Brian Who?

Posted: May 9th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 110 Comments »

The Eagles took Boston College DL Brian Mihalik in the 7th round. Brian who?

For the first 3 years of his career, Mihalik was a backup. He started his whole Senior season, but got off to a slow start. The coaches challenge him (and the whole defense) to step up. Mihalik played his best football down the stretch.

The Eagles picked him based more on potential than production. Mihalik was an awkward fit in BC’s 4-3 defense. He looks awkward playing in space. I saw multiple games when he was running free to the QB and couldn’t hit him. The QB was able to make a simple move and Mihalik didn’t have the agility to adjust and finish the play.

But then…there are some plays when you see really good things from Mihalik.    

Check out this gif to get an idea of the potential they saw.

Mihalik is #99 and the LDE in this gif.

He uses his length to get into the blocker and keep him away from his body. Mihalik then uses his strength and athleticism to shoot to the inside and hit the QB.

This is an even better play, from the bowl game vs Penn State. He’s at LDE. Watch what he does to the RG.

That’s impressive.

I would love to tell you I saw a ton of plays like that, but that would be stretching the truth just a bit. While Mihalik flashed good ability, he wasn’t a consistently good player. If I were scouting for a 4-3 team, I’d have no interest in Mihalik. He simply isn’t a good edge rusher.

Mihalik does fit the Eagles 3-4 scheme. He’ll line up over an OT and engage the blocker right off the ball. Mihalik is one of the rare guys who looks better in traffic than in space. He lined up all over for BC, playing LDE and RDE, as well as DT on some passing downs.

He has a lot of work to do in order to seriously challenge for a roster spot, but his rare combination of size and athleticism makes him worth the 7th round pick. If things pan out for Mihalik, he could be a terrific fit in the 3-4. Even if he never becomes a starter, he would have good value as a backup. D-linemen get rotated on a regular basis and Mihalik’s length could make him an interesting player on passing downs.

* * * * *

Have you seen the rookie’s short PCs? Jordan Hicks and Nelson Agholor sound like 30-year old veterans that should be helping rookies to develop. You can really see why Chip Kelly loved those guys.

The video is an hour long and doesn’t go in any specific order, but it is interesting viewing if you have the time.

_


110 Comments on “Brian Who?”

  1. 1 mksp said at 6:48 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Brian Mihalik was the #2 ranked DL in SPARQ going into the draft. SEA took the #1 and moved him to OC, so he’s #1 now:

    http://3sigmaathlete.com/rankings/dl/

    Said in his PC that he thinks he could get to 315 – 320 (currently 300).

    Which is all a long way of saying:

    WE DRAFTED MOTHERFUCKING JJ WATT IN THE 7TH ROUND!!!

  2. 2 Kelce's Beard said at 8:55 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Hicks was #5 of the off-LOS LBs (2 ahead of him weren’t drafted, either). Below Stephone Anthony, but above (and bigger than) lil Kendricks. Both taken much earlier
    shades of Navarro Bowman, scouts* are saying

    *me and my neighbor

  3. 3 SteveH said at 7:00 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    This is exactly the kind of developmental flyer I think makes all the sense in the world in the 7th.

    Even if he became a backup or rotational DE that would be considered a win for a 7th rounder.

    Mays, Mihalik, Villanueva… Chip is gonna keep throwing 6’9″ DE’s at the wall till one of them sticks.

  4. 4 Anders said at 7:05 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Brandon Bair stuck and even blocked a fg

  5. 5 SteveH said at 11:08 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Bair! Forgot him.

    I wonder if 6’9″ is the cutoff. Like 6’10” is one inch too tall to play DE in this league.

  6. 6 GEAGLE said at 7:16 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Love that Chip seems to always take late round or undrafted fliers on DL even tho it’s the strength of our team already. shows how much value chip puts in trench warfare..You will swing And miss more times then not, but DL coach Azzinaro is a stud, and every once in a while he will uncover hidden gems like Beau and Bair, even if we had some misses like Gaethers, Kruger, Villanueva
    ..
    Problem is our DL is stacked, not many available roster spots. Should make for a real dogfight at camp, when a mid round pick like Taylor Hart has to battle just to win the 6th or 7th DL spot. Not going to be easy for Mihalik to make this roster, should make a vicious camp battle which is awesome because we have a bunch of undrafted OL on our roster and unproven young backup OL, and with a hungry desperate group of DL’s, we should quickly find out which OL can and can’t play..
    ..
    DL is and will be the strength of the Eagles even if our coach is a brilliant offensive coach

  7. 7 mksp said at 7:17 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    I can’t say enough about what a thoughtful, intellectual kid Nelson Agholor is. Such a treat. Will be fun to follow his career.

  8. 8 Kelce's Beard said at 8:59 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I’m also counting on him and Jordan to be key pieces of the Eagles debate team until at least 2030-2040

  9. 9 Avery Greene said at 7:28 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Cox, Thornton, Logan are the starters.
    Curry and Allen get situational rushes.
    I expect Hart to improve.

    So IMO that’s 6 roster spots gone and 4 left between everyone else. This kid will need to beat out some other rookies like McBryde and Raciti. Also, it’ll be interesting with Mays and Bair in the mix.

    This defensive line will be good for a long while.

  10. 10 GEAGLE said at 7:32 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    How many DL do you expect to make the roster? They won’t carry more then 7, and the 7th probably won’t dress

  11. 11 Avery Greene said at 7:39 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Truthfully, I have no idea. I would think it depends on their depth at other positions. Seven or eight sounds about right. If McBryde, Raciti, or Mihalik look like they’re going to be good players, we may see one of the starters and/or Curry moved. There is a glut of guys that they have to get through, so try and get some value rather than letting them walk or cutting them. Also, they might be able to stash a couple on the practice squad, but that’s not a safe thing either.

