative is Danny Watkins. That’s a very good reason to get a guy like Barbre (who is 29, not that old, and a journeyman a lot like Evan Mathis was). I’d hate to give Barbre up myself, but I’m just saying it would be logical for Miami to try to fill one of those four vacancies on their o-line ASAP.

  12. 12 Insomniac said at 11:51 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    He turns 30 this year, washed out with 3 teams that badly needed OL, and looked average for a few games with us. Sounds like Mathis’s story but hasn’t shown anything near that level of play.

  13. 13 Amber Jack said at 3:12 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    He played above average when he wad in. I thought he looked good and both Tommy and Jimmy Kempski had positive reviews of his play. Sometimes it takes o line men time to find the right coach and system as well as find what training and works for them.

  14. 14 Insomniac said at 11:36 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    Trading for Jordan will be playing with fire if the Dolphins demand anything higher than a 4th round pick. There’s way too many concerns with Jordan at this point for me to even consider trading a first or even a second round pick for him. Stud pass rushers are worth a first but Jordan hasn’t shown anything near that at Miami.

    I’m starting to think that I’m the only one who wants a pure edge rusher. I’d rather wait to see how Ford,Attaochu and Marcus Smith do at their pro days. I’d rather see what it would take to trade up for Khalil Mack than trade our picks for Jordan.

  15. 15 Mitchell said at 1:23 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I think this opinion is very fair. How would you feel if the Eagles drafted two rushers in this draft after trading down and then selected two more WR’s?

  16. 16 Insomniac said at 1:34 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I would be fine with that. Adding to a strength and trying to build a core is what teams should do. Depending on who the players are, I would probably be amazed.

  17. 17 Mitchell said at 1:56 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Lets say we get both Attochau and Smith plus Martavius Bryant and Moncrief. I’m down for that.

  18. 18 Insomniac said at 6:28 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I’m not a huge fan of Moncrief. I’d rather take Cody Latimer a round later and the BPA where we’ll take Moncrief.

  19. 19 76mustang said at 5:24 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Tom Gamble called Dion a 3-4 stud – Dion knows Chip’s systems and the culture differences couldn’t be more opposite. Chip and Coach Azz know more about Dion than any other coaches. Put Dion in our sports science program and watch him reach his full potential. Billy Davis would be smiling for months if we could pull this off…

  20. 20 Insomniac said at 6:20 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I’m tired of this “if” game with people who want Jordan. Besides his combine, what do you have to prove that he can be a stud here? A rumor from one beat writer?

  21. 21 deg0ey said at 9:12 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what any of us think – the team will do whatever they think best.

    If Gamble really thinks Jordan is a 3-4 stud, then I’d be totally on board with trading whatever it takes to get him – Gamble knows the 3-4 and we definitely need a stud OLB.

  22. 22 theycallmerob said at 6:44 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    ^ this. What if Davis explicitly does not want a pure rush passer?
    Don’t you think Cole would have done much better in that case? Why did Davis have so many hybrid looks, blitzing Boykin and Chung on occasion? I think he’s a much bigger fan of JACK-type OLBs on both sides, with some good pass rushing skills but (more importantly) the ability for both guys to do either/or on any given down. And to me, the most damning evidence was all the a-gap/ILB blitzing.
    I’d take Jordan in a heartbeat, for a 2nd or Graham/3rd, and some other trade concoctions. Also have to think really hard about a 1st (but for me, in this draft…tough)

  23. 23 D3FB said at 9:31 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    At the same time what do you have to prove Ford, Smith or Attachou can be studs? They are all still extremely unknown quantities. Dion was injured and in a bad situation, so I would argue his first year is a wash, throw out the tape kind of situation. With that said who has the higher ceiling? Dion’s ceiling is lightyears away from Ford Smith or Attachou, and I’m a huge fan of marcus.

  24. 24 Insomniac said at 4:01 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I agree that Jordan has the highest ceiling of the 4 but this is where our opinions differentiate. You could use the same excuse for the rookies too since they have little to none experience in the 34. Maybe I just like the insurance of having a pure edge rusher against a cover guy that might have progressed enough at rushing the passer.

