Nate’s Back

Posted: March 17th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 237 Comments »

The Eagles re-signed Nate Allen to a 1-year deal.

Some will hate this deal, but it really does make sense. Allen isn’t being looked at as “the answer”. The Eagles brought him back to compete for a spot. If Allen plays well enough, he could start. If someone else beats him out, Allen becomes a good backup. There is low risk with this move. The reward isn’t likely to be great, but Allen can be an effective starter.

The hope is that Allen will build off his 2013 season, when he played his best football since 2010. Allen took to the new system and responded well to the new coaching staff. They were able to get him to play better. Allen still has upside. He’s never going to be Brian Dawkins, but he can get better if he’ll be a bit more consistent.

Allen’s good moments are impressive. His sack against KC caught me by surprise. Allen flew up the field to get Alex Smith. The INT vs the Cardinals showed good downfield ball skills. His issue is still mostly tackling. There are times when he is too hesitant. There are other times when he doesn’t get into proper position. Allen will be too upright and that leads to him lunging or simply missing his target.

The Eagles work on tackling every day. It is possible that Allen will get better in this area during the spring and summer. Allen also isn’t as physical as you’d like a Safety to be. That’s never going to change. You have to live with the fact that he’s just not a big hitter.

By only giving Allen a 1-year deal, the Eagles are going to keep him motivated. Allen must play well this year, whether as a starter or backup. He needs to impress someone to earn a job in 2015, whether as an Eagle or elsewhere.

Safety is a better looking position now than last year.

* Malcolm Jenkins – versatile, productive, reliable player

* Nate Allen – returning to the same staff and system for the first time as an NFL player

* Earl Wolff – now a 2nd year player, can focus on getting better instead of just learning the system

* Chris Maragos – talented backup coming from an elite defense (SEA)

* Keelan Johnson – former practice squad player who could challenge for a spot…familiar with the system

There is still a strong likelihood the Eagles will invest an early pick on a Safety. The thing I like most about this is that the team isn’t looking to one guy to come in and fix the position. They are acquiring and developing a group of players. If there was a truly elite player available, you go get him. When that’s not an option, build up the overall position.

There are no guarantees that the moves will work, but I sure feel better about the position than last year.

* * * * *

There are still some OLBs on the market who could be of interest.

* Shaun Phillips

* Rob Jackson

* O’Brien Schofield

Phillips is the best pass rusher. Jackson might be the most effective backup. Schofield is the youngest.

I have no idea if the Eagles have any interest in them. The Eagles could have a call to the agents of these players, requesting a chance to match any deals. Or the Eagles could be slow-playing the market, waiting to see if the price on these players bottoms out. The less fun possibility is that the Eagles simply have no interest in these guys.

None of them would come here to start, but they could be good role players. I’m still in favor of trading Brandon Graham for a draft pick so the team can focus on OLBs.

Why not Anthony Spencer? He’s coming off micro-fracture surgery and that is brutally tough to recover from. Spencer is 30 years old. He has been an average pass rusher, with the exception of 2012, when he had 11 sacks. Spencer mainly played the LOLB spot for Dallas. That meant he mostly faced the RT. It is easier to do that than beating LTs.

I would be open to taking a look at Spencer. My guess is that the Eagles simply see him as a player that isn’t worth adding at ROLB. He’s never been an impact rusher. Can he become one when coming off an ACL tear? Seems unlikely. If you did have a stud rusher, Spencer would be a good complementary piece. If you could get him to sign a 1-year deal for a cheap price, he could absolutely be of interest. Spend the 2014 season watching him and then decide whether he’s the right guy for the future. Most likely, some other team will sign him and be comfortable with his pass rush skills.

_


237 Comments on “Nate’s Back”

  1. 1 Vick or Nick said at 10:56 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    Bringing Allen back on a cheap 1 year deal was part of the safety plan outlook for 2014 that I outlined earlier.

    It’s a perfect situation. If a safety turns out to be best player available whenever the Eagles are picking, they can take him, if not, well they’ll survive.

    In the first 1-3 rounds, especially the 1st, Eagles have to come away with an impact player, Offense or Defense.

    I really think Allen has peaked as an NFL safety. He’s an assignment safety, decent tackler, average to above average coverage wise, not physically intimidating.

    Having said that, I feel OKAY about Malcolm Jenkins and Earl Wolff as starters with Allen as the 3rd safety.

    The OLB pass rusher is sticking out like a sore thumb right now tho.

    ALSO waiting everyday to see a Graham/Curry traded for ___ pick article.

  2. 2 Charlie Kelly said at 11:04 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    graham or curry wont be traded until draft i day i assume…

  3. 3 Vick or Nick said at 11:09 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    I feel like their value will be extremely low at that point.

    You don’t see teams giving up mid round picks for vet players very often in the draft.

    Could happen, just hope its sooner.

    In this deep draft, Eagles will want more than 6 picks.

  4. 4 Charlie Kelly said at 3:03 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    nah not really, the team that may want graham or curry may have a player they want more then graham or curry and wont make the trade until that player is gone.. its like the trade deadline, they always wait until the last second to get things done. PLUS i think it would be wiser to pair graham or curry with a pick and move up in the draft to get a player we have targeted.

  5. 5 Sb2bowl said at 12:16 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    after the draft? That would be a waste…….

  6. 6 D3FB said at 1:09 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Personally I don’t think Curry gets moved. He has value as a cheap nickel rusher. He helps improve the Eagles pass rush, which isn’t exactly great. Any pick the Eagles would get for him, they would have to immediately turn around and spend on a player in the draft who is less of a known quantity.
    I think at this point a late August trade probably nets the best return. Graham is probably viewed as a third DE. Someone who can push a young starter or solidify the position for depth. Right now teams currently can go to the bargain bin or draft players. They are focused on guys in the draft whole will be younger and cheaper than Graham. The Eagles will probably hold them and hope a team gets a run of bad luck during preseason. A vet falls off, a couple of players go down, a young player hasn’t made improvements. Now you have a player they need and can get a better return. There is obvious risk involved, ie injury or poor play out of BG during the preseason, but you can also improve his value by letting him trash young developing 2/3 string LT’s.

  7. 7 Sb2bowl said at 10:18 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I think Curry is safe as well; he showed flashes last year, while playing in a scheme that doesn’t “typically” fill his skill set. Despite this, he still played fairly well.

    Graham on the other hand (and for his own good), should probably be moved. If the ‘Birds can get a 4 for him this year, and a conditional pick (no less than a 4, with a higher pick based on performance/time) next year, then let him go.

  8. 8 D3FB said at 10:20 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I think your valuation of BG is a bit off.

  9. 9 Sb2bowl said at 10:24 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    How so? (interested to hear your point of view, not in an argumentative way on my end)

  10. 10 Neil said at 11:20 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    While Graham’s outcomes on the field have been very good, especially on a per snap basis, the only really dangerous thing he can do as a pass rusher is bull rush. No speed rush to the outside so obviously no way to counter off that to the inside. Chances are people are going to start controlling his one-dimensional game, and he’ll never really be more than a backup or a decent LDE.

    This is my reading of people who’ve watched him a lot like Tommy and I’m pretty sure D3FB is in there as well.

  11. 11 D3FB said at 5:32 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Well said.

  12. 12 D3FB said at 5:38 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Neil did a good job hitting the main points. Graham has had some moderate success as a rotational player. But when you look at his raw tools: He’s a decent run defender, but not super long, athletic or explosive. His pass rush consist of only a bull rush, which works well coming off the bench as a change up, but if it’s all he does, tackles can just anchor down and take it on, rather than being caught off guard. Graham has value, as a 3rd or 4th DE to shore up depth. I would be very surprised if anyone viewed him as a starter at this point. A team bringing him in would likely be looking for an experienced vet to push a young player for PT, or just to solidify their rotational rushers. We gave up a fourth round pick for Demeco, who had been far more productive. Best case Graham maybe gets you a five this year, more likely a six or seven this year with a condtional 5/6/7 next year..

  13. 13 Maggie said at 1:40 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Why a waste? The Rams or Raiders draft a player the Eagles want, they package up 2 or 3 players who dob’t fit and get the player they wanted to draft in the first place. Any player can be drafted, including first round picks. Remember Eli for example?

  14. 14 Charlie Kelly said at 3:06 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    no no no, that the way the NBA works, you dont draft a player and THEN trade them right after in the NFL… u wait to your pick and auction it off, everyone knows the palyers available and they will trade for the pick to draft the player. The Eli thing was extremely rare.. and i dont think has happened again since..

  15. 15 A_T_G said at 8:01 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    There are problems with that relating to how much money a team is permitted to use to pay draft picks. Trading for the player would increase the money they need to pay rookies, but not having drafted him means that their rookie cap doesn’t increase.

  16. 16 Charlie Kelly said at 3:00 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    no who said anything about AFTER the draft

  17. 17 Sb2bowl said at 10:20 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Not many trades happen on draft day, and even less happen right after the draft (unless you are a QB)

  18. 18 Charlie Kelly said at 6:05 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    thats when the most trades happen.. lol. on draft day, tro move up in rounds n what not and again im not talking about AFTER the draft

  19. 19 Cafone said at 11:23 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    I don’t expect to see Graham traded. I think the value he brings to the team as a situational pass rusher and as depth is greater than what the Eagles could expect to receive in return.