  12. 12 GEAGLE said at 8:57 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    I’m a defensive diehard who would love to see us keep 8, but I highly doubt we keep more then 7. We never kept more then 7 even when we had no ILB depth or DB depth.. now we have dog fights at ILB and DB with all the talent we accumulated, I see no way we can keep more then 7, but I wouldn’t mind being wrong. In my mind, 5 spots are locked down: Cedrick
    Fletcher
    Bennie
    Vinny
    Beau

    With two spots left to fight over between Hart(who is probably a quasi lock), Bair, Mihalik

    This time last year everyone was talking about getting value for BG since he would leave us in Free Agency after the season. Not ok losing VInny a year before we have to and without even trying to work out extension. He may not grow Into more then a specialist in our scheme, but his specialty happens to be the most valuable skill set on a defense, and besides Cox, we are weak in terms of interior pass rushers… I understand the reality of Vinny situation so I will understand if this is his last year, but don’t lose him until you exhaust every way of working out an extension.. After Cox, there is no player that I would hate to lose more then Vinny

  13. 13 GEAGLE said at 7:30 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Just can’t get over the giddy feeling of stealing Jacory Shepard.. I hate rookie Corners, so I don’t expect to see him any time soon. But I do look forward to him making his mark on our top rated Special Teams. this is not a 6th round kid you screw around with and risk getting him on your practice squad. He makes the 53 man roster this year and in a few years I could see people talking about how the Eagles got such a steal in round 6..
    ..
    kid doesn’t even have a Twitter account, tho he may have one now that he is an eagle..There is just no way you can watch that kid play and say he runs a 4.6, NO WAY..thankfully he ran with a torn hamstring and we were able to get him even tho we didn’t have 4th or 5th rd picks.. What a steal. ” I ran a 4.6 with a torn hamstring, that’s faster then some prospects run at 100%”-Shrpard
    ..
    Says a lot to be on a Kansas team where players knew it had no chance to win most of the time, yet you still see a kid like him play his heart out. you can easily see what a fieaty competitor he is. I still can’t believe we got Rowe and Sheppard, 2 kids who I really have faith in being key contributera to our future secondary for years to come. Look forward to seeing this kid compete all summer, in the preseason and watch him grow these next few years.im still giddy about him in the 6th…
    ..
    Boykin, Wolff, Watkins. Rowe, Shepard, Randall, Reynolds, nice collection of young DB talent to battle it out in camp, with Veteran studs superbowl champions Jenkins and Maxwell setting the example and helping to grow our puppies. Nolan is solid and versatile and If healthy Thurmond could be a steal. Finally getting this secondary turned around and headed in the right direction. Very exciting

  14. 14 Avery Greene said at 7:40 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    We got a ton of player this year at positions of need. It’s going to be a fun camp watching all these roster battles.

  15. 15 GEAGLE said at 9:02 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Hell yeah. Preseason will be a treat. I don’t even want to waste my time watching the starters play. Guys like Cox, Demeco, Demarco, Bradford, they ain’t showing anything in the preseason. They will be focused on staying healthy… But with as much talent and depth we have, the second and 3rd teams with young players competing for roster spots should be a lot of fun
    ..
    Last year we were afraid of our starting secondary. This year I’m excited to see our 2nd and 3rd string secondary..
    ..

  16. 16 Will : C.R.E.A.M. said at 7:48 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Sounds like he’s really out to prove himself. If we can fix his tackling I wouldn’t mind trying him at as the single high with CB being so crowded.

  17. 17 Greg Richards said at 7:52 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Yo, GEagle, who are the players involved in the player-for-player rumor you mentioned in the other thread? Thanks.

  18. 18 GEAGLE said at 9:41 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Shea for Mykal…. I’ll be furious if this happens

  19. 19 Greg Richards said at 10:16 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    That’s what I figured. The unrealistic side of me thought maybe Mykal for Kyle Long. I’d want pick back with Shea.

  20. 20 GEAGLE said at 11:36 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I keep hearing different things about Mykal situation, I don’t know what to think..
    ..
    1) Heard chip was trying hard to get a 2nd round pick for Mykal
    ..
    2) Heard chip turned down a 4th rounder for Mykal
    ..
    3) Heard the Shea for Mykal discussions have taken place..
    ..
    heard that Mykal won’t be here after the season. But I also heard that the Only reason Mykal was being offered in trades was trying to gain ammunition to include in the Mariota trade. chip turning down a 4th for him confirms that, but then you heard that he may be involved in a trade for Shea which would contradict the previous statement..
    ..
    So I have no friggin clue what’s really going to happen with him. if I had to bet, I would probably bet on Mykal being here this year and needing to stay healthy for 16 games to have a shot at getting a 2nd contract from the Eagles.
    ..
    I really don’t want Shea at all.. Heck if we like him that much we can sign him as a free agent after the season since his stock will be in the toilet.he isn’t good enough to trade Kenricks expriring contract for Shea’s expiring contract. I want nothing to do with any trade… Hopefully we see Mykal fly around in midnight green this year

  21. 21 Greg Richards said at 12:06 PM on May 10th, 2015:

    4th + Shea for Mykal would probably be fair value. Wouldn’t love it, but I could see both teams being willing to do that.

  22. 22 wee2424 said at 10:02 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    I really think if health Thurmond is the steal of the off season. Alot of people don’t know how good he really is when healthy.

  23. 23 GEAGLE said at 9:42 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Agreed… If he plays 16 games, i doubt this will be his last year here, but it’s all about health with him…. Might not be 6feet, but Maagos claims he may have the longest arms he has seen for someone his size. Kid is a playmaker

  24. 24 Kelce's Beard said at 8:58 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    misspelled his name 2 different ways in 1 ramble. Shepherd

    Also, looks likely Watkins and Evans may get first crack at safety

  25. 25 Explorer51 said at 10:25 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Agree with Shepherd thoughts; plus, all he’ll have to do is look across the field at another CB, Maxwell, who just signed a huge contract after being drafted 6th a few years ago…so he can be inspired to excel, win a Super Bowl, and get rich.

  26. 26 Avery Greene said at 7:40 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    DJax is getting his own reality tv show.