  25. 25 D3FB said at 4:24 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Dion had 45 career sacks at Oregon. His ability to cover was considered a rare asset yes, but he wasn’t considered at top 5 pick because he lacked the ability to rush the passer. Dion can do what all those other guys can but has the added dimension of coverage, not a coverage guy who can rush a bit.

  26. 26 holeplug said at 4:42 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    He had 14.5 career sacks at oregon

  27. 27 Insomniac said at 5:16 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Typo? Dion had 14.5 sacks at Oregon. He is far better at coverage than rushing the QB.

  28. 28 D3FB said at 6:34 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Good catch, I was looking at games played not sacks. I still contend he is far from a slouch in the rushing department. Mayock said he was two years of development away from being Aldon Smith 2.0. The Dolphins drafted him into a 43 not because of his value as a coverage player(why he failed is a whole other matter).

  29. 29 76mustang said at 4:34 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    The proof will be “if” the Eagles are able and decide to bring him on board. Then it will be the organization speaking – everything else is mere speculation and opinion, something to occupy the long off-season.

    Speaking of linebackers (and safeties), two of the best posts on the safety and linebacker draft class I’ve found:

    http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014/3/1/5459504/2014-nfl-combine-tale-of-the-tape-linebackers-dallas-cowboys

  30. 30 Andy124 said at 11:49 PM on February 28th, 2014:

    I have only one response:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w&feature=kp

  31. 31 knighn said at 12:03 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Miami has been such a mess. Wouldn’t blame Jordan and his agent for wanting another team. You can guarantee that one of the first questions Jordan will get will be about Jonathan Martin / Richie Incognito / bullying.

  32. 32 planetx1971 said at 12:16 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I would love to get him. Providing he’s got the potential we all were thinkin last year. I near had a stroke when Miami moved up to grab Jordan at #3. Especially being a 4-3 D. I think Jordan was too for that matter. When they moved up, given that they needed a LT I said “there goes Lane Johnson”! I would be fine with Graham & our pick. How’s their RB stable? How about we give them Brandon Graham, Bryce Brown & IF WE HAVE TO, a conditional pick next year based on Jordan’s performance?

  33. 33 ICDogg said at 12:25 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Compensation aside, how would you use Jordan? If you put him in for Cole, how much better are we?

  34. 34 Mitchell said at 1:22 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Use Jordan on passing downs?

  35. 35 holeplug said at 4:46 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I dunno that’s what Miami tried last year with him and he had 2 sacks all year

  36. 36 Mitchell said at 5:12 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Cause he was in a 4-3 and couldn’t use his speed off the edge?

  37. 37 theycallmerob said at 1:26 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    ^ this. all this talk about compensation options, yet Jordan has done nothing to show he’s more valuable than a 2nd (let alone a 1st, or any other pick) in this draft. I’m just not there yet with these rumors

  38. 38 ICDogg said at 1:30 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I wasn’t really trying to make a statement there, just trying to understand how he fits in. He seems to be more in the Barwin mold than in the edge rusher mold and I’m not sure how that would work.

  39. 39 theycallmerob said at 6:50 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    The problem is his NFL production. He seemed a project even in a 34. The 43 alone caused him enough problems. Factor in the rehabbing injury as well as the MIA locker room (which, for him as a rookie last year, must have been a fantastic experience).

    I love the guy. Clearly, Chip does as well (would have been an Eagle already were it not for MIA). Gamble, too. I imagine they all saw enough from him to consider it worthwhile. At this point, I’m on board, but not at the initial projected cost of a 1st, or maybe even 1st and player. I’m real bullish on this draft, and ideally would like to give up nothing more than a 2nd (maybe get a later pick in return) or a 3rd and player

  40. 40 Insomniac said at 1:39 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    In terms of pass rush/run support, we’d arguably be worse but we’ll have two decent coverage OLBs. A realistic scenario would probably be what Jordan already did in Miami. He’ll be a 3rd down guy that will do whatever Billy Davis wants him to do. Kind of what Barwin is already doing.