    If the Eagles had been able to pick up pass rushers in free agency then that would be a different story. But there didn’t seem to be much there that fit their needs. Perhaps the draft might change things, but right now I think trading him would leave a hole in the defense.

  20. 20 Sb2bowl said at 12:17 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I think Curry sticks, but Graham is gone– probably settle for a 4th round pick this year, and conditional mid round pick next year. I think he has talent and potential (think about how frustrating these last few years must have been for him), but the fit in our current “D” isn’t optimal

  21. 21 Mitchell said at 12:24 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I would argue Curry actually brings more to the table than Graham does. Idk if Graham made any progress as and OLB but Curry made progress as a DE.

  22. 22 Dominik said at 3:53 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    You can’t trade Graham without signing a FA. We would have two OLB + Braman (STer) and Matthews (I don’t want to comment) under contract, Howie would be forced to pick for need and he doesn’t want to do that.

    That’s why I hope they finally sign an OLB. I really hope they trade Graham. He isn’t a bad player, but a bad fit. And the Eagles desperately need draft picks.

  23. 23 Charlie Kelly said at 11:04 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    So…. when is kurt coleman coming back?? lol

  24. 24 Charlie Kelly said at 11:05 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    I think at this point the most likely 1st round draft choice is…. drum role please…. Dee Ford.

  25. 25 Vick or Nick said at 11:07 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    When thinking about the Philadelphia Eagles Defense there are three things that Billy Davis has stressed. These are the ones that come to my mind:

    1. Points Allowed
    2. Turnovers
    3. Eliminating Big Plays

    Eagles did a decent job with these 3 things in the second half of the year but still gave up too many big plays. Eagles needed a QB for the secondary someone to get them in the right checks. Jenkins can be that guy.

    Still waiting to see how Eagles address Pass Rush.

  26. 26 Ashley Fox said at 11:11 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    Report: Philly Media trades DeSean Jackson
    by Ashley Fox, ESPN

    The Philadelphia media reported today that they have traded Eagles WR DeSean Jackson to the Montreal Alouettes for an undisclosed pick in the CFL draft. Speculation about the Jackson’s future with the team has been brewing for several weeks, with several sources reporting rumors about the fate of the star wide receiver. Now the speculation has been laid to rest with the media taking the matter into their own hands and trading Jackson. One source in the media was quoted, saying, “Well, after writing so many stories about this we didn’t have much choice. If he didn’t get traded, we would end up looking like idiots.” Another source added, “At the end of the season when Jackson made a comment about his contract, I thought I would be able to get 5 or 10 stories out of it. But instead, he stopped talking about it and left us reporters out to dry. Talk about a Me First attitude!”

    Many have pointed out that it would be foolish for the team to trade their best WR immediately after posting the best stats of his career. But according to the Philly media, going into next season with Riley Cooper(who has a 0% chance of being a one-year wonder) and Jeremy Maclin(whose ACL is reportedly held together with chewing gum) as the team’s starting WRs will provide ample fodder for more stories. I’m told that many have already pre-written their stories decrying the Jackson trade, ready to be published the moment Cooper or Maclin drop a pass.

    Several members of the Philly media were quick to chime in with their thoughts following the announcement:

    Geoff Mosher: “I like DeSean Jackson. But his house was broken into. We can’t just ignore character flags like that. Remember when Redskin’s safety Sean Taylor had his house broken into? He never played another down for them.”

    Jeff McLane: “I was the one reporter that firmly refuted the rumors about Jackson being traded. But I’m also the guy that posts incorrect information on Twitter 5 times a week and has to tweet corrections out. So…I guess I did it again.”

    Jimmy Kempski: “Well, I wrote a story speculating about what the Eagles offer of a 5-year contract to Jeremy Maclin meant. Sure, he actually only signed a 1-year deal, but that didn’t fit with the story I was trying to write.”

    Paul Domowitch: “The Eagles refused to deny that DeSean Jackson would be traded on multiple occasions. They’ve also refused to deny that Chip Kelly will be traded to the Raiders, Jeffrey Lurie is thinking about moving the team to Idaho, or that Howie Roseman is really Keyser Soze.”

    Reuben Frank: “Jackson has had his share of issues during his time on the team. Remember when he threw a beer on that girl and kicked her off his bus in the middle of nowhere? Wait…that was Shady? Shit, we’d better trade him next.”

  27. 27 suthrneagle said at 11:24 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    They’ve also refused to deny…that Howie Roseman is really Keyser Soze. HaHaHa,priceless!!!

  28. 28 Insomniac said at 11:25 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    Funniest thing I’ve read all week..next to the Brandon Weeding signing by Dallas.

  29. 29 SteveH said at 11:25 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    *tips hat*

  30. 30 Cafone said at 11:28 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    Ashley, you deserve your own blog.

  31. 31 Sean said at 12:05 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Damn right. I don’t know when we started living in a society where we blame the robber for break-ins. Real Americans like Geoff (close personal friend of mine) and I know that it’s always the victim’s fault. That’s why it’s illegal to have your house burglarized.

  32. 32 Maggie said at 1:36 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Hi RC. Or Rob. Funny stuff.

  33. 33 GermanEagle said at 7:31 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Best post of the year so far! Well played, Sir (or Mam)!

  34. 34 GEAGLE said at 8:52 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I would throw up if Fox ever really posted on blitz

  35. 35 mtn_green said at 8:37 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Syndication! Syndication!

  36. 36 Cafone said at 11:36 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    Most of us are assuming that Jenkins/Wolff will be the starters on opening day, and the fact that they left Allen on the market for a while before only giving him a one year deal seems to confirm that the Eagles may not feel that Allen is indispensable.

    But Kelly loves competition, and Wolff is only a second year guy. Would it be shocking if the opening day starters were Jenkins/Allen rather than Jenkins/Wolff?

  37. 37 the midatlantic said at 11:40 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    I see Chip playing up the competition at CB between Cary/Fletcher/Carroll the same way as Jenkins/Wolff/Allen.

    Trying to get squeeze optimal performance out of sub-optimal parts, and saving money.

  38. 38 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 11:55 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    I expect Allen to beat out Wolff. Nate played better than Wolff last year, he just wasn’t as exciting because he was decent but unspectacular the whole year, rather than replacing truly awful production with not bad production.

  39. 39 Iskar36 said at 12:56 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Honestly, I think way to many people are giving Wolff too much credit. He had a solid rookie year, but he was by no means spectacular (just to be clear, a 5th round pick not being “spectacular” is not an insult, just being realistic). We have seen several rookie safeties fail only a year after being okay starters (Demps, Harris, even Allen declined after his rookie season…although his involved an injury and change in DC). We know even less about Wolff than we knew about those other guys.

    The fact that they brought Allen in at all suggests that Wolff will at least have to compete for the starting job. If he loses that competition, he could very easily end up being the 5th safety on the team (Jenkins, Allen, Maragos, early round rookie). Wolff is an interesting prospect and I hope he proves to be a stud, but in reality, he could be anywhere from #2 safety to #5/cut by the end of the preseason. I just don’t think we know nearly enough about him yet to really be excited about him (or down on him for that matter).

  40. 40 Phyxius said at 11:47 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    I’m one of the few who was hoping they’d resign Allen. Very intrigued how he performs this year.

  41. 41 Sb2bowl said at 12:08 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Same here man– I’m not an expert scout on safety play, but it was evident that Nate improved steadily over the year, and the secondary calls/roles/responsibilities seemed to fit his skills and genetic make up as a player. I was hoping that they would bring him back (or extend him in-season) and bring in competition for him and everyone else in the secondary.

    Think about it– this will be the first time the guy has had the same DC for two years in a row since he came in to the NFL in 2010.That’s an awful lot of additional “comfort” knowing (hypothetically speaking) that he doesn’t have to learn an entire new system AGAIN and from a new coach/teacher and personality.

  42. 42 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 11:52 PM on March 17th, 2014:

    Awesome. Wolff did nothing last year to deserve being handed the starting job. Honestly, I’ll be surprised if he beats Nate out for it.

    Allen isn’t Chung.

  43. 43 GEAGLE said at 8:38 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Think out front office views Wolff differently then you. Doubt your opinion in him, during the grand total of 30hours you got to see him, is the same as our coaches who saw him for about 200 days..I keep hearing that the eagles are high on him. Considering we are lucky if we got to see him a combined 30hours total, I think he showed enough to think he ATleast has some chance to develop into a quality starter… The athleticism is their, good kid, who’s is going to put in work..don’t see why you would just rule him out at this stage, but that’s eagles fans for you

  44. 44 eagleyankfan said at 9:10 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    THAT’s the perception I don’t understand. A rookie(didn’t he get hurt for a bit too?) at safety, who played ‘ok’, should be viewed as the guy you want to see come back and grow and be even better. Yet, it seems the majority want Allen back who’s progress has been smaller than baby steps. Wolff makes a bad play — you want say he’s learning from it. Allen makes a bad play and it’s “here we go again” as he leaves you wondering what the h3ll he was doing on that play. How was Wolff expected to come here and dominate his first year? He needs time to grow. This year he HAS to be better than last year(if anything, for the same reasons T-law listed about Allen). Wolff has more upside than Allen.