  27. 27 Will : C.R.E.A.M. said at 7:49 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Well, he is on a winning team now 🙂

  28. 28 wee2424 said at 8:22 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Yeah, read that on PFT too. Thought the best part about it was when he said he was with the Skins for 2 years.

  29. 29 wee2424 said at 8:16 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Hope he doesn’t look as bad as when he did a rap battle against Meek Millz and lost 10g in a blink of an eye at TIs bday party on YouTube. When I saw that I knew he was an idiot.

    Probably needs the money from the show to payback the 400g he owes Rosenhouse.

  30. 30 GEAGLE said at 9:40 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    That was so Embarressing . I was embarressed that he was an eagle that day… TI was basically thinking Desean was an Idiot “we already know you got money man, stop it”… So Embarressing for Desean

  31. 31 GEAGLE said at 9:02 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    No way… Say word? I Instantly despise whatever channel gave him his own show..
    ..
    Can you imagine the announcement of Desean getting his own show if he was still an eagle under chip. Jaccpot isn’t enough, the imbecile needs a show. Great drinking game: Drink everytime Desean uses the word “Myself” incorrectly

  32. 32 Brandon Gleklen said at 8:14 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Length and feet… What do you think of him as an OT?

  33. 33 TommyLawlor said at 11:30 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Didn’t seem like an OT to me. Best bet is 3-4 DE.

  34. 34 GEAGLE said at 9:11 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    I havent gambled on football since I was like 18 years old. But I’m going to have to seriously consider betting the Eagles in the preseason lol..
    ..
    Our camp roster is pretty deep, loaded with young talent who will be competing their asses off in the 2nd halfs of preseason games Trying to win one of the few available roster spots…
    ..
    We already saw last year that our 2nd and 3rd string OL are better then the rest of the leagues, and not many teams will be playing guys like Sanchez and Barkley in the 2nd half of preseason games. And the roster is competitive at most positions so our backups should play their asses off..
    ..
    If the Line is less then -7, think I may have to bet birds in preseason and let it ride until they lose..while our starters won’t care and will just try to stay healthy, I’ll bet our backup QBs and backup OL’s put a whipping on other teams deep backups ..
    ..
    Every year under chip I get more and more excited about the preseason
    ..
    Is there going to be a kicker to compete with Parkey? If he kicks the entire preseason, then I’ll just bet the Eagles win out right on the money line and kill it!!

  35. 35 GEAGLE said at 9:12 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Remember how many more reps our 2nd and 3rd string players will get before the preseason then normal teams who don’t practice like they are on meth..
    ..
    I’m going full degenerate!! Bet preseason!!!!

  36. 36 Insomniac said at 9:17 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    So Mihalik is the Momah of DEs?

  37. 37 wee2424 said at 9:30 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    That’s sort of an unfair comparison to make, while I do understand it. You can’t call him that untill we see what he can do at this level. Due to position if you are big, strong and somewhat athletic you have more of a shot at making it compared to being big, strong and athletic and making it at WR. Not taking anything away from being a 3-4 end, it still takes talent.

    He shows more pass rushing ability then Thornton which isn’t saying that much though.

    He is very tall which is good and bad. Good because he can clog a passing lane, and can use the long arms to keep an OL off his body. Bad because an OL can get under him and use leverage on him. He could also be used to try and block FGs.

    If he works on his technique and adds some weight and muscle I could actually see him being an upgrade over Thornton. Especially hand work to keep those tackles hands off his chest. Again he really needs to work on technique and add some muscle though. May take him a season or 2 to do so. Good pick in 7th round though.

  38. 38 GEAGLE said at 10:01 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Yeah I dont like the comparison either Momah didn’t get to play much, he was injured in college..
    ..
    also wonder if say by the end of camp we decide we aren’t interested in adding Mihalik to the DL and don’t beloeve he is cut out for it, maybe we decide to put him on the practice squad and spend the year seeing if Stoutland can salvage the pick and convert him to Tackle

  39. 39 wee2424 said at 11:36 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    He would be so raw as a tackle he would end up back on the PS again. His best shot is staying at his position and competing for a backup spot. Hopefully after a year on the PS he could take over Bair’s (check spelling) spot. If he can’t take Bair’s spot after a year of technique training and weight/conditioning training he is not going to make this team as an OT.

  40. 40 GEAGLE said at 9:38 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Last time im checked, being on the Pracice squad as an OL is much much better then being cut as a DL… PS is EXACTLY for developing Raw kids,

    Fact of the matter is the Eagles won’t keep more then 7 Defensive lineman, and 5, actually 6 DL are a Lock to make this roster, Hart is the 6th since chip won’t cut him a year after drafting him…. There is really only 1 DL spot available, and Someone will have to beat out Bair for it

  41. 41 GEAGLE said at 9:46 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    already the 2016 Mocks have started to make the rounds. Now most people don’t even want to hear the word Mock draft for a few months and they certainly aren’t going to know who the Eagles will draft next year. However I Love seeing how These kids are viewed a year ahead of time and see how much their draft stock changes over the course of this next year. For example there is often a top 7 pick who wasn’t even mocked in round 1 the year before.,.
    ..
    When you look at next years draft class, Finally there is a chance of a real stud safety that may deserve a top 10 pick, actually we may end up seeing a top 10 safety and a top 10 CB.. I’m sure Many have heard me rave about jaylen Ramsey all year.. Love This kid. Must see TV. And easier to stomach with Jameis Winston gone.
    ..
    Another thing that quickly jumps out at you is for the first time in a few years, the next draft class doesn’t project to have a top 5, top 10 WR talent.
    ..
    Curious to see how the draft stock of man crush RB Zeke Elliot compares with Todd Gurley entering the draft? I Adore Zeke but I have a hard time envisioning him going top 10.. Which says a lot about how damn talented Gurley is that a healthy (presumably) Zeke Elliot, won’t go as high as Gurley,. You have to be an insane RB talent these days to get drafted 10th when you have a jacked up knee that will cost you the summer.
    ..
    the Bosa Beast DL teammate of Zeke and Shawn Oakman, top DL
    ..
    oregon has a 3-4 DE who I think chip will view as a josh Huff Taylor Hart guy aka Oregon types that he has to have.. Hopefully his combine isn’t anything close to armstead, because it would be great if Deforrest Buckner managed to fall out of round 1…

    the 2016 Mocks have already started. So far one has us taking Zack Martin’s little brother, G/C who plays for the Irish and another mock had us taking the Safety/Linebacker tweener from USC similar to Shaq Thompson which we know will never happen.. Also saw the Youngest of the Fuller brothers mocked to us..