    Jordan has a lot of work to do. I’m not sure how his shoulder rehab went but he needs to add strength and technique before the season starts. We all know he has the tools but the gamble of waiting for him to blossom is something teams need to either stay away from or heavily invest in.

  41. 41 RIP illa said at 9:39 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    How would we be worse when we still have Cole on the roster. If the trade were to happen at all, he would still have to earn his playing time or just flat out beat out Cole. You said yourself, that he would just be a third down guy.

    Some are making it seem like if we trade for Jordan, that we are doing so w/ impetus of solving our pass rush, as soon as he steps off the plane. What would be more realistic is to look at him as the future. A guy w/ enough upside that we would think he could reach, and man the position for the next 5-7 years. This sounds similar…Lane Johnson? Raw, athletic, upside, future!

  42. 42 Insomniac said at 3:49 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    You’ll have to start Jordan for him to get better just like how Lane did for us. Unless you hope he can learn and improve on limited snaps behind the vets like he did in Miami. That turned out well for him so far.

  43. 43 RIP illa said at 4:24 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Absolutely right…if we leave out all the circumstances involved!

  44. 44 Neil said at 10:05 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I don’t think Jordan would be a ton of immediate help. Besides his coverage skills, he has a lot of learning to do. Getting to play in a rotation behind Cole and Barwin for a year or two would be a good situation for him.

  45. 45 Anders said at 2:11 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I would replace him with Ryans in passing down to the start and play a 3-3-5 in nickel with Cox, Curry and Cole as the DL, Kendricks, Barwin and Jordan is the LB.

    3 LBs who can come from anywhere and all 3 DL can stop the run good enough and can 100% rush the passer

  46. 46 SteveH said at 12:48 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Wow, this is like a TATE scenario actually coming true. If we got Jordan for anything less than a 1st and a player that would be a massive windfall for us.

  47. 47 ICDogg said at 1:01 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I think it’s very realistic. Here’s why.

    Let’s make a couple of assumptions here. The first one I’m going to make is that the Eagles do not have a lot of competition here. That is, there is no other team out there right now that would even be considering giving up a first round pick for Dion Jordan. I’m thinking there are probably four or five teams that would be interested in getting him for a second rounder, probably better picks that our second.

    Those assumptions, of course, are seat of the pants. In general, teams highly value first round draft picks before they are made.

    Jordan’s value is down because he did not have a good year, because his rookie contract is one year used up, and just the fact that he’s being made available at all.

    I’m also going to assume that neither Curry nor Graham carry more than low fourth round trade value.

    I think the Eagles could get Jordan in a trade, they would have to give up their first, but the Eagles would be the ones getting something back, perhaps a second rounder.

  48. 48 JJ_Cake said at 1:00 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    This is a win-win scenario for us because we will finally get to find out if Kelly wanted Jordan over Lane. The fact that a deal hasn’t already been made makes me suspect that Jordan may not be as high on Kelly’s list as previously thought.

    Or maybe we’d take Jordan for the right price, but we’re not giving up our 1st round pick for him. We got the right 1st round pick last year.

  49. 49 NinjaP said at 1:01 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I didnt like dion last year don’t like him even more this year.

  50. 50 mksp said at 1:02 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Vinny & a 2nd might actually get it done. Works for both sides, and Miami gets a real talent to rotate in at DE, plus the pick. Maybe MIA could throw in a 5th or 6th round pick.

    Get that done, then trade back to pick up an extra 3rd round pick and we’d be in real good shape.

  51. 51 Mitchell said at 1:21 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I’m not ready to give up on Vinny yet. I would rather trade Graham. Curry’s pass rushing potential is too big to ignore.

  52. 52 ICDogg said at 1:32 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    He will not likely reach that potential on a 3-4 team.

  53. 53 Mitchell said at 1:53 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Maybe so but he still had 4 sacks in limited playing time. If he gets anymore than that he is an extremely valuable pass rusher in our system (if not already being one). Don’t get me wrong, if the offer is right then by all means trade him but like I said earlier I see Graham fitting even less than Curry.