  45. 45 GEAGLE said at 9:39 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I have a feeling we finally drafted a kid who can play…look forward to finding out

  46. 46 Ben Hert said at 9:39 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Wolff has more upside than Allen? He may be in a better position to earn a starters role, but there is a reason Allen was a 2nd round pick and Wolff was in found in the fifth. Wolff was ok, but Allen was better than him last year and what Allen looked like before his knee injury (aside: its ridiculous to me that the guy gets zero slack for having a different secondary coach, and defensive coordinator every year, as well as a complete base defense change) was better than Wolff has ever shown. You have some pent-up hatred for Allen, I get it, but don’t let it blind you to the fact that he has the capability to be a good FS.

  47. 47 GEAGLE said at 9:42 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Is post knee surgery Nate the same player who was a second round pick? If his knee surgery hasn’t robbed him of the ability, then it sure seems like his lack of confidence has….4years later and our “cover safety” is playing 25yards back on 3rd and 12, and constantly not making the tackle short of first down marker…sorry, but after 4 years, where you were drafted doesn’t mean a DAMN THING!

  48. 48 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 2:10 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    You’re right, where he was drafted doesn’t matter. What matters is that post-knee surgery Allen was a considerably better player than Wolff last year, and should be expected to continue to outperform him as he grows more comfortable with the new system.

  49. 49 GEAGLE said at 7:37 AM on March 19th, 2014:

    Nate had 40 friggin games of NFL experience, he BETTER be playing better then a rook in his a first 10 games…….wtf does that mean

  50. 50 eagleyankfan said at 9:49 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Just wondering if you’re giving credit the Wolff went from college to the pro’s and played as a rookie. I don’t care who coached Allen. The fact that we’re giving him credit because a coach “finally” taught him how to tackle is a joke. So, by your drafting logic — ALL players drafted in the 1st round are always better than those drafted in round 2? Round 2 always better than round 3? Also — did Chip draft Allen? Where they were drafted are apples and oranges.
    Just wondering … IF Allen has the capability to be a good FS — why isn’t he signed for longer than 1 year? What took so long for the Eagles to sign him? Cooper wasn’t the greatest WR on the market — but the Eagles signed him almost immediately and didn’t want him on the market. Yet they let Allen waiver in the in wind. There’s a reason why….

  51. 51 D3FB said at 9:56 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    You kind of argue against yourself here. Yes the draft and FA are two different things but you argue that because Wolff was drafted later doesn’t mean he’s worse. Just because Nate wasn’t signed day 1 to a huge money deal doesn’t mean he’s garbage.

  52. 52 eagleyankfan said at 10:03 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    it didn’t have to be a huge money deal. The fact the Eagles didn’t sign him at all prior to FA is a telling story. Let me ask this. Since he hit FA — how many rumors did you see about Allen visiting other teams? Any reports about Allen “thinking” about several options? My point is — Allen is an “ok”, warm body, who will play in some packages. He’s not the savior at safety. IF he showed ANY potential — any at all — he would have been signed sooner and for longer than 1 year.

  53. 53 D3FB said at 10:18 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’m not suggesting at all that Nate is any kind of second coming for the safety position. He doesn’t have to be. This concept people have that a team has to have 22 pro bowlers or we’re screwed is legitimately laughable. Nate is a starting safety in this league. I can point to 10-15 guys who are worse. He’s average at alot of things. There is undeniable value in that. He’s a guy who can start for you, but you would prefer to upgrade. Those guys don’t fly off the shelf in week 1 of free agency or get big money. As far as being signed sooner for more money,
    The point I was making is you can’t say well draft position doesn’t always accurately reflect talent level, and then in the same post turn around and say that Free Agency does. Michael Bennet signed for 1.5mil guaranteed on a one year deal last year, after a week. Paul Kruger signed for huge money like 3 seconds after the market opened. Who is the better player?

  54. 54 Iskar36 said at 9:21 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Just a word of caution in terms of hearing “that the eagles are high on him.” They said the exact same thing throughout the offseason and into the first quarter/half of the season about Chung.

    I like Wolff and hope he proves to be a stud, but he is not a lock to be a starter by any means. You can even argue he isn’t even a lock to be active on gamedays by the time the season starts depending on if we draft a safety early.

  55. 55 GEAGLE said at 9:38 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Their offseason moves support it…not like they added two safeties the kid had no chance of beating out. They added one year insurance with Nate and a quality competitor for Wolff, but not so good to where Wolff couldn’t win a starting spot…and once they don’t draft a safey in the first 3 rounds, I doubt this can be disputed….sign Nate to a 3yr deal, and I would have agree with you

  56. 56 Iskar36 said at 11:25 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Don’t get me wrong, I do think the Eagles like Wolff, but I do think they will add to the competition at safety in the draft. I don’t think they are planning on treating Wolff as if he is the man to beat for the starting role opposite Jenkins. I think Allen was brought as insurance so they don’t have to be desperate in the draft, but ideally, they would like to draft a safety early.

  57. 57 GEAGLE said at 12:30 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Hey man, I’m a defensive maniac starved for safeties..draft as many as you want, as early as you want….I’m just not so sure that us adding a safety in the 3rd round of this draft is the no BRAINER most think it is..we were in this same exact position last year, actually worse, and we didn’t adress it til the 5th..now we have 3 we can use in games, maybe 4 depending on what the hell maragos is!and I’m supposed to believe it’s a no BRAINER first two round pick in a safety draft? If we can’t get Bucannon, I could see the, waiting

  58. 58 Iskar36 said at 12:45 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    In last year’s draft, there were not ideal options at safety anywhere. All of the safeties had issues, AND we had a other needs throughout the team. If I remember correctly, Jonathan Cyprien was one of few early round safeties of interest that would not have been a major reach to draft at the time, and he ended up getting drafted by the Jags before our pick (we drafted Ertz instead and may have liked Ertz of Cyprien anyway).

    In terms of this year, while I haven’t watched enough of any of the the safety prospects carefully to say that they would definitely fit in, it certainly sounds like there is a stronger group of safeties in this years draft. Furthermore, some of the top safeties are likely to fall within striking distance of our picks. You are absolutely right that compared to last year, we have drastically improved (on paper) the safety spot, but it is far from a strength on the team. They have put themselves in a good position that they do not NEED to get a safety, but if there is a safety they rate highly on their board during one of the top three picks, I’d be surprised if they feel comfortable enough with what we have to pass on that player.

    I’m not arguing it is a “no brainer” and I think they have protected themselves from having to reach, but if they can get one, I think they would still prioritize targeting a highly-rated safety prospect (with OLB being an obviously much more significant need).

  59. 59 austinfan said at 12:15 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Allen is a “safe” addition, they know what he can do, they also know he’s not as good of a fit with Jenkins as Wolff, but they don’t want to depend on a developing player. Maragos and Johnson are wild cards, both have starter level athleticism, Maragos never got a lot of chances in Seattle for some reason, Johnson had a solid senior season (5 ints, 13 PD) and East West showing, but is still developing the instincts for the position (only 16 college starts). I was surprised he went undrafted given his senior year and great workout:
    [4.48 1.53 12 4.07 6.77 36 10’5]

  60. 60 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 1:23 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    They don’t want a thumper and a CF; they want two versatile, Jenkins-like players.

  61. 61 GEAGLE said at 8:34 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Maragos ain’t going to get many chances if he has Earl Thomas and Dashon Goldson ahead of him on the depth chart

    Billy Davis wants 3 safeties he can play at the same time. When we go 3 safety nickle(if we had players for this package, maybe the saints wouldnt have rammed the ball up our Nickle defenses ass)….Remember when Billy early in the year thought Chung could defend slot WRs and wanted to use 3 safety sets..well Nates coming in to play next to Wolff as the traditional safeties, when we want Jenkins in the slot on a WR or TE(even if he is blitzing)….I think Billy will always want to have 3 safeties that we actually use in games..Adding Nate gave us that

  62. 62 Sb2bowl said at 10:33 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Exactly; this also allows DeMeco to get off the field when his skills are “less than desired’ in passing situations (I actually think Philly fans will get off his back a bit this year in regards to his deficiencies as a pass defender).

    I’ve loved the 3 safety look since the Giants revealed it almost a decade ago… glad we (hopefully!) have the personnel to reveal our own version of it.

    Okay, hypothetical time. 3 safety/rush look on obvious passing down– who do we have on the field to defend (say) a 3rd and 17. Lets go 3-3-5……. who you got?

    I’m going Cox, Curry, Logan (no particular order)- Barwin, Kendricks, Cole, Williams, Boykin, Fletcher, Jenkins, Wolff/Allen

  63. 63 GEAGLE said at 12:27 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    He actually isn’t the horrible coverage liability we act like he is. He is no London Fletcher. He does some things real well like come up with INTs when he is in zone, or knocking WRs on their ass disrupting the timing..it’s Not a case of us NEVER wanting him on the field when the other team is passing, is more of us needing to give him a break, and add subpackage cover alternatives…we need like 19 defenders who we actually want to use in games

  64. 64 Sb2bowl said at 1:37 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Agreed all around- I remember 2 times last year (1st Dallas game, Saints playoff game) where he got into passing lanes (Playoff game) or made a nice play on the ball (Dallas). My favorite attribute of his is the ability to “re-route” (like you said, knock ’em down!) the receiver within 5 yards— nothing like making the opposing QB crap his pants when his dump off option is peeling himself off the ground.