    Already don’t have the greatest history drafting younger brothers. typically we end up with the “wrong brother”.. I don’t know how I could stomach Martin being a bust while his older brother becomes a star from the Cowboys..that’s a potential nightmare for Eagles fans..
    ..
    Find it interesting to see how much a kids draft stock could change over the course of a year from kids that most scouts have already seen for a few years… Curious to see if the Juniors like Defforest Buckner made the right decision to stay in school.. Love the sight ansah types who won’t be found In Round 1 Rigjt now but will end up climbing all The way into top 10. Curious to see if any WR can blow up and climb into a top 10 spot

  42. 42 Alistair Middlemiss said at 9:57 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Think we should be focusing on OL and QB’s…. If Bradford crashes and burns we will need to go QB, and if he looks like a long term solution we are going to need to force an OL pick in the first 2 rounds next year.

  43. 43 GEAGLE said at 10:19 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    I would assume that the only way the Eagles don’t spend a few picks in the first 4 rounds on OL is if one or two of our young backup emerge into quality stafting caliber lineman this year.. But needing to draft OL doesn’t automatically mean we have to spend our first Round pick on one.. But for me personally, we can never have enough round 1 lineman. I’d be ok drafting one every single year Til we completely dominate in the trenches

  44. 44 TXEaglesFan said at 11:00 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    That draft model looks like it will work for the Cowboys. Three number 1 picks and a quasi number one in Collins. Hate to say it but Jerry and his brain trust don’t appear to be complete idiots anymore.

  45. 45 GEAGLE said at 9:23 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    That’s cause his “Braintrust” has been tying Jerruh up in a broom closet during the draft so he can’t screw it up….can’t imagine what they had to do last year to pick Zack Martin and not get Jerruh to take Johnny Clipboard..
    ..
    Lol love what passes for news these days.. Report: Johnny Clipboard is so focused on this year that he is moving out of his downtown Cleveland apartment so he can get away from the amazing stellar “Cleveland Night life” and he is moving to the suburbs….LOL Cleveland nightlife is soooo tempting that you have to move? LOL

  46. 46 xeynon said at 2:33 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Agree 100%. Unless something very surprising happens (and it would be a surprise if it didn’t with Chip) those are the two biggest need areas on the team going forward, and I don’t think it’s even particularly close.

  47. 47 wee2424 said at 3:00 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Wait on saying QB is a huge need untill we see Bradford play. Last time he played he lit it up. Just hope he doesn’t get seriously hurt.

  48. 48 xeynon said at 10:44 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Obviously he could thrive here, and then QB won’t be a need, but I’m not particularly optimistic about the prospect of that happening. He’s very brittle and “lit it up” is an extremely charitable description of his play in St. Louis – it’s more like “he was slightly above average before he got hurt”.

  49. 49 HawaiianEagle said at 10:04 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Tommy

    Love this blog. Not a complainer by nature but your banner has 3 former Eagles (Vick, Shady, DJax). Update that shit. Mahalo.

  50. 50 Insomniac said at 10:41 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Make one for him then. Tommy didn’t make it, someone in the community made it for him.

  51. 51 CrackSammich said at 11:07 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    He should just update the new one with MSPaint red X’s over the players. Easily solved.

  52. 52 BlindChow said at 12:50 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    At least have them in their current teams’ uniforms…

  53. 53 SteveH said at 11:09 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Lets get Jimmy to make a stick figure banner.

  54. 54 Baloophi said at 12:55 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Here’s an option I pitched last month…

  55. 55 wee2424 said at 2:58 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Lol

  56. 56 Jason said at 8:04 PM on May 10th, 2015:

    OMG. That is a new level for Baloophi’s hilarity. Tommy, does it have a shot? Can we have an online poll? Was there no picture of Austin grabbing his hamstring?

  57. 57 Ferris Wren said at 10:05 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    This pick had to be Collins. Worth the risk.

  58. 58 Alistair Middlemiss said at 10:21 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    No it didn’t – we had taken him off the board and we had no idea if he would be cleared or if he would even sign or sit out.

    In hindsight a lot of things would be done differently – i would have won powerball 5 straight years for one if i could go back and change things. Yes it sucks Dallas has him – but their defence is god awful and they will struggle to get the same running game this year they had last.

  59. 59 SteveH said at 11:07 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Dunno man, I called it as it was happening, teams were going to look very foolish for passing on him around rounds 3-4.

    I mean he wasn’t on our board at all so we shouldn’t have taken him, round 1 or 7, but for other teams that were high on him that was a big swing and a miss.

  60. 60 wee2424 said at 12:02 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I’ll say this again. The man just had his ex and her child murdered. GMs and coaches that rely on player performance to keep their jobs and reputations were willing to respect his wishes.

    Why is it that a fan with nothing on the line can’t respect someone’s wishes that just went through this horrible situation?

    It’s because you are sitting in a chair at home. If you were in the GM spot you would do the same thing all other 31 teams did. Could you imagine the public outcry and the media spin that would begin after you drafted him and he started complaining? In which he has every right to do. You would be known as the GM or coach that was cold enough to not even care about 2 tragic deaths. One of them a newborn. I hope for a job you don’t do human resources.

    Chip Kelly, racist and doesn’t care about a young woman’s and newborns death. Could possibly be one of the worst moves you could make in so many ways.

    Go ahead and second guess one or two FO’s. Second guess every FO in the league and maybe you should be the one that has their decisions second guessed.