  54. 54 anon said at 9:05 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    all that glitters isn’t gold. there’s more to being on d line than getting sacks — he often got abused during the year — see the chipwagon article “this curry isn’t hot”.

  55. 55 deg0ey said at 9:15 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    While I agree that the sacks aren’t everything, that chipwagon article was among the worst analyses (if you can even call it that) I read all season.

  56. 56 Amber Jack said at 3:27 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    We play enough 4 man fronts on passing downs that he has value s a pass rush specialist. That being said if we were offered a decent pick for him in this draft i would take it in a heart beat bc of the depth of this draft

  57. 57 mksp said at 8:52 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    You gotta give up something to get something though. DJ is a better talent than VC and fits our scheme better. We save our 1st in this scenario.

    People are too down on DJ after last year year. Miami is a dysfunctional organization, he was hurt going into training camp, and he was playing out of a position. Not exactly a situation where the team was putting him in a position to succeed.

    We’re talking about an elite athlete here.

  58. 58 Anders said at 2:09 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I might be an optimist, but I think Vinny can be flipped next year for a high 2nd or even low 1st.

    He most likely end with around 8 sacks next year and how many 6-3, 280 pound DEs is there who can get to the QB?

  59. 59 Mitchell said at 2:38 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Answer: not many

  60. 60 Flyin said at 1:04 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Kelly’s possitive words about Dion before last year’s draft was respectful fluff. He knew more than anyone, and I could see (through) it. Now is different, the right price and injury updates/progress has much more possibility than anything that may have happened last year. So there is a chance this time around.

  61. 61 Flyin said at 1:13 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Tommy,
    Naive I can accept. Hugely naive is fightin’ words. May the Funyuns truck be struck with slashed tires and unable to deliver your holy goods.

  62. 62 Mitchell said at 1:25 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Question is: If given the choice would you rather have Barr or Jordan?

  63. 63 Iskar36 said at 1:45 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    @JohnMiddlekauff: Multiple NFL scouts told me if Anthony Barr & Jordan were in the same draft they’d all have Jordan ahead of Barr

  64. 64 Insomniac said at 1:46 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Jordan. He has a higher ceiling and they both are arguably on the same level of “rawness”.

  65. 65 Anders said at 2:08 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I do not see this, how do Jordan have higher ceiling?

  66. 66 Insomniac said at 3:44 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I don’t think Barr can cover like Jordan can. However, I think Jordan can just be as good or slightly worse than Barr at getting to the QB.

  67. 67 Phils Goodman said at 8:21 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    The difference is that Barr has dominated from Day One on the defensive side of the ball. He comes out of college a better, more accomplished player than Jordan, while also being younger, less experienced, healthier and having already proven he can play at close to 250 pounds (NFL weight). I’ll take Barr every day of the week.

  68. 68 Insomniac said at 4:46 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    With all of this Dion Jordan talk recently, you’d think there would be more Adrian Hubbard talk. While Hubbard may be the lesser prospect that Jordan is, there’s actually nothing wrong with that. Hubbard is in many ways physically similar but plays different than Jordan.

    Jordan has the better first step, runs 0.09s faster and is more fluid than Hubbard. Hubbard is stronger and isn’t a liability in the run game. They’ve both been asked to drop back in coverage. Jordan excels here but Hubbard is okay at it. He would be better at it if he trusts what he sees more often. Neither one of them have shown much of a repertoire of pass rush moves. Jordan looks a lot more natural than Hubbard when he bends. However, that doesn’t mean Hubbard has Michael Sam hips..he’s flexible for a guy his size. Hubbard also looks better working from the inside, disengaging and using his power. So what’s my point? Hubbard is a day 2-3 prospect with slightly more issues than Jordan.

    I’m sure draftniks will chew me out on this but Hubbard may be a better value for us than Jordan. No I’m not anti-Dion Jordan, I’m just trying to be rational here.

  69. 69 76mustang said at 5:41 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Hubbard didn’t impress at the Senior Bowl workouts (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000317289/article/derek-carr-thrives-adrian-hubbard-struggles-at-senior-bowl). I’m sure the scouts and coaches took a good look and he may be a consideration, but he’s not the same prospect as Jordan, and it’s not that close.