    I think our D was hurt by not being able to field a respectable Dime defense in certain situations last year; like you said, its not a matter of keeping him off the field in passing downs no matter what… its a matter of keeping him on the field when his skills match the situation presented. This year looks to be a step in the correct direction (on paper at least) as far as becoming better at getting off the field on 3rd down (and long)– DeMeco covering the deep middle zone on 3&17 isn’t as preferable (IMO) as having someone like *(myself!)* Jenkins or Wolff/Allen roaming that area. We’ll see, but our Dime defense should be A LOT better this year, thus creating more opportunities for the Zoom Coast offense to obliterate the other team…….

  65. 65 fran35 said at 10:42 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    All of this is very confusing to me if we go under the premise that Jenkins will help with the slot and that the Eagles want Boykin strictly at slot. This sounds, on face value, like Jenkins could steala few snaps from Boykins, which I am fervently against. If anything, the kid needs to be on the field more. He is our best defensive player and a game changer. We need to bump the kid to the outside and play him all game. There is no chance Boykin resigns with us next year if we keep using him in this way.

  66. 66 Weapon Y said at 12:34 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Still need a starting safety. Allen isn’t that guy.

  67. 67 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 1:26 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    He’s the second best safety on our roster right now, and we got him on a one year deal. It’s a good move, and it means that we don’t have to draft a safety in May.

    He was an average starter last season. That’s fine in this defense.

  68. 68 Dominik said at 4:00 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Yeah, we don’t HAVE to draft a safety. And that’s why we signed Allen. But we should hope that a good Safety ends up being the bpa, because Allen doesn’t solve this position.

  69. 69 eagleyankfan said at 7:59 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Second best safety? That’s suppose to mean something? T-Law wrote it — Allen has upside. I’ll translate — he stinks. All this garbage about they signed him to 1 year deal to motivate him? I’ll say it again — IF the Eagles thought Allen as average or above — he would have gotten a 3 year deal. The fact that it’s only 1 year tells the story. No matter much T-Law tried to sugar coat/Spuds up the article.

  70. 70 fran35 said at 10:46 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I am not an Allen fan, but I think you are exagerrating a bit. He was serviceable this as a starter. The year before he stunk. I think we left him out there on the FA market for a bit to gauge interest and give us bargaining power if nobody wanted him. He is an OK starter, knows the system, allows us to draft with BPA in mind. He is a solid back up most likely. A definite upgrade over Coleman/Anderson

  71. 71 Ben Hert said at 12:13 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    There’s no point trying to make have a discussion about Allen with him and GE. Save your energy, lest you be strawman’d to death in any attempt at logical discussion.

  72. 72 eagleyankfan said at 8:03 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’m with you on this. Allen signed is a warm body to bring in when someone gets hurt. And that’s about it.

  73. 73 GEAGLE said at 8:29 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Not so sure about that. I can see us using him in subpackages, especially when Billy wants to go 3,safeties and stick Malcom on a slot or TE…this would be likely next time an offense focus’s on running the ball against or Nickle the way the saints did

  74. 74 eagleyankfan said at 8:34 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’d hope he’ll at least see the field. He won’t on special teams. He has to have some purpose. Hopefully it’s a stop gap til draft day and maybe he can mentor some young guns.

  75. 75 GEAGLE said at 8:47 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    lol I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to see him try and play ST in the preseason hahaha. A safety who always hesitates and gets trucked by running backs is going to run 80 yards down field at full speed and crash into players with reckless abandon? This i have to see lol. Doubt we put up with him for too long on ST….I see value in having him back, but I could also see scenarios where he doesn’t make the team(depending on what happens in the draft)

    Tom is absolutely right, as a position, this should be the strongest it has been in a while(which is crazy to say, because it’s not anything close to a strength for us)

    I just can’t imagine how much we been screwing up back there with guys like Chung and Nate QBin the secondary and making all the checks….
    ..
    Jenkins isn’t that playmaker we all want, but he is like safety version of Barwin! Jack of all trades master of none! with Meco’s defensive leadership/QB skills…he absolutely makes us better, and I’m sure he will be good for Wolff

  76. 76 eagleyankfan said at 9:02 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    this is the equivalent of AR keeping Brown(WR) around all those years. Never made any sense….

  77. 77 GEAGLE said at 9:50 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Speaking of fat man scoop, surprised he hasn’t signed any of our trash that he drafted yet

  78. 78 eagleyankfan said at 10:05 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    EXACTLY! Great point.

  79. 79 GEAGLE said at 12:25 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Tell the new king of KC BBQ that Damaris can be had for the right price 🙂

  80. 80 GEAGLE said at 8:22 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Malcom is the starting safety of the eagles. We won’t be benching him any time soon, and I don’t think Nate would only have gotten a one year deal if we weren’t hoping and expecting Wolff to out play him in camp, now that he won’t have to think as much and put all that athleticms to use..don’t like Nate as a starter,but doubt too many teams have better back up safeties,….I’d wait to we see Wolffs year two before using a valuable pick on the position. Forget the DBs and add 3 athletes to your front 7

  81. 81 eagleyankfan said at 8:36 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    One mock draft has the Eagles taking an ILB. Draft boards are now all over the place in trying to figure out the Eagles pick. I just hate to wait til May to see.

  82. 82 GEAGLE said at 8:49 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    CJ Mosely won’t last til us…Giants,Steelers,maybe ravens could all take him…and I seriously Doubt GB would pass him up, they can’t really afford to with how bad AJ hawk has been

  83. 83 eagleyankfan said at 8:57 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    That’s exactly who cbs sports had in their mock. In their draft some good names on the board. I’m not sure Mosely is the bpa.

  84. 84 Iskar36 said at 9:12 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    The point of bringing back Allen is that now we don’t have to rely on Wolff succeeding in his second year. We now know that at worst, we have Allen as a viable option. Furthermore, adding Allen means we don’t have to go into the draft NEEDING a safety. Having said that, safety is not so settled of a position that if a safety is the best player on your board that you can afford to pass him up. With Pryor and Clinton-Dix, I think there is a real chance the Eagles could target a safety in the first round still. They just now have the luxury of not feeling like they have to reach for either guy if they are not fully sold on either one.

  85. 85 TheRogerPodacter said at 9:40 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    i think this is the BIG part of the Allen signing – we don’t have to rely on Wolff to succeed in his second year.
    think about all of the other safeties we have drafted… each of them the expectations were sky high – Macho Harris, CJ Gaddis, Quintin Demps, JR Reed are there more? each time, we put a ton of pressure on the rookies to replace Dawkins and its just too much. I’m hoping that going this way for at least one year allows Wolff the chance at a more natural development.

  86. 86 GEAGLE said at 9:44 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    He is clearly a one year insurance policy. Don’t think thats some big secret. Dude who won’t be able to play ST, back for one year and may or may not start? That’s an imsurance policy, stop gap, call it whatever you want..but I give him about a 3% chance of being a starting safety of our future…

  87. 87 TheRogerPodacter said at 12:01 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    yep, i think you are spot on. he’s there to fight for one of the safety spots. I’d assume that Jenkins is given one of them, but i think the offseason competition will really be about taking the best two out of the three to start.

    I saw a lot to like with Wolff in his rookie year. i’m really hoping that we can bring him along slowly to develop rather than throwing him in the fire.

  88. 88 Insomniac said at 1:38 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I know some guys here like Ra’Shede Hageman (including me too) but if Stephon Tuitt fell to us in the 2nd round, anyone think that we would take him?

  89. 89 GEAGLE said at 8:18 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Neither will be on the board at 54…Tuitt won’t make it past the DEADskins early round two pick

  90. 90 ICDogg said at 1:44 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I was starting to wonder if the Eagles brass had a problem with him, since it was such an obvious move to bring him back for a year.

  91. 91 TheRogerPodacter said at 9:37 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    the only thing i can think of is that the two sides couldn’t agree on money so they let Nate test the FA waters and see what his value was to the rest of the team. Judging by the contract we gave him, he might not have had any interest at all!

  92. 92 GEAGLE said at 9:46 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’m sure he would have rather tested the market first before signing a chump change one year deal…no? Why the hell would Nate have agreed to this deal before now?

  93. 93 ICDogg said at 11:46 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I figured that, but it had to be obvious pretty early on in that process that his market was not there.

  94. 94 GEAGLE said at 12:24 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’m actually very surprised. With how bad safety play is league wide, I figured someone would offer him a decent 3year deal. Figure he had a better year going into free agency then Chung did, who was benched and still got 3.5mil…..If we can sign Nate to one year 2mil dollar deals every summer, I’d keep him the next 3 years lol…he is immediately one of the better 3rd safeties in league(more of an indictment of the position then praising Nate) assuming Wolff can take his starting spot…
    ..
    My only worry is we need backup safeties to play ST. We don’t carry FB who are important ST players league wide, so we have to make it up with TEs,Safeties and LBs…don’t know how many bench players we can carry who won’t help our ST…but this is a quality defensive depth addition, and who know give the kid some continuity for the first time in his career and he might surprise us

  95. 95 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 2:13 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Someone probably offered him a cheap 3 year deal, but he wanted to come back here and show he deserves legit starter money.

  96. 96 GEAGLE said at 2:27 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Some offered him 3years but he would risk getting is value up on a team that may not even start him? Not hasn’t shown confidence in years but he is going to take a prove it deal and show everyone?

  97. 97 ICDogg said at 2:36 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Probably has as good a chance of starting here as anywhere else.

  98. 98 A Roy said at 2:40 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    It doesn’t appear anyone’s sold on Wolff, so Allen could be a starter here. This is not my favorite scenario.