  61. 61 anon said at 1:19 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    FOs make mistakes all the time 32 FOs passed on RW twice, 32 passed on sherman 4 times, stars go undrafted every year while first round players bust. group think is a terrible way to approach problems.

  62. 62 wee2424 said at 2:19 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I think me and you know this is a totally different circumstance. This is in no way about skill. This is about a double homicide and respecting a young man’s wishes due to the double homicide.

    I’m not sure why you are even speaking about busts in this discussion.

    I’m sorry but I don’t see how a single thing you said pertains to this. Your speaking as though teams didn’t draft Collins because teams weren’t sure about his skill. That isn’t even in the same galaxy that this situation is in.

    If we were talking about a normal situation then yeah you are right. However in no way is there a correlation. You can’t take what someone says, put it in a completely different scenario and say they are wrong. Keep it about what it’s about.

    Kelly said this is about 2 lives lost so we aren’t even thinking about draft when it pertains to him. Clearly the other 31 teams felt the same way. It was the right thing to do and they did it.

    Funny thing is after this someone is totally not going to get the point and say he is a great talent we should have drafted him.

    Imagine this happens to your best friend, and he requests the same thing Collins did. I’m sure you would be more then furious if a team disrespected his wishes in his darkest hour and drafted him. It’s crazy how people are taking the human side out of this completely and looking at him as an object for his rights to just be given to a team. Same people that rightfully bitch about Hardy and Rice, yet don’t have the respect to respect a guy that truly had something horrible done to him.

    Then if we were to draft him everyone would just give him their respects. Funny thing is, our respects would have been to not draft him and respect him in his wishes. So hypocritical.

    Everyone wants to talk about culture, then Kelly shows some in not drafting him, and people are pissed about it. I think one of the biggest things in a locker room built on culture is respect.

  63. 63 GEAGLE said at 11:28 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Lol respecting a young mans wishes due to the double homicide? You clearly aren’t undestanding the reality of the situation.

  64. 64 wee2424 said at 5:53 PM on May 10th, 2015:

    Maybe your not. Chips words- Two people lost their lives, we are not considering anything to do with the draft and him at this time.

    I agree with him.

    I agree with his sentiment. He happens to not be on a smart phone or desktop reading about this and posting comments on a MB. He is the guy that runs the team we just talk about. So I say again, isn’t it possible you are mistaken?

  65. 65 Ferris Wren said at 12:31 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    And that’s why Powerball is successful. A couple of bucks for a great payoff. All the Eagles had to lose was a 7th round pick. If you draft Collins at least you have an exclusive chance to sit down and talk to him — make your case that the Eagles would be the best place for him. And you could take it slowly, get to know him, get him to know the coaches and the team. A year of Kelly’s recruiting magic might have done the trick. Iif not, you lost a seventh round pick. And it’s like getting your money back from the lottery. Use that 7th round contract money to sign an undrafted free agent after the process plays out. Worth the risk.

  66. 66 CrackSammich said at 1:09 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    If you ever wondered why you’re not employed as a GM, this is why.

    The lottery is a tax on people who don’t understand math.

  67. 67 Ferris Wren said at 1:59 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    It’s the general concept of making a decision based on expected value. In the NFL, they usually call it upside. We hear it every year in the draft –

    “NFL Draft running back overview: Todd Gurley’s
    ‘transcendent’ upside expected to outweigh health questions”

    “The LSU defensive end is a tremendous athlete with tons of upside and the physical traits to become an elite pass rusher in the NFL.”

    You do your best to calculate the tangible costs plus the opportunity costs vs the probable outcomes. Sometimes you make the right decision and it doesn’t work out. And sometimes you make the wrong decision and it does.

    In Collins’case, the information about his ability and his upside vs a 7th round pick is probably as good as it gets in the NFL draft – which doesn’t mean he won’t fail. The question becomes can you approach him and his agent in such a way, given the circumstances, that allows you to make your case. If they listen, you keep talking. Go as slow or as fast as they want you to. If they don’t listen, you release him when they ask and little is lost on either side.

  68. 68 wee2424 said at 2:48 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    You don’t get it. This isn’t just about football.

  69. 69 GEAGLE said at 9:18 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    You don’t get it,,. This is absurd.. This was 100% business motivated and that’s fine. Someone lost their life, but he had nothing to do with it so he has every right to not want to watch everything he worked for get pissed away, but you need to cut the humanitarian crap, this was 100% business motivated and there is nothing wrong with that if he had nothing to do with this tragedy. It’s bad enough two people lost their lives, why does Collins need to be a victim also?..
    ..
    Not wanting to get drafted after the 3rd has NOTHING TO DO with Humanitarian, NOTHING!!!!!!!! It was ONLY about an agent in a bad situation trying to get what little leverage he could, and it worked,. His client wasn’t lowballed with a round 7 pick and he got to choose where he would sign…. NOTHING of Collins and his agents actions were motivated by anything but business.. So you really need to retire this bullshit humanitarian angle

  70. 70 wee2424 said at 11:45 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    And why do I? Because you think your side of the story is always right? Please don’t make me bring up the 100 points this off season you cursed and swore to the grave were true to only be wrong. You don’t speak to the agents. You don’t speak to the FOs, and you don’t speak to the players.

    You think I don’t know it was about business? No shit it was about business. I understand that. Thank you for pointing it out. What I am saying is just respect his wishes. It’s only right. Clearly teams felt that way as well.

  71. 71 CrackSammich said at 11:40 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Sure, but if you value the 7th rd pick so little, I’ll take any pick you’re throwing away then. I’m sure someone like Ozzie Newsome could find value from your poor resource management.

    You don’t draft a guy that won’t play for you. That’s a 0% success rate.

  72. 72 Ferris Wren said at 12:31 PM on May 10th, 2015:

    I see your point. And the irony is using the 7th rounder on Collins makes it quite valuable. Since there is a non-zero chance he’d play for the Eagles. Or the team of his choice would send the Eagles a pick in exchange for his rights.