  70. 70 Insomniac said at 6:06 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Do explain how it’s not close. I can care less if Hubbard didn’t impress at the Senior Bowl. People who did their research already knew Hubbard is an underachiever who has great upside.

  71. 71 kevinlied said at 7:54 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I think the issue is that, while their ceilings may be similar, Hubbard has less of a chance of reaching his as well as a lower floor. He may not like playing football, and he may not work hard enough to succeed professionally. But if he’s available in the fourth or fifth round, and you’re comfortable with the risk-reward trade off, pull the trigger.

  72. 72 Insomniac said at 3:39 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    This is where I’m confused too. If you read the article, it doesn’t sound like he’s a problem.

    http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2014/01/former_alabama_lb_adrian_hubba.html

    It may just be as you said, he really might not like playing football. Even though Hubbard has the lower floor, it’s not low enough to take one or two highly rated players over him.

  73. 73 kevinlied said at 5:32 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    And let me be clear, I have no insight into whether he likes playing football. I’m just synthesizing the concerns I’ve heard reported. I think it’s an interesting comparison, and I’m generally a proponent of grabbing upside. I think you suss Hubbard out in interviews and investigate the heck out of him. If you’re comfortable with his work ethic and desire, he could be a fantastic buy low guy.

  74. 74 76mustang said at 10:05 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    ‘Bama fan? All it takes is one team that sees in Hubbard what you do, and the Eagles have Stoutland that certainly knows about Hubbard. Scouts are wrong a lot of the time, but they’re also right a lot of the time. Sr. Bowl is not the place to not impress if you’re trying to move higher in the draft. Any idea why he didn’t do all the tests at the combine? No 3 cone, 20 yd., 60 yd., for someone projecting into the middle rounds, unless he was injured, could be construed as not being prepared. You obviously like the kid a lot, someone’s going to draft him.

  75. 75 Insomniac said at 3:25 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    The assumptions, they’re so disturbingly wrong. Your double standards is leaning towards ignorance now. I’ve listed why Hubbard isn’t that far off from what Jordan is right now. People keep gauging Jordan’s ability on what he can be in the future and not now. So please do tell me how a day 2-3 pick roleplayer is different than a top 3 pick roleplayer.

    I have no clue why’d you’re pulling excuses of not doing certain drills at the combine. Using your logic it would mean there’s a ton of slackers in this draft. I would agree with you if he didn’t do it at his pro day but apparently we all have 20/20 foresight.

  76. 76 RIP illa said at 8:57 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    He didn’t impress during the season, not at the combine. His body of work and breakdowns are not impressive. We hear 6’6 240-250 and get all geeked up. Then we see the package that it comes in. Unbelievably flabby, like he’s never spent time in a gym. Listless eyes, leaves me wondering if anything is going on inside that massive melon of his. Everything about the kid is just meh. He does only a few things well and is not a master of them, while leaving so many other things he must improve on.

  77. 77 Cafone said at 6:51 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    The way I see it, the Dolphins should be happy to get Brandon Graham for Jordan straight up. We’ve got a 4-3 DE and they’ve got a 3-4 OLB. It works for both sides.

    Graham was a star college player and a high draft pick and he’s got NFL film showing him to have the potential to be a very good player if put in the correct role. Jordan is still a question mark. He may have more upside, but Graham is more of a sure thing.

  78. 78 mksp said at 9:33 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Dolphins can get better value from another team than Brandon Graham. C’mon dude. Graham is *far* from a sure thing.

  79. 79 zbone95 said at 7:33 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    How do people feel about bringing in Red Bryant? He would solidify the defensive line cause of his unmovable anchor which will help us not get pushed back in short yardage situations (saints game). I think he will be cheap and could really help our team with his super bowl experience.