  99. 99 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 2:50 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    A longterm deal wouldn’t give him any security. They favor teams, not players. If he can maintain his performance from last year, which, again, was better than Wolff’s by a good margin, he’ll be in line for a much better deal next offseason.

    If he believes that he can maintain his performance, he would be an idiot to lock himself into a cheap contract for the next three years.

  100. 100 GEAGLE said at 7:33 AM on March 19th, 2014:

    Watch Nates press conference dude??he flat out said he only had one year offers on the table! and if he had to take a prove it deal it make sense to go play for the defense he knows….

  101. 101 ICDogg said at 2:35 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Any reason you wouldn’t have Allen play special teams?

  102. 102 A Roy said at 2:39 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Yes, he’s quite the punishing tackler!

  103. 103 ICDogg said at 2:43 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    You never know what someone is capable of… maybe having him play that role could help bring that out of him. Not holding my breath but there’s no harm in trying.

  104. 104 A Roy said at 2:52 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Optimism abounds in hounds.

  105. 105 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 2:51 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I don’t want starters playing ST, and I think Nate’s the starter going into TC.

  106. 106 GEAGLE said at 7:32 AM on March 19th, 2014:

    He is a bitch WHO HESITATES and gets trucked by running backs consistently. And you want him to run 80yards down field and crash into people with reckless abandon? Watching Nate play ST in the preseason will be comical..can’t wait!!

  107. 107 John Paine said at 2:45 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    So happy this finally got done. Now the team has two established average-or-better players at Safety, meaning it’s no longer a gaping hole. That means that the only obvious NEED is a pass rusher. So as long as we come out of the draft with one or two good prospects in that department and a whole lot of BPAs, and I’d consider this a very nice offseason.

    For those who don’t like the move, think of it this way… We’ve basically just taken our (talentwise) 1,2,3 Safety rotation of Allen (Solid/Average), Wolff (Decent Rookie), Chung (Horrible) and changed it to Jenkins (Average/Above Average), Allen (Solid/Average/Potentially Above Average with 2nd year in the system), Wolff (Decent/Probably at least Solid). That’s clearly an upgrade, and I seriously doubt either of the other guys is a downgrade from Coleman or Anderson. We’re probably better at Safety positions 1-4 at least, if not 1-5 (we carried 5 last year).

  108. 108 bubqr said at 5:49 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Great news. Competition starts happening everywhere after our FA moves, and that is a sign of a good team. Allen/Wolf/Jenkins at S, Carroll/Fletcher/Williams at CB, Celek/Ertz at TE, Maclin/Cooper at WR2, Polk/Sproles at RB2, Sproles/McCoy at 3rd down back, etc.

    On top of the obvious need at pass rusher, I am surprised that there is very limited talk about ILB. We have a declining average veteran and a VERY inconsistent ILB on a one year deal there. Putting aside what happens during the season, we could end up with an over the hill Demeco and disappointing, Free Agent, Kendricks in one year. Backups are a very unproven Naje Goode, a ST player recovering from ACL in J.Phillips and a future HoFer-because-of-bloodlines Matthews. I am seriously worried about this spot.

  109. 109 ICDogg said at 6:47 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Even if one likes our ILBs more than you do, it’s still time to find Meco’s replacement, and get some better depth there. So yeah, there should probably be some more attention paid to that position.

  110. 110 Jarrod said at 9:14 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I believe Kendricks is signed for 2 more years (just if he plays well we will want to extend him next year). Goode played well as a back-up. Ryans is declining but is still a vital part as the quarterback of the defense (Kendricks was suppose to have the headset last year but apparently couldn’t handle it). Then we have a couple STer and backups (Knott, Phillips, Matthews).

    I agree that we need to add another player at ILB but I want to draft that player. Preferably in rounds 1-4. This should net us a young player with upside who can learn the scheme and adjust this year and replace Ryans next year (maybe even push for playing time this year). I think the Eagles FO has this in mind by the attention they paid to ILB as the senior bowl.

  111. 111 John Paine said at 11:23 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I don’t really watch college sports, so I’m only going by what I’ve been reading in comments around the Web. But I’m kinda hoping that they somehow end up with KVN and another decent OLB pass rusher prospect. Then KVN (who’s supposed to be extremely versatile) spends this year backing up every LB spot. The other kid gets to develop and add weight while only needing to play passing downs. And next year we have DeMeco’s replacement in KVN, and Cole’s replacement at ROLB.

  112. 112 mheil said at 6:08 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    with all the noise concerning Jackson, which the team hasn’t put to bed, and Carolina in desperate need of WRs, does anyone see a trade for draft choices, say a 2 and 5; I am not advocating trading Jackson, but it seems like a real possibility.

  113. 113 ICDogg said at 6:42 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Carolina could really use him but would have to rework some contracts or dump some guys to fit him under their cap, even with the Eagles absorbing the proration of the rest of his signing bonus. That being said, there are a few ways that could be worked around, if both teams wanted to do it.

    I think it’s all a moot point, though. I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere.

  114. 114 anon said at 6:45 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    i’d need a first

  115. 115 Sb2bowl said at 10:35 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    At least– with a conditional pick next year (no less than a 3, more likely a 2). Considering the Panthers are picking AFTER us this year, they should probably throw in a 3/4 this year (just for “good measure”)

  116. 116 GermanEagle said at 7:28 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Yeah sure, let’s trade him to a direct NFC contender for a 2nd. Lol…!

  117. 117 mheil said at 8:03 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Again, I am not advocating the trade, but if they trade with Dallas and Washington, they would trade with Carolina. The fact that Carolina is in the NFC is irrelevant.

  118. 118 GermanEagle said at 8:38 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    It’s a slight difference between trading a declining QB or a top 10 WR in his prime. And no, the fact that Carolina is in the NFC is relevant! Or do you think the Eagles will be happy to face an angry DeSean in the NFC CCG this season…?
    By the way I really believe that Jimmy K sits somewhere in the corner laughing at us for discussing this silly trade idea which he made up…

  119. 119 Iskar36 said at 9:05 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I want no part of that trade, but I disagree that trading within the NFC would be a major deterrent. IF (and I put that in caps because I think all the trade stuff is writers taking Kempski’s article and running with it) the Eagles were to trade DeSean and the best offer came from an NFC team, I don’t think the Eagles hesitate one bit. The Eagles have traded within the division multiple times, let alone the conference, including trading Dallas a first round pick to move out of the first round. If they think they can get good value in a trade, they will pull the trigger.

  120. 120 mheil said at 10:16 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    if it means they play in the NFC Chamionship game this year, they and I will be very happy as they will have exceded expectations. Facing an “angry” Jackson and opposed to what??? [ a happy Jackson] is meaningless nonsense. You may believe it is relevant that Carolina is in the NFC but I don’t believe that they will consider it so. Their only concern will be does the trade help their team and can they find a willing partner. Jimmy was the first to analysize their situation and suggested this possibility which they have not denied, which is more meaningful than Jimmy’s ramblings. I trust kelly which ever way it goes.

  121. 121 ICDogg said at 2:40 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I don’t think that he’ll be traded but I think there is reason to believe that it’s being considered.

  122. 122 bubqr said at 7:15 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    BTW, I’m reaching out to the Iggles Blitz audience. I just sent that to FO:

    “Hi Aaron,

    Quick question – I have a “feeling” that tall WRs tend to have a higher bust rate than most other ones. For every Alshon Jeffery, I feel that there are a lot of Malcom Kelly, James Hardy, Limas Sweed, Baldwin, Dwayne Jarrett, WRs that used their sizes very effectively in college but could not do that in the NFL.

    I am not sure if there is any data supporting this, and before looking at it myself, I wanted to know if you had looked at that?”

    What is everyone’s take on this? am I crazy? Have you seen an article or study about that? This popped into my mind looking at some mocks predicting Kelvin Benjamin to the Eagles + Mike Evans being “scouted” by our staff.

  123. 123 Tumtum said at 10:01 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I think there are probably just fewer big freaks out there, so you really take notice when they fail.

    Harold Carmichael (not current but he is ours, so deal with it!)
    Fitz
    Megatron
    Randy Moss
    Plaxico Burress
    Vincent Jackson
    Dez Bryant
    Sidney Rice (before he was injured)
    Marques Colston
    Julio Jones
    Musin Mohamed

    Really the list of guys who panned out goes on and on. Dez is the only guy on this list under 6’3″. He has the ability to play like he is 7′ tall so he gets the nod.

  124. 124 bubqr said at 10:43 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Maybe it is perception, but I just decided looking at 5 years of draft, 2005-2010(3 years in league at least), first 2 rounds, above 6’3, Bust/Average/Hit:

    Braylon Edwards: Avg (debatable)
    Mike Williams: Bust
    Matt Jones: Bust
    Vincent Jackson: Hit
    Calvin Johnson: Hit
    Sidney Rice: Avg
    Dwayne Jarrett: Bust
    James Hardy: Bust
    Malcolm Kelly: Bust
    Limas Sweed: Bust
    (Man that 2008 draft!)
    Kenny Britt: Avg
    Brian Robiskie: Bust
    Demarius Thomas: Hit

    That’s 3 Hits, 3 Average, and 7 Busts, including some pretty huge ones. Bust rate for WRs is usually high, but I do think that if I do the same exercise with 6’2 and below, the bust rate will end up lower.

  125. 125 Tumtum said at 12:39 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Doooo ittttt

  126. 126 D3FB said at 12:45 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    See above.