  73. 73 CrackSammich said at 8:54 AM on May 11th, 2015:

    It wasn’t the Eagles he wouldn’t play for. It’s the money. He wouldn’t have played for any team at less than a 3rd round contract due to the money and would have redeclared for the draft next season. The pick would be completely wasted, as would anything another team traded for him. 0% chance of success in every way.

    I really can’t explain this any better,

  74. 74 wee2424 said at 2:43 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    What about respecting a man’s wishes because his ex and her kid got murdered? Your ridiculous. This situation isn’t just about football. Put yourself in Collins shoes then think about what you are saying. You do realize that 2 people died right? One of them a newborn. Let’s completely disrespect him so Kelly can sit down and talk to him. Listen to yourself.

    Kelly even said 2 people lost their lives, this isn’t about the draft.

    Go bitch about Hardy and Rice but then tell yourself it’s ok to disrespect this man in the way you want to. Just stop. Your a class act.

  75. 75 xmbk said at 8:39 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Let’s not exaggerate his humanitarianism. He was willing to play if drafted in the first 3 rds, it’s not like getting passed over suddenly made him more concerned for his ex. He got outstanding guidance from his agent, hitting FA one year early makes up for the loss of 4-7 contract.

  76. 76 GEAGLE said at 9:18 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Yeah he is getting out of control with this humanitarian bullshit… Collins would have Loved to get drafted in round 1 or 2…

  77. 77 GEAGLE said at 9:16 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Oh stop it… His wishes gtfo here.. his wishes were all about his draft stock and there isn’t anything wrong with that. He didn’t break any laws and he worked his entire life for this….it has nothing to do with him being heartbroken over a murder investigation he had absolutely nothing to do with… Give me a break, you think he was so heartbroken that he wouldn’t have wanted a team to draft him in round 1 or 2?’Stop it…

  78. 78 FairOaks said at 9:45 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Well yeah. If we wanted him we could have drafted him in round 3, which would probably still have been a steal (if he’s not involved, which seems likely at this point). But nobody was risking that, and at that point, I think teams let him get to UDFA so he could be in a better situation. Being able to choose his team is at least some compensation for losing the millions that he did, and he’ll probably do better financially than any 4th rounder (or even 3rd rounder) over 4 years. I just wish it was a team outside the NFC East.

  79. 79 GEAGLE said at 9:54 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I agree…. NOTHING in the Collins camp was motivated by humanitarianism. And that’s fine, it’s not his agents job to worry about anything but his client. His agent bluffed that he wouldn’t sigń with anyone if they drafted him after the 3rd… I called BULLSHIT, and since the draft, they basically admitted that their bluff worked. I have no problem with what Collins camp did. It’s tragic that two lives were lost but that doesn’t mean an innocent man should take it in the ass, lose 10mil and everything he worked his entire life for… The situation is tragic enough without Collins being a victim…there was NO WAY this kid would sit out a year, turn down a payday and wait for next years draft, so Somene should have taken a flier on him in the 7th…this was just a bluff by an agent trying to gain some leverage on a bad situatuon,,.. I understand not taking him in the 3rd, but someone should have called his bluff and drafted him in the 7th… Instead the Cowboys got a steal and Jerruh sat at a podium with his fake crocodile tears crying about Poor Lael Collins…

  80. 80 GEAGLE said at 9:56 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    The most shocking part of the entire story is that after more surgeries then Micheal Jackson, Jerruh is still capable of tears,,.

  81. 81 Ferris Wren said at 10:39 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    You may be right about something being wrong with me. Plenty of people would agree with you. In this case, though, it seems evident that Collins welcomed negotiations with a long line of teams. He wanted to join a team. He had dinner with Rex Ryan after being questioned by the police that morning, he met with former teammates from the Miami Dolphins who were explicitly charged to recruit him, he talked with
    Jameis Winston about joining the Bucs, he took calls from players, GMs, and coaches. And he did negotiate and sign a contract with the Cowboys. The difference in the situation as it actually played out and drafting him in the 7th round is that the Eagles would have been first in that long line of teams.

  82. 82 OldDocMcQuackadillyBlip said at 4:21 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    His ex and her kid had just been murdered. The police wanted to question him about this and, at the time of the draft, had not been able to do so. If you can’t see that there was a risk beyond “losing a 7th round pick” I don’t know what to tell you.

    Heck, if you’re saying that under those circumstances you want the team you support to say “screw it, let’s take a flier on him ’cause what’s important in this situation is sportsing!!” I can only disagree in the strongest possible terms.

  83. 83 xeynon said at 2:36 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Dallas has a much better QB than we do, they are better than us at every other position on offense except RB (which probably won’t matter much with that offensive line), and their defense, while bad on paper, was middle-of-the-pack on the field last season and has added some talented players to the mix in Lee, Jones, and (arguably – I don’t like him) Gregory. They have to be the team to beat in the NFC East right now.

  84. 84 wee2424 said at 2:51 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I’m high on Bradford when he is healthy. Romo is 35 and is going to be slowing down real soon.

    Check Bradfords stats the last time he played. You will be very happy, especially considering with what he was working with. I think if Bradford stays healthy he will have the best year of our of all the QBs in the NFCE.

    Yes you are right in that they are the team to beat in the NFCE right now considering they have won it. We have also beat them badly with a backup QB and plenty of injuries ourselves.

    Don’t count out Bradford. I’m telling you, check his stats.

    We have also added some good additions as well.

  85. 85 Alistair Middlemiss said at 5:56 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    We have better TE, Better RB 1, 2 and 3, Better WR 2 and 3 (IMHO), Better LG, RT and C. They have better RG and depth OL and better QB play and WR1. LT is probably a push at this stage of their careers.

    Defensively our front 7 is so much better than Dallas, and their secondary makes ours look like roses.

    They won last year on the back of having almost no injuries to any key position except Sean Lee (who it should be expected at this point gets injured), a RB who is very good and a QB having a career year. That is a hard mix to repeat.