  80. 80 planetx1971 said at 7:44 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Even considering what a long shot getting a deal done with Cryami is, I can’t stop myself from getting giddy at the idea of trading for Jordan . I don’t think anyone wanted Dion Jordan to be drafted by the Eagles more than Dion Jordan himself. The look on that kids face when Mia. picked him was that of a man that just saw his dog get run over. As much as I liked the Lane Johnson pick & still do, I STILL feel like Jeff Ireland tinkled in my Cheerios whenever I think back on it. If Howie can somehow pull this off, I’ll name my next pet after him 🙂

  81. 81 Tumtum said at 9:47 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    That look was the best top 5 regret look since Eli though SD was going to keep him.

  82. 82 Cliff said at 7:53 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Saw this comparison of Clowney and Jordan’s Combine performances. Kind of puts Clowney’s freakish athleticism in perspective.

    http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/118283/comparing-combines-of-clowney-jordan

  83. 83 Tumtum said at 9:45 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I wad totally wondering about their comparables but was too lazy to look it up. Thanks! Clowney agrees Dion Jordan should play WR.

  84. 84 Media Mike said at 8:00 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Pat Kirwan 100% shot down the Jordan rumor on Sirius yesterday afternoon. Trading him would eat up exactly half of the Dolphins cap space, so why do that in year 2? Kirwan’s theory was that the “shopping” of Jordan would be to gauge the market for him for future years, see what other teams might be willing to deal away in another deal, and/or especially to light a fire under Jordan’s rear end.

  85. 85 Anthony Hart said at 8:01 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    The Dolphins have about 40 mil in cap space and moving Jordan would take up 10 mil. It’d be a lot, but that would still leave them with 30 million.

  86. 86 Media Mike said at 8:02 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Kirwan was vehement that this wasn’t going to happen. I trust that guy 100%. We’ll see what happens, but I’d be shocked if Jordan moved.

  87. 87 A_T_G said at 8:48 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    If he referred to 10 out of 40 as exactly half, I now doubt him on very many things.

  88. 88 deg0ey said at 9:40 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I’m struggling to understand the over the cap numbers regarding cap-space. Their graphic at the top says the Dolphins have $40m of cap space, but further down it says they have $107m committed so far. Given that the cap is $133m, I make that $26m of cap space. Is there some other rule that I’m missing there?

    As for Jordan, here’s how I understand it:

    He’ll count around $4.6m against the cap this year, $5.6m next year and $6.5m in 2016. Cutting him would mean paying all of that (less his roster bonuses) immediately, which would be $11.7m (or $7.1m more than if he was on the roster) in 2014.

    If they trade him, they’re only on the hook for the remaining proration of his signing bonus, $10m, in 2014 which is only $5.4m more than they’d be paying if he was on the roster.

    By trading him now, they take an additional $5.4m cap hit this year to negate the $12.1m combined cap hit the next two seasons. If the new GM really doesn’t think he’s a guy to build around and they can afford to eat his cap hit this season (and they can) then it might be worth trading him to give themselves more financial flexibility in future seasons (or by back-loading contracts to make signings now and pay for them with the savings they’ve already made in 2015 and 2016).

  89. 89 Corry said at 9:44 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Regarding the Dolphins cap situation, does the site include the rollover cap space? That might make up the difference.

  90. 90 deg0ey said at 9:48 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Oh yeah, that would make sense – I hadn’t thought about that. Would explain why the Eagles were listed as having a $150m salary cap in their cap calculator thing.

    Incidentally, has anyone else played with that? I found out that if the Eagles cut Chung and Avant, they have space to trade Graham for Jordan, sign Worilds to a ‘Paul Kruger’ contract and Clemons to an ‘Antrel Rolle’ contract (just used those numbers because you have to put something in – no idea how realistic they are) as well as using the franchise tag on Donnie Football and giving RFA tenders to Thornton and Geathers. All the FA!

  91. 91 Phils Goodman said at 8:06 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    The NFL doesn’t really have a hard cap, and the $133 M number does not apply to everyone (it depends what they have done in previous years). It’s basically an average.

  92. 92 mark2741 said at 8:54 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Dion Jordan is a player that is not worth speculating on, as a fan. Why? Simple: if Chip doesn’t offer a high pick/trade for him then it is clear to me that either:

    a. Jordan is a knucklehead (i.e., poor work ethic, behavior, whatever)
    or
    b. Jordan is just not good enough

    I completely trust Chip on this one. The Eagles know whether Jordan can thrive or not with them. Chip isn’t sitting there speculating about it. He absolutely knows what Jordan is worth to the Eagles. And it may surprise folks, but Jordan may just be worth nothing. For all we know, he may have been propped up by Kelly in Oregon. Kelly knows.