  127. 127 TheRogerPodacter said at 12:40 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    yes, as Tumtum said, please do it. lol

  128. 128 D3FB said at 12:45 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    See above

  129. 129 D3FB said at 12:38 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    2005
    Troy Williamson: Bust
    Mark Clayton: Avg
    Roddy White: Hit
    Reggie Brown: Avg
    Mark Bradley: Bust
    Roscoe Parrish: Bust
    Courtney Roby: Bust
    Brandon Jones: Bust
    1 Hit, 2 Avg, 5 Bust
    2006
    Santonio Holmes: Hit
    Chad Jackson: Bust
    Sinorce Moss: Bust
    Greg Jennings: Hit
    Travis Wilson: Bust
    Derek Hagan: Bust
    Brandon Williams: Bust
    Maurice Stovall: Bust
    Willie Reid: Bust
    2 Hits, 7 Bust
    2007
    Ted Ginn Jr: Avg
    Dwayne Bowe: Hit
    Robert Meachem: Avg
    Buster Davis: Bust
    Steve Smith: Avg
    Jacoby Jones: Avg
    Yamon Figurs: Bust
    Laurent Robinson: Avg
    Jason Hill: Bust
    James Jones: Hit
    Paul Williams: Bust
    Mike Sim-Walker: Bust
    Johnnie Lee Higgins: Bust
    2 Hits, 4 Avg, 6 Bust
    2008
    Donnie Avery: Avg
    Devin Thomas: Bust
    James Hardy: Bust
    Eddie Royal: Avg
    Jerome Simpson: Avg
    Djax: Hit
    Dexter Jackson: Bust
    Earl Bennet: Avg
    Early Doucet: Bust
    Harry Douglas: Avg
    Mario Manningham: Avg
    Andre Caldwell: Bust
    1 Hit, 6 Avg, 5 Bust
    2009
    Crabtree: Hit
    Maclin: Hit
    Harvin: Hit
    Nicks: Hit
    Mohamed Massaqoui: Bust
    Derrick Williams: Bust
    Brandon Tate: Bust
    Mike Wallace: Hit
    Ramses Barden: Bust
    Deon Butler: Bust
    Juaquin Iglesias: Bust
    5 Hits, 6 Bust
    2010
    Dez Bryant: Hit
    Arrelious Benn: Bust
    Golden Tate: Avg
    Damian Williams: Bust
    Emmanuel Sanders: Avg
    Jordan Shipley: Bust
    Eric Decker: Hit
    Andre Roberts: Avg
    Armanti Edwards: Bust
    Taylor Price: Bust
    2 Hits, 3 Avg, 5 Bust
    Not included:
    Terrence Murphy: forced to retire for Medical
    Chris Henry: started to turn the corner, before his untimely death
    Anthony Gonzalez: Promising start, knee injury ruined him

  130. 130 D3FB said at 12:39 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    Guys you missed:
    Jordy Nelson: Hit
    Brandon Lafell: Avg
    Patrick Turner: Bust

  131. 131 D3FB said at 12:45 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    This gives us
    14 Hits
    15 Avg
    34 Bust
    Which gives us a bust rate of 53.96%. Adjusting bubqr’s list, by taking away Dez, and adding Nelson, Lafell, and Patrick Turner who he missed we have:
    3 Hits, 4 Avg, 8 Bust.
    That Gives us a Bust rate of 53.33%.
    THEREFORE:
    There is no difference in the bust rate between small and large recievers.

  132. 132 TheRogerPodacter said at 9:06 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    thanks for putting all of this together!
    you are a king amongst men!

  133. 133 bubqr said at 12:05 AM on March 20th, 2014:

    Appreciate the effort. BTW Lafell/Turner were 3rd rounders(you seem to have involved them in there, don’t think it is an issue), and I had Nelson at 6’2. Does not change the numbers in a big way, and it’s pretty clear that I suffer from perception bias.
    Surely don’t want the Eagles to draft K.Benjamin regardless of what the “numbers” say.

  134. 134 D3FB said at 1:08 AM on March 20th, 2014:

    Gotcha, I just realized you only did first two rounds. However swapping Nelson who is listed at 6’3 everywhere I looked, for Dez cancels them out, and then Turner and Lafell were the only 3rd rounders that met the criteria for the big guys. So the data holds up. I was def surprised about how high the bust rate is, and that it is constant at both sizes. I’ll be livid if we take Benjamin. He tested out like an average flex TE, not a WR.

  135. 135 bubqr said at 2:56 AM on March 20th, 2014:

    Same as you – I was surprised knowing that more than half of the WR picked are busts. That is a really, really high number. And completely agree about Benjamin.

  136. 136 GermanEagle said at 7:26 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Thanks buddy for offering your thoughts re Spencer.

  137. 137 GEAGLE said at 8:16 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Don’t get why so many eagles fans keep talking about Obrien Schofield as an option. WE do NOT want him. I can’t tell you why we don’t want him, but I know that last year we only had 1 OLB on our roster and Schofield hit waivers like 3 times and we had zero interest…we didn’t want him on waivers but we want him now? Doubt it. I wouldn’t sign any of those OLBs…

  138. 138 Tumtum said at 9:54 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    If you intended moving BG on draft day would that change your mind?

  139. 139 GEAGLE said at 11:36 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    No…he failed a physical already…if we traded BG, I would hope we draft a ROLB and a OLB/ILB hybrid like C.Jones and KVN who provide depth inside and out, while eventually replacing Meco Ryan in a few years..

  140. 140 Anders said at 10:41 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    He hit waivers once last year and the Hawks claimed him

  141. 141 GEAGLE said at 11:40 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    We had waiver priority over them…I wanted us to sign Clemons last year and pick up Schofield, but I don’t talk about it, even if they are available this year because I assume we have no interest..I don’t think we sign the next bests player. We signs someone we want,if not keep what we have…and I don’t believe we want scofield….I don’t think it’s a case of if we can’t get this guy, we will look to next best available at the position…we are all about Fit, we either want a guy or we don’t, and I don’t see how we could have interest in him at this point…we will never be moreSTARVED for OLB then we were last year,and we prefered Casey Mathews, so no, I don’t think we want him at all

  142. 142 sflomenb said at 8:48 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Shaun Phillips is from Philadelphia, I don’t know why he wouldn’t want to come home.

  143. 143 GEAGLE said at 8:49 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Is he really? What high school?

  144. 144 Sb2bowl said at 11:08 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’d take Philips at a vet minimum deal as insurance

  145. 145 GEAGLE said at 11:34 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    No..we need to go young at ROLB

  146. 146 Sb2bowl said at 11:36 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    My statement wasn’t meant as someone “for right now”…. rather, “insurance”– that is, if we can’t locate someone young with the desired skills for the position.

  147. 147 GEAGLE said at 11:41 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I don’t think he will sign on to sit on a bench.but hey, high Charecter guy, I wouldn’t complain

  148. 148 barneygoogle said at 9:40 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    What the Eagles really need is a pass rush. This is not a strong draft for 3-4 OLB’s. Howie has to move up in the draft, or find a hidden gem, or make a trade (Dion Jordan?). Would the Eagles just play more 4-3 this year?
    After all, the Giants now have Dom Rodgers Cromartie (the tackling machine), and the Cowboys acquired the golden arm of Brandon Weeden —how can we keep up with the competition?

  149. 149 GEAGLE said at 9:49 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I actually think it’s not a bad class for pass rushers at all…and I seriously doubt we will be spending what few picks we have, moving up and getting a player. Unless dumb ass Oakland or Washington take mike Wallace’s contract, I doubt Miami trades Dion..but if they were to be ok with eating that cap hit, I’m sure we would outbid every other team for Dion…it’s all about the cap hit with him

  150. 150 Tumtum said at 9:53 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    I can’t stress enough how much I hope they don’t over value a pass rusher in the draft (like Mia did to Jordan!!). If they can’t get one, so be it. I’ll wait for the right one. I know BG has had some extenuating circumstances, but I don’t want another one of those.

  151. 151 ztom6 said at 12:32 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    2nd round should be rich with pass rushers. Dee Ford will likely go top of the round, but at 56 you’re still probably looking at Demarcus Lawrence, Marcus Smith, and Jeremiah Attochu as tempting OLB picks.

  152. 152 barneygoogle said at 1:36 PM on March 19th, 2014:

    Jordan is in the wrong defense. He’s not a 4-3 end. Too thin. He’s a 3-4 type. Hard to know what Kelly thinks of him…
    I hope we don’t have to wait until 2015 to get that pass rusher.

  153. 153 Tumtum said at 9:50 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Signing Nate was a good move. Extremely unsexy and bleh, but good none the less. Realistically, besides going into year two of the same system, Nate was probably the best S left out there. Guess I always wanted him back even if I didn’t admit it (cept in like one post a week ago).

    I will ask one thing… what the heck happened to Nick Collins? Just noticed him on the FA list. He used to be thought of so highly…

  154. 154 D3FB said at 10:01 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    He broke his neck in week 2 of 2011. Failed his team physical in 2012, got cut and retired. Now he’s trying to come out of retirement and feels healthy again. Turns 31 in August.

  155. 155 Tumtum said at 10:02 AM on March 18th, 2014:

    Oh wow. He sounds like he could be a good summer add for a team. Hope he does well.

  156. 156 Mitchell said at 12:38 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO FOR A H2H SHOW TOMMY!??!?!?!?!??!!? Miss those so much!