  86. 86 xeynon said at 10:39 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I would still take Witten over our TEs. We’ll see how Ertz develops this year. I don’t think Matthews is appreciably better than Terrence Williams, and I would definitely take Cole Beasley over Cooper/Huff at this point. I’ll give you that Mathis is better than Ron Leary/Lael Collins, but I think Frederick/Kelce is close and on the whole their depth/youth makes them better on the O line.

    They won last year on the basis of great OL play more than anything and even if they do suffer an injury or two they’re likely to be very good in that area again this year. That not only means whoever replaces Murray will probably be productive, but that Tony Romo is more likely to stay healthy and be good.

    Saying “they have to be the favorite” doesn’t mean I think they will win the division. I think it’s more likely than not one of the other teams (Eagles or Giants – sorry DeSean) will win. But they have the best chances of any single team, and with our overworked, previously injury prone RB, spaghetti-kneed QB, and aging OL, I think injuries are more likely to reduce our chances than theirs.

  87. 87 GEAGLE said at 10:21 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Think there were some signs that told us he was innocent and would be cleared..
    .
    1) His coach Les Miles pleaded with Goodell and the NFL On Lael behalf. Doubt anyone sticks there neck out and risks there reputation to go to bat for a guy that may be guilty of double murder..
    ..
    2)’His agent behaved as if he knew for a fact Lael had nothing to do with this and would be cleared. if there is ANY CHANCE your client is guilty of murder, you probably ARENT going to try and get him in the 2016 draft or the supplemental draft. If anything you would be trying to get Collins drafted and signed to cash that check before the kid ended u of being indicted for Murder..Agent ISNT going to try and have the kid admitted in the 2016 draft if in his mind there was any Chance Lael was guilty.
    ..
    Innocent TIL proven guilty..yet people want to assume the worst about this young man before he was ever even arrested or viewed as a suspect.
    ..
    It’s over, but make no mistake about it… If we aren’t in hyper SENSATIVE mode because of Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and all the recent NFL black eyes, a team would have taken a flier on him before the draft ended

  88. 88 GEAGLE said at 10:26 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    mYup especially when they basically bragged that they bluffed teams not to draft him after round 3.. Even if we had to cut hm 5 days latter it would still be well worth the risk.. Hate that we lost out on a chance of starting Collins at RG next to Lane next year would have been so bad ass

  89. 89 wee2424 said at 11:55 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    See above.

  90. 90 Flyin said at 12:01 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    if what you say is true… you’d want a guy that played head games like that during a murder investigation?

  91. 91 anon said at 1:17 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    yes, can’t crumble in the face of adversity

  92. 92 GEAGLE said at 9:14 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    LOL stop it

  93. 93 CrackSammich said at 11:07 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    Time to let it go, man.

  94. 94 wee2424 said at 11:52 PM on May 9th, 2015:

    So he could be the most unhappy employee ever? There is a reason why 32 teams didn’t draft him. His ex and her child just got murdered. No big deal right? He asks to not be drafted because he is going through a double murder and you go and draft him anyway. Yeah that will go over real well on sooo many levels. These aren’t dogs being chosen for a dog show. They are human beings.

    Honestly you should be ashamed of yourself for going against someone that is in that situations wishes. It’s funny how GMs and coaches that have money and jobs on the line aren’t willing to step this low but people that just have fans wishes are.

  95. 95 Gary said at 12:00 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    He wouldn’t have signed a contract.

  96. 96 James Skip Carl said at 2:02 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    I’m curious how do you think his tape stacked up against Arik Armstead, because Armstead showed me nothing

  97. 97 GEAGLE said at 10:13 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    ARik Armstead is ALL POTENTIAL and UPSIDE. He wasn’t drafted because of what he can do.. It’s more of what teams hope they can teach him to do. Armstead has also been refusing to move to Left Tackle for some time now.
    .
    He wasnt even the best 3-4DE on Oregon. deforrest Buckner will have a much better NFL career as a 3-4 DE.. Armstead has talent and ability, but he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, youngest of the athletic Armstead brothers who’s father is a NBÁ agent and Arik grew up with is dads clients and coaches telling him what a great athlete he is…. The Niners better PRAY Justin Smith doesn’t retire, because I think he would be very important for armsteads development. If a coach can get this kid to realize his full potential he can be great… But I would bet on Deforrest Buckner or even Baylors Oakman before I bet on Armstead

  98. 98 James Skip Carl said at 4:18 PM on May 10th, 2015:

    That being said I would rather have Mihalik, he’s a bigger longer man and more athletic along with being more productive in college.

  99. 99 xeynon said at 2:30 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    He looks awkward, top-heavy, and slow off the ball to me, even in the clips when he’s making plays. His ability to use his strength and arm length to fight off blocks is impressive, but I don’t think he’ll be able to do that consistently against NFL tackles. If he’s going to stick he’s going to have to learn to hold his ground in the running game and do the dirty work tying up blockers because he’s never going to make an NFL living as a pass rusher.

    Still, you can’t expect too much from a guy picked in the 7th round and with his combination of size, strength, and athletic testing numbers he was worth the pick. They might be able to turn him into a rotational DE.

  100. 100 wee2424 said at 3:03 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Agree. He definitely has room to add more weight/strength which will help him hold his ground. Like Thornton he will never be a good pass rusher, but if he manages to develop I think he could be a slight upgrade over Thornton. Just can’t let an OT get leverage on him with the height he has.

    Same problem Dunlap had with us but on the other side of the ball.

  101. 101 shah8 said at 3:39 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Just did some draft breakdown cut-ups of Hackenberg. He’s basically awful. I didn’t think he was great in 2013, but a lot of this year was definitely on him and not his line or his WRs (who probably hate him, given how much he hangs them to dry). Logan Thomas is a better prospect than Hackenberg at this point, because when things go right for once, Thomas has some truly purty plays–there’s at least a little something there to buff up. Hackenberg throws an awful lot like the messes that Hundley, Jake Locker, L. Thomas have done, with very few pretty passes, and little of the athleticism the others can offer.