  93. 93 anon said at 9:00 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    nothing or just not what miami is asking. dion may be a draft day situation.

  94. 94 RIP illa said at 9:28 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Well if you can make that assertion, based off of nothing, then the opposite could just be as true. Two points tho, it’s not Chip’s decision. It’s Howie’s and Gamble’s. Chip provides opinions and background on the players. It would more be up to Davis than Chip, since Davis is the one that actually puts together and runs the D! The last point is, How would Jordan be propped up by Kelly at Oregon??? I didn’t know Jordan played on O and was a product of that system. What position did he play??? Kelly ran the O and didn’t touch the D. So Dion may have been propped up by the Oregon defensive scheme. Pretty sure that scheme was a 3-4 that was predicated on knowing their assignments, in order to play fast. And also causing turnovers. That kinda sounds familiar.

  95. 95 mark2741 said at 10:37 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    My assertion is obvious. “Based off of nothing”? It’s based on the obvious/common sense. Chip knows Jordan and what his value is to the Eagles. Period. That’s not debatable. It might have been somewhat last year, since Chip had no NFL experience, but not now. When I say “Chip” I mean the coaching staff that has had direct knowledge/interaction with him, which Chip happens to have immediate and confident access to. Just because he didn’t coach Jordan directly doesn’t mean he is clueless or wouldn’t find out any info he needed.

    Regarding who’s decision a trade would be. Sure, it’s Howie’s. But let’s be realistic. If Howie is dumb enough to trade for a guy that his coaching staff advises against trading for, based on their direct experience with him, then we’ve got bigger problems to worry about.

    I’m not pro/anti Jordan. He’s an intriguing talent. But if he is available, then whatever Chip (via Roseman) offers for him would be as close to a true measure of Jordan’s actual worth than anyone else’s projection. That’s all I’m saying.

  96. 96 Maggie said at 6:20 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I love a logical analysis.

  97. 97 GermanEagle said at 9:08 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I would only pull the trigger if the Dolphins throw in Danny Watkins…

  98. 98 Mitchell said at 10:16 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    For sure! I heard that guy had a great upside. He’s bounced around a bit but nothing could be better than a first round busy heading into his thirties with a strong desire to fight fires and head back to canda.

  99. 99 Maggie said at 6:19 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I don’t know. Kelowna is a beautiful vacation place but it is not Florida. On the other hand, my sister-in-law, who lives in Florida, hates it (humidity and bugs) and would rather live in Kelowna! Lol.

  100. 100 A Roy said at 6:58 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Some people are like that. Goldilocks that never finds Baby Bear’s porridge.

  101. 101 Mac said at 11:02 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    I would only pull the trigger on that deal if Jeff can count Danny’s salary as a charitable contribution to the Philadelphia fire dept.

  102. 102 Tumtum said at 9:34 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    When is the last time the Eagles had this much $$ into WR on a given year?

  103. 103 A Roy said at 6:57 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Until he jumps the shark a la AR, whatever Chippah wants is okay with me.

  104. 104 Corry said at 9:40 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Landing Jordan with a good trade would probably just cap this off-season for me. I like the way the team is handling everything. My only concern is the cap, but from everything I’m reading, the front office has done an excellent job with giving us flexibility a couple years into these deals.

  105. 105 Neil said at 10:16 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    “cap off this offseason for me”

    Man, two months before the draft?

  106. 106 Corry said at 11:12 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Actually…yes. If the team is able to fill holes in FA, then the draft is just icing on the cake. Being able to go BPA rather scrambling to fill needs is ideal (for me anyhow). I don’t know how likely that is given the state of the defense, but in a perfect world, that would happen. All without breaking the bank of course.

  107. 107 nathalie a said at 10:26 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    believe it or not it took half an hour and three different browsers for me to be able to sign in. not that anybody cares. pfff. sorry.