  157. 157 SteveH said at 2:01 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/eagles-desean-jackson-situation-out-hand

    “If the Eagles bring him back – and it feels like a bigger and bigger if with each day and each subsequent report”

    Seriously. We’re at the point where its “if” the Eagles bring him back? Ashley Fox nailed it earlier, the Philly media is going to make this trade happen if it can.

  158. 158 Jernst said at 5:11 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    This syndrome has been pandemic in the 24 hour news cycle these past few years…only a matter of time before it made its way over to sports reporting. Start a controversy with nothing but pure speculation and then talk about the controversy on other shows later in the day on the same station and then later talk about how everyone seems to keep talking about it, so there must be something there. It’s just one big echo chamber. Then we must give equal time to/teach the controversy, so as to appear non-biased. And, around we go…

    Cutting/trading DeSean makes zero sense. Riley is a really decent WR, but he’s nothing but a complimentary piece that no one has to game plan for who’s on a glorified 2 year deal, Maclin is on a 1 year prove it deal where he’ll be looking for mega money next off season and he’s coming off of his second ACL surgery on the same knee and was never a world beater prior to the injury, and Sproles is a 31 year old RB with declining skills. Does now really seem like the ideal time to trade away our best offensive receiving option and the only WR that other teams fear, in his prime, coming off his best season as a pro, just ’cause? I seriously don’t get it.

  159. 159 A_T_G said at 2:20 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    The fact that, now, I will be a little disappointed but not worried if the draft doesn’t fall in a way that gets us a promising safety in the first couple of rounds tells me that this was the right thing to do.

    I think the only real complaint people have with this is familiarity. If this was a player from an AFC team, one who was a former second round pick who showed some promise before a knee injury, then struggled in new systems on pretty bad defenses before showing a bit of improvement last year, who we signed to compete and for depth, people would be excited. It is only for the fact that we are the fans that experienced the frustration in Nate that leads to discontent. He was the best option out there and we brought him in on a deal that leaves all of our options open.

  160. 160 Mitchell said at 2:27 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Great post and I completely agree.

  161. 161 ICDogg said at 2:47 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    If we don’t get more pressure on the qb it won’t matter that much.

  162. 162 GEAGLE said at 2:56 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    For those wondering why Nate signed this type of deal, of you watch the press conference he was Asked about it in detail, he said all he had was one year offers on the table and it made sense to go to a defense and coaching staff he already knew if he had to take a one year deal, also talked about how he wanted to be back. Which I wouldn’t have blamed him if he wanted a fresh start. think it’s important to have two safeties back who already know the defense, and he is pretty good value for what we are paying him…glad he is back. I always said I wish he had one more year on his deal to see him get two year with a coaching staff, I just thought he would have more then just one year offers and he hasn’t shown enough to warrant a Longterm investment for us. One year to really find out what he can be with these coaches works for me

  163. 163 A_T_G said at 5:05 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Jimmy has an article up with SB odds. Eagles are the only NFCE team to improve from before FA to after. We went from 25:1 to 18:1 while NYG and Dallas both dropped from 33:1 to 40:1 and WAS went from 40:1 to 50:1.

    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/red_zone/Vegas-Eagles-are-6th-most-likely-team-to-win-the-Super-Bowl.html

  164. 164 GermanEagle said at 5:21 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    If the Eagles are really that dumb to trade away DeSean these odds will get worse significantly…

  165. 165 Iskar36 said at 5:11 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Wow, if there is any truth to this, that is shockingly bad return that they are looking for.

    https://twitter.com/JClarkCSN/status/446029426250514432

  166. 166 A Roy said at 5:14 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    hahahahahahahahahaha

  167. 167 Jernst said at 5:19 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I will punch a baby…

  168. 168 Iskar36 said at 5:19 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I would downvote my own post, but of course no one can see downvotes anymore…

  169. 169 GermanEagle said at 5:20 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I think that is a typo: it should read 3 1st round picks. If not, this gotta be a joke..?!

  170. 170 mksp said at 5:25 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    HE’S MAKING $10 MILLION PER YEAR.

  171. 171 Iskar36 said at 5:28 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I understand why his trade value would not necessarily be high, but at that point, isn’t he worth WAAAAAAY more to the
    Eagles than the 3rd round pick he would bring back in return? Clearly DeSean has to be doing something behind the scenes that is extreme for the Eagles to be considering trading him like this. He is way to valuable of a player to the Eagles offense to be worth only a 3rd round pick.

  172. 172 mksp said at 5:33 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    i think there’s a lot happening behind the scenes that we don’t know about with regard to DeSean.

    i also think howie & chip care a lot more about chemistry & character in the locker room than most teams.

    i think that we won’t know whether this approach is better than simply accumulating as much talent (diva, or otherwise) as possible for several years.

    i think DeSean is going to have a HUGE year next year if he gets traded.

  173. 173 Iskar36 said at 5:36 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I understand taking a bold view on team chemistry, but the problem becomes, if DJacks has a HUGE season next year and the Eagles take a step back because of the drop in talent (and the chemistry thing does take several years to develop), do Howie and/or Chip need to start worrying about being on the hot seat? Making a bold move that requires patience can be good, but you aren’t given a lot of time in the NFL.

  174. 174 Insomniac said at 5:41 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Quite honestly, I’d rather fire Bob Bicknell before trading Djax. Unless it really is a locker room/contract issue, then you better pony up a 1st, 3rd, and a conditional mid round pick next year to get him.

  175. 175 mksp said at 5:44 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    He’s not Calvin Johnson or AJ Green.

    DJax is not an elite WR. Can we please remember this? He’s a pro bowl level talent, but not one of the top 5 WRs in the game.

  176. 176 Insomniac said at 5:46 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Neither was Percy Harvin.

  177. 177 mksp said at 5:53 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Fair.

    And on a yards per route run, DJAX was technically at top 5 receiver (#5 in 2014).

    But like I said, we really don’t know what is going on in the locker room.

    The fallout of a trade will be pretty interesting….

  178. 178 Insomniac said at 5:56 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Yea it’s really just speculation at this point. Nothing has been confirmed to be official.

  179. 179 Iskar36 said at 5:55 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Percy Harvin was traded at the perfect time though. Had a fantastic season that year, was young, and was on his rookie deal. Those things make significant differences in terms of trade value. Having said that, a 3rd for DeSean Jackson is pathetic.

  180. 180 A_T_G said at 5:57 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    And if it is the 9ers and Pats, it isn’t even a good third.

  181. 181 Insomniac said at 5:58 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Djax started out red hot this year too. Harvin already had a list of injuries before he was traded. Djax might be older but Harvin hasn’t started a full season in the NFL.

  182. 182 Insomniac said at 5:33 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Djax is free styling in the locker room and causing minor concussions to teammates.

  183. 183 Insomniac said at 5:28 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I would fire Howie on the spot if this happened.

  184. 184 nicolajNN said at 5:30 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    This whole thing in becoming increasingly less funny. A 3rd round pick for DeSean would be a hilarious thing to read if it wasn’t because the people reporting it were serious

  185. 185 Iskar36 said at 5:31 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    DGunn didn’t change jobs and start working for The Onion, right? Does Jimmy K have a story on that anywhere?

  186. 186 Iskar36 said at 5:32 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    https://twitter.com/TheRealDGunnCSN/status/446036062071447552

    The fact that the Patriots and Niners are the teams involved in the conversation is strong indication that we are likely to lose that trade.

  187. 187 Insomniac said at 5:35 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I don’t know what’s more vomit-inducing. The tweet below or the comments on BGN’s article on Dee Ford.

  188. 188 mksp said at 5:58 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    What if this is a deliberate leak by the Eagles?

    Leak that we want “at least a 3rd”, piss off fans.

    Then trade him for a 2nd *and* a 3rd *and* a conditional 2015 pick. Doesn’t look so bad, and we’re all slightly less upset (I’d like this trade a lot actually).

    Would be pretty epic PR management if this turns out to be the case.

    Just speculating.

  189. 189 A_T_G said at 6:16 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    That would be a chess-like move.

    I wonder if this could also be a “shut up and play” message to DeSean.

    Or, this could be a move to load up for 2015 by taking a hit this year.

    Or, maybe Chip just dislikes him.

    There is just way too much unknown to have a good feel for this. Regardless, Jimmy K. Is looking pretty smart right now.

  190. 190 mksp said at 6:19 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’m on record here of preferring to play for the 2015 – 2017 window. Anything can happen in 2014, but in terms of probability, that window is when I think we are most likely to be an elite team.

    In short, DeSean is at his peak *now*, he’s more valuable to a team like the 49ers or Patriots than he is to us, so lets monetize that value, collect picks, and have a larger core of talent hitting its peak in 2015 – 2017 when we should be contending for a Super Bowl.

  191. 191 GermanEagle said at 6:23 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    But for a bloody 3rd round pick?!! Geeez…

  192. 192 A_T_G said at 6:42 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    That is the part that is unbelievable to me. Either that is incorrect in the report, or there is a big problem behind the scenes.

  193. 193 GermanEagle said at 6:45 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Unless it’s not as ‘sleeping with Howie’s wife’ bad I will be absolutely furious with anything less than a high second round pick in return for DeSean. Besides the fact that I’d rather hold on to him and be a serious contender this season…!

  194. 194 A_T_G said at 7:03 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Not really the point, but is Howie married? I did a Google image search to try to come up with a response to the idea of his wife and DeSean, but only found images of Andy, Nick, and Nnamdi.