    There will be plenty of people who want to cop pleas for him. Don’t buy the hype. Some, you’ll have to put in the “rides the short bus” column. A guy like Tyler Bray all over again. Also, there’s a distinct Gabbert feel to his response to pressure.

    Draft Breakdown just did Jared Goff against Northwestern a few days ago. Good passes with nice zip that generally goes where the ball’s supposed to go. Can play a little sandlot ball if needed. The big obvious problem seems to be that Goff lacks functional athleticism. He’s not elusive at all, and when he gets into trouble, can not really move himself out. Can pass out of trouble, though. Maybe he wasn’t 100% that game, but something to pay attention to before checking off.

    And also found a bit of Jeremy Johnson clips. Crisp passes that goes where they’re supposed to. Hits windows in the middle of the field as well. Not a wide variety of passes. Very tantalizing hints. On the little I’ve seen, he’s clearly better than Cardale Jones as a passer. These were against Arkansas, which didn’t have a trivial defense last year, but also early in the year before they became a real pain in the neck for good teams.

  102. 102 mksp said at 1:12 PM on May 10th, 2015:

    Jeremy Johnson’s gonna be the best NFL QB out of next year’s class. Won’t be ranked that way til end of season though.

  103. 103 Rockedupeaglesfan said at 9:28 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    That second highlight would be more impressive if it didn’t come against one of the worst offensive lines and college football, with him singled up against a converted defensive tackle.

  104. 104 GEAGLE said at 10:00 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Holy crap DJ Fluker is “DOWN” to 345lbs after playing games last year at 353lbs? …. 353lbs? WTF man?

  105. 105 GEAGLE said at 10:09 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Really don’t understand these fringe NFL QB’s refusal to play other positions. I just don’t understand pissing away a dream of playing football for a living over a position… Terrel Pryor claims he won’t be willing to try his hand at WR… “if I can’t play QB, then I can’t play football”… I get that self confidence and perserverence is what is needed to reach this level, but at some point you need to be honest about your ability..
    ..
    it’s a shame to see these guys like Pryor and TEBOW that can be interesting size/speed/athleticism combo’s used effectively at other positions, refuse to help teams by playing other positions,
    .,
    I don’t understand how a guy like TEBOW can be called the ultimate leader, when he isn’t willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win…

    This is why I respect the heck out of guy like GJ Kinney who is chasing after his dream to the point he is giving up the QB position to try and make the roster on Special teams and as an Offensive Swiss army knife,,

  106. 106 anon said at 10:15 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    you dont know how tebow looks now, he cool look like an nfl passer.

  107. 107 GEAGLE said at 11:25 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Lol ok.. Would you bet on him EVER winning a #2 QB spot in the NFL ever again?
    ..
    TEBOW has an uphill climb just to beat out Barkley for the #3 spot. I expect Barkley to wipe the floor with TEBOW in his 3rd year in chips scheme, but who knows what either really look like until we see them..
    ..
    difference is Bakley brings NOTHING to a team besides a backüp emergency QB. Where as TEBOW actually has a chance to contribute in other ways but he refuses to. TEBOW basically pisses away his versatility refusing to do anything but compete at QB.. I think Tebow is a friggin Idiot! Him beating out Barkley for the #3 spot is already a LONGSHOT, and that role Probabky won’t even dress on game day. if TEBOW had a Brain and was willing to contribute to a team in any way a coach asks of him, TEBOW would have a chance at not only making the team, but also actually dressing on Gameday.. But the kid is too dumb, hard headed, selfish, probably a combo of the 3..
    ..
    if TEBOW had a Brain, he would use his versatility to make it harder for Barkley to beat him. instead of competing head to head with Barkley for the #3, TEBOW should compete with Barkley, but also try and fill the roles of James Casey and Brad Smith, Aka Key special team contributor and emergency gameday QB,, instead he wastes his ability competing for a LONGSHOT #3 QB spot that doesn’t even dress on sundays…
    ..
    not too bright as far as I’m concerned, and certainly not the ultimate team plAyer willing to do anything the coach asks of him to try and help us win

  108. 108 Alistair Middlemiss said at 10:19 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    Think playing another position is not as easy as people make it out to be. Look at the Ex-QB’s on the Eagles roster – MSII had 2 years of transition to OLB and still was raw as hell coming into the NFL. Players do get converted at the NFL level – but they tend to sit on the practice squad for 2 years while they work through that process.

    For Vets who do not have access to practice squad it is almost impossible to make the transition successfully in just 1 off season.

    On Timmy, He did do that at the Jets – played some gadget plays…. and looked totally lost. Tim does not have x-factor physical tools – he is no better a TE prospect than the UDFA guys on our practice squad from a physical standpoint and he has even less experience.

  109. 109 GEAGLE said at 10:31 AM on May 10th, 2015:

    majority of players had to switch positions a couple times as they go thru the high school, college and then NFL ranks, and often, you don’t get to play the position you would ideally want to play… By the time a kid ends up playing a position in the NFL he probably had to switch positions 3 or 4 times on his journey to the NFL
    ,.
    But for the sake of this discussion, the difficulty in switching positions has NOTHING to do with THIS discussion…. If a team is willing to extend your football career if you switch positions, how does the difficulty of it matter?

    My post was about rather quit playing football then to switch to a different position… Not sure how difficulty of playing other positions factors into my post… But ok
    .
    Who cares if TEBOW or Pryor can succeed at other positions? The point is they have to be crazy to choose NO Football instead of agreeing to play, or at least try a different role

  110. 110 A_T_G said at 2:50 PM on May 10th, 2015:

    I see what you are saying. There is a lot more to it than just agreeing, “Okay, yeah, I am willing to play ___.”

    Changing training, weight lifting, learning techniques, in the hopes that you can compete with younger, cheaper players a few years down the road. Julian Edelman did it, but there is certainly a commitment to it.

    That said, it sure beats giving up on football and getting a real job.