  108. 108 A Roy said at 12:03 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Perhaps looking at the keys while you type would help.

  109. 109 nathalie a said at 12:52 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    can’t. too mesmerized by your online personality to take my eyes off your avatar and posts.

  110. 110 A Roy said at 6:56 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I blush…

  111. 111 nathalie a said at 10:26 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    so jason lacanfora. my idol. light of my life. apple of my eyes. all he writes is the gospel innit.

  112. 112 GermanEagle said at 11:29 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    ‘Innit’?!

    That’s cockney, you’re not from London, innit?!

  113. 113 nathalie a said at 12:51 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    nope.

  114. 114 xeynon said at 11:09 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Now we see the beauty of having a starting quarterback on a third round rookie contract. You have extra cap space with which to splurge on a position like receiver.

    This offense was somewhat hamstrung last year by the lack of a viable third receiver. Avant was gritty, tough, and reliable as a slot receiver, but never a playmaker even before he started to slow down. Riley has the size, toughness, and strength to run routes over the middle, and Maclin has excellent RAC ability and is dangerous on bubble screens and such – both will be capable of playing in the slot depending on the route required (even DJ may be able to do so occasionally for plays which require straight-up speed there). The third receiver will basically get starter-type reps in this offense so it makes sense to have a starting-caliber player there.

  115. 115 xeynon said at 11:13 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    As for Dion Jordan, I will trust whatever the Eagles do in regards to him. In a football sense Chip knows him better than almost anyone, and now also has a year of NFL coaching experience and knows what’s required to succeed in the pros as opposed to college. If he thinks Jordan is merely the victim of injuries/a bad situation in Miami and wants to trade for him, I’m all for it. Would be nice to not have to give up our first round pick to do so though.

  116. 116 A_T_G said at 11:40 AM on March 1st, 2014:

    Is a 4.6 40 and a 7.02 three-cone fast enough for a safety? For a safety-LB hybrid? Maybe Jordan lets us focus on a LB slanted more to the pass rush skills.

  117. 117 deg0ey said at 12:31 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Here’s a chart I made after the combine when I was getting overexcited about a fairly specific combination of safety-LB hybrids. Maybe you can plug Dion’s numbers in and see what you think. http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2evage1&s=8#.UxIZGdxqpcQ

  118. 118 A_T_G said at 12:46 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Wow, that was amazingly helpful. He matches the average safety 40 and is a third of a second off the 3-cone average.

  119. 119 A_T_G said at 3:28 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    The notes Tommy shared on Eagles Blog state that Worilds would be across from Cole. Is that how you, Tommy, or others see him, too, or is he a replacement for Cole?

  120. 120 Insomniac said at 3:40 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Pretty sure it was the beat writer and not Tommy that did that. Worilds would be across from Barwin though.

  121. 121 A_T_G said at 7:43 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Yeah, I was having trouble making that clear in my wording

  122. 122 Phils Goodman said at 8:03 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I’d be ecstatic if they could give Graham and a 2nd rounder for Jordan.

    Even though I’ve been a Dion Jordan detractor for over a year, that would be hard to pass up.

  123. 123 Vick or Nick said at 11:12 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    Blocking among other things is so much more about attitude.

    DeSean is almost always the smallest guy on the field, but he is an effective blocker because he has an attitude that he can take you out.

    Maclin, so far, has shown the tendency to shy away from contact. He needs to get nasty.

  124. 124 Vick or Nick said at 11:16 PM on March 1st, 2014:

    I would not hesitate for a second if the deal on the table was Graham, 2nd rounder for Dion Jordon.

    I just don’t think the Dolphins will settle on that. Might have to include 3rd, 4th rounder. And definitely a conditional pick in the next draft.

    Just think the asking price will be too high for a player who didn’t have quite the impact that was expected.

    You wonder how Dion Jordon compares to Anthony Barr or Khalil Mack the top pass rushers this year.

    Howie has done an awesome job of not chasing players to an unreasonable extent.

    He will have walkaway numbers/picks/players that he would be willing to spend on Jordan trade.