  195. 195 GermanEagle said at 7:05 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Lol, I was wondering the same thing before posting this (another spooky moment lol)….do we actually know that Howie’s not gay (no offense!!!)?

  196. 196 iceberg584 said at 7:11 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Taking this down the rabbit hole, I think it’s far more likely that the team’s head coach is..

  197. 197 Cliff said at 8:24 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I’ve been thinking about this for a while now! Chip is usually described as “private” with a “close circle of friends.” None of that is exclusive to any one sexual orientation, BUT, we’ve even seen Bill Belichick’s girlfriend and he’s as private/anti-media as they come.

  198. 198 laeagle said at 8:51 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Howie has not denied this about Chip. Let’s get the national press on this issue STAT!

  199. 199 A Roy said at 10:31 AM on March 19th, 2014:

    Wife Mindy. Investment banker.

  200. 200 mksp said at 6:47 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    National writers seem to think a 3rd is pretty rich considering his contract…..

  201. 201 GermanEagle said at 6:49 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    If that’s the case then I would hold on DeSean. We’re talking about a ridiculous 3rd rounder whose chances of turning into next Billy McMullen are much greater than finding another WR with the second most single season receiving yards in franchise history. Just go and ask Mike Quick…

  202. 202 GermanEagle said at 6:22 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Let’s see who the next Na Brown will be that the Eagles will draft for the pick in return for DeSean. *puke

  203. 203 A_T_G said at 6:48 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Na Brown?! We aren’t giving up DeSean for some measly 4th round talent.

    We will get at least a Billy McMullen.

  204. 204 GermanEagle said at 6:51 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Lol! That is scary…! >>> see my post below (note to ATG: I just read your comment after posting mine)… 2 great minds and all that…

  205. 205 A_T_G said at 6:58 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Nice.

  206. 206 SteveH said at 6:55 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Evidently the Eagles were shopping Desean last year but couldn’t move him.

    A 3rd rounder would make no sense so far as compensation goes. If we’re willing to move him for that little it speaks volumes to how disruptive Chip/Howie believes he is.

  207. 207 GermanEagle said at 6:58 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Maybe Chip decided that too many playmakers on O are not good for team success and chemistry, respectively.

    I am seriously wondering who will be more happy if DeSean gets traded: the Eagles or their NFCE rivals…?!

  208. 208 GENETiC-FREAK said at 7:14 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Gotta wonder what DJax is thinking right now.. All this talk is gotta be getting wrecking his head.. Chip was all about letting the play earn your spot.. DJax earned it now its sounding like my scheme made you i dont need you.. Or DJax attitude behind close doors is worse than T.Os which i find hard to believe

  209. 209 A_T_G said at 7:15 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I wonder if Vick leaving had any effect on DeSean? They seemed pretty tight.

  210. 210 Cliff said at 8:25 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Or Avant getting cut…

  211. 211 GermanEagle said at 8:39 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I wonder if Vick will be back as a backup and the Eagles then trading a 1st for DeSean again.

  212. 212 GermanEagle said at 7:16 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Agree.

    I am curious of how they’d be selling this not only to the public but also to their own team when getting rid of a player after posting franchise record like numbers the year before. This could quickly turn into a bad boomerang.

  213. 213 A_T_G said at 7:19 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    True, unless there is a locker room/attitude issue. In that case it could be sending a pretty powerful message.

  214. 214 GermanEagle said at 7:30 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    True. Unless he slept not with Howie’s wife but bis boyfriend.

  215. 215 scratcherk said at 7:00 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Someone please comfort me… A 3rd round pick for Desean??? Did he kick Chip’s dog or something? Also, if i’m any one of the other 31 teams, I would instantly be on the phone.

  216. 216 GermanEagle said at 7:03 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    No hold on… DeSean’s contract is too pricey to get anything more than a 3. *sarcastic

    This situation reminds me of the Castillo promotion and drafting a 47- year old fire fighter. #headscratchingalore

  217. 217 Insomniac said at 7:04 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    If we did trade Djax, our receiving corps looks extremely sad.

    Cooper
    after injury Maclin
    Rookie
    Damaris
    Sproles

  218. 218 A_T_G said at 7:07 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    On the bright side, think of how easy it would be to upgrade that group using a 3rd-round pick!

  219. 219 GermanEagle said at 7:08 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    …or a 4th!

  220. 220 Insomniac said at 7:10 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I just did and it made it worse!

  221. 221 A_T_G said at 7:13 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Really? You add a rookie version of Billy McMullen to that list and it doesn’t…

    Yeah, you’re right. Maybe we can get McNutt back from the Panthers.

  222. 222 GermanEagle said at 7:08 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    If the glorious Damaris Johnson and James Casey will be on the opening gameday roster rather than this WR with almost 1400 receiving yards the season before I will cry.

  223. 223 Tumtum said at 8:39 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Don’t know that I would go that far. But goes from probably the best trio to just a pretty good duo

  224. 224 GermanEagle said at 8:50 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I want to see that Maclin is all the way back from his injury first before making this assumption. Also it’s highly likely that Coop’s numbers will drop since he won’t benefit from DeSean’s impact anymore. All in all it will be weakening one of your strengths dramatically if they really get rid of DJ.

  225. 225 ICDogg said at 9:32 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    ……
    http://www.profilebrand.com/funny-pictures/category/dogs/676_make-it-stop.gif

  226. 226 Iskar36 said at 9:49 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    From Jimmy K:

    On the surface, a third round pick might seem like inadequate compensation for a 27 year old wide receiver coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he caught 82 passes for 1332 yards and 9 TDs. However, depending on how badly Jackson’s reputation has deteriorated around the league, a third round pick might be optimistic.

    Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/eagles/Report-Eagles-listening-to-offers-for-DeSean-Jackson.html#Pu04iymrYDfGVVX4.99

    Also,
    @JimmyKempski: Crazy as it sounds, getting a 3 for DeSean Jackson might even be optimistic.

    If any of this is even close to true, DeSean Jackson must be doing some ridiculous off the field an in the locker room things and somehow the entire league knows about it but hasn’t said anything publicly about it. Making a minor complaint about your contract after a direct question doesn’t destroy your value like that

  227. 227 ICDogg said at 10:17 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    People often don’t get the distinction between trading for a player and trading for a contract. The amount of base salary in Desean’s contract limits the ability for many teams to take him on. That severely restricts his trade value.

    This on top of the usual overvaluing of draft picks in general.

  228. 228 Frencheaglesfan said at 10:18 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I would definitely prefer that we keep him this year take a Wr early and let the new guy grow behind our starters (like ertz). If we draft a Wr to replace jackson, perfect way for a young kid to bust because of pressure and expectations

  229. 229 ICDogg said at 10:19 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    I see no good reason to trade him.

  230. 230 Frencheaglesfan said at 10:21 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    People forget how hard it is to find a really good WR, they just think every tall guy will turn into megatron. chances are higher that we will find the next momah than the next CJ81

  231. 231 Frencheaglesfan said at 10:17 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Forget everything I said about this good offseason, I’m so down right now, Jackson is the face of this franchise, mccoy and him embody the spirit of our fast as lightening eagles. If we do move on from him we’ll be going backward in the process to win it all and build a dynasty. I have no words for this, that is just insane. I don’t believe in the theory is a distraction, of course he acts like he’s a gangsta and that could be annoying but man on the field he plays with his heart he cheers with his teammates and he wants to win, stop asking for that perfect man he doesn’t exist, if jackson is a distraction then what about mccoy is seems to be pretty pretentious and could be a future problem now? I really don’t understand. I really think any societies needs to accept and even cultivate cultural and character differences, that’s how you have respect and fraternity, This is a dictatorship, way to learn about the success of this system in our history. I feel even worse than when we lost against the Saints.

  232. 232 GENETiC-FREAK said at 10:19 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Agreed! Acceptance of differences!

  233. 233 Weapon Y said at 10:25 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    Unrelated idea: Trade DeSean Jackson and pick #22 for pick #2 and draft Jadeveon Clowney. If Chip is stubbornly adamant that DeSean must be traded, we might as well get a player who will equal or exceed his value. Only Clowney, Watkins, Matthews, Robinson, and possibly Mack are those kinds of players in my opinion.

  234. 234 ICDogg said at 10:26 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    They’re not going to get anything close to that kind of value for him.

  235. 235 ICDogg said at 10:25 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    To me if a trade doesn’t make the team better, then why make it?

  236. 236 Tumtum said at 10:46 PM on March 18th, 2014:

    My thoughts exactly. What 3rd round pick have we had that has made the impact desean has and will? His attitude sucks and he isn’t a guy I particularly like but I would he pretty furious if he was moved for anything less than a first. I still wouldn’t be happy. I get it that the way teams value picks that would never happen….but that’s sort of the point

  237. 237 Jerry Pomroy said at 1:03 AM on March 19th, 2014:

    “Spencer mainly played the LOLB spot for Dallas. That meant he mostly faced the RT. It is easier to do that than beating LTs.”…

    …This is exactly why I have my doubts in regards to Dee Ford as a possibility at ROLB for us. Dee played primarily, if not almost exclusively from the left side going up against RTs. While he is a good pass rusher, I have some doubt as to whether he could replicate his success as a pass rusher from the other side in the NFL. I’d be somewhat less hesitant if I’d seen him rush from the other side, but I have yet to find any game tape that showcases this.