LB Shuffle?

Posted: April 6th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 236 Comments »

Interesting comment by Dave Spadaro today.

  • Perhaps my biggest question at this moment regarding the defense is this: Will Jordan Hicks get the call to play middle linebacker, and if so, is he big enough to be a thumper? Is Hicks sturdy enough at 236 pounds to play the middle and how much weight and bulk can he add after tearing his pectoral muscle last season? The young man showed signs last year of being a terrific player, and his performance was encouraging. He’s good enough to start somewhere at linebacker. Is he destined to play in the middle?

Is Dave giving us a hint or just speculating out loud, so to speak?

I think Hicks at MLB is a no-brainer…mostly because of his brains. He is very bright, allowing him to learn the scheme quickly. He also plays smart, diagnosing plays correctly and getting to the right spot on the field. That is critical at MLB. You need to run the defense and get everyone into position. You also must be in position yourself. Part of this is instinct, which is different from IQ. MLBs who have a feel for what is going to happen can become special players.

Jeremiah Trotter was 260 pounds of downhill terror, for OL and RBs, but he never showed great instincts. He tended to attack. That left him vulnerable to counter plays. Jim Johnson took advantage of what Trot did well and used him accordingly.

I had no worries last year as I watched Hicks play inside. He showed the ability to fight off blocks and get to the ball. Would it be nice if he was a bit bigger? Sure. But he’s got enough size to be at least a functional run defender. And with his brains/instincts, I think he’ll be better than that.

Hicks was 6-1, 236 at the Combine. So was DeMeco Ryans. Hicks has long arms and big hands. The long arms allow him to keep blockers off his body. The big hands help him to control blockers when they do make contact.

If the Eagles had another player who could handle the middle, I’d be fine with putting Hicks at WLB. I do not think you move Mychal Kendricks to the middle. He’s not as instinctive as Hicks.

What about Myles Jack?

He is 6-1, 242, with long arms and big hands. He can be a physical force in the middle. The problem is you would have to trade up to get him and then you would be penciling in a rookie coming off a knee injury as your MLB. Doesn’t make sense. I’d love to have him with the Eagles, but I don’t see that happening.

If the Eagles were going to do something like that, it would involve trading Kendricks in the move-up. You would then shift Hicks to WLB. You could go sign someone as insurance. Stephen Tulloch has yet to be cut by the Lions, but it seems like that will happen at some point.

The Eagles have checked out a lot of MLB draft prospects. These guys could be insurance for Hicks or the team could take one and give him a shot to win the MLB job, moving Hicks to WLB.

Is it possible that Jim Schwartz doesn’t like Jordan Hicks? I suppose, yes, but I just find that hard to believe. Finding MLBs who can hit, tackle and make plays in the passing game is hard. I can’t imagine Schwartz would want him gone.

The Eagles do need depth at LB. My guess is that they might add a veteran after the draft. See who you add in the draft and then add accordingly.

As of now:

SLB – Nigel Bradham … Deontae Skinner

MLB – Jordan Hicks … Brandon Hepburn

WLB – Mychal Kendricks … Najee Goode

Hepburn has played inside and outside, but I’m listing him at MLB for now. If the Eagles see him as an OLB, then they may not have a true backup in the middle. Doug Pederson already said he sees Najee Goode as a WLB, someone who is better playing in space.

_


236 Comments on “LB Shuffle?”

  1. 1 Media Mike said at 10:01 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    “Jeremiah Trotter was 260 pounds of downhill terror, for OL and RBs, but he never showed great instincts.”

    So very true!

  2. 2 daveH said at 10:39 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    Andy didnt want to pay him. Lowballed him even when he came back and even on his last legs he was a difference maker all over again.
    But Andy made sure he paid himself.
    Over beers i argue that letting Trot go to the skins for money cost us a champ I onship .. if not a chance for 2
    ..
    Pisses me off forever. I grew to hate andy.. ahhh HA im getting all worked up agsin

  3. 3 Gary Barnes said at 11:17 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    This is revisionist history. Trotter acted like a prima donna in that first negotiation especially after he got tagged so the Eagles called his bluff, removed the tag and he went and played for the dead end Skins. He thought he was bigger than the team and had unrealistic contract demands. Both he and Andy said the way they parted was not right when he came back. Andy was a major reason Trot came back since he saw the grass is not always greener even when you’re making more green. The Skins were a horrible organization and Trot realized he had made a bad decision. So did Andy and the Eagles although I would argue against that move costing us a ring. Trot was a good LB like Tommy said, but never a great one.

  4. 4 daveH said at 7:44 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Except that he was nearly our best ever, at a time when jj knew how to use him, and he was largely missed.. so we suffered as much if not more than he did

  5. 5 ChoTime said at 11:25 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Please, don’t resort to the “revisionist history” meme. It’s lazy argumentation. The word itself has two meanings, one which is a tired Nazi reference, the other which refers to valid research. The rest of your post is excellent.

  6. 6 Media Mike said at 4:58 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I was also upset when Trot left, but he was never as good as the contract given to him by the Skins. The guy missed a ton of plays and Tommy didn’t exactly invent the fact that Trot got burned by counter plays time and time again.

  7. 7 Donald Kalinowski said at 11:12 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I don’t blame him for leaving back in 2002. You only have a limited time in the NFL to make your money.

    But I never liked the guys character. Bitched when TO was cut in 05′. Said the team lacked toughness back in 06′ after a loss in which when was a major liability in that game. Came back in 2009 and made up some bull shit story about “teammates not responding to McNabb” just so he could generate some buzz at his new job with WIP. And if you ever listened to his show he did nothing but constantly bitch.

  8. 8 daveH said at 8:50 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Im in nyc so i dont get to listen. I would definitely like to.
    I don’t blame him for leaving at all.. i blame andy for nickle and diming one of the great Eagle players.. of all time
    ..
    And i could go on ….
    I blame andy reid tard. Paid himself and nickle and dimed many of the franchise greats … ahhhh i get all worked up

  9. 9 Media Mike said at 10:03 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    I worry we don’t have anybody on this team who can play SAM properly on a long term basis. Bradham is a stop gap player, but at 6-2 I don’t know if can cover TEs in the same with Carlos Emmons did. This team sucked at SAM after Emmons left and we never got the right guy in there to play the position properly.

  10. 10 Anders said at 2:47 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    The best way to cover TEs now a days is to get a big CB like Talib to cover him.

    So either get a DB like Ramsey who is a S/CB and have the size to cover TEs or get Myles Jack:

    Myles Jack covering the slot 1 on 1 vs a WR like it's nothing. OK it's BYU, but still, this is a LB. pic.twitter.com/z4z7qJL6Pz— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) 5. april 2016

    Jack-Hicks-Kendricks

    Would be one of the most athletic LB trios in the NFL

    Rowe+Ramsey would be one of the most athletic CB duos and if god forbid the Cowboys get him Jones+Ramsey would be insanely athletic.

  11. 11 Media Mike said at 5:00 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’d love to add Jack. What I worry about with covering TEs is that whoever we do it with will be too short; like Jamar Cheney vs. the Falcons in that game we choked in the “Dream Team” year. I hate seeing midgets covering tall TEs and getting the ball thrown higher than they can defend.

  12. 12 Anders said at 5:51 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Isnt that a problem no matter what? Be it WR vs CB or LB vs TE?

  13. 13 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:43 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    How many 6’5 Strong side Linebackers playing in a 4-3 these days?
    ..
    It’s almost certain that the majority of the time most TE’s are going to have the height advantage over LB’s, CB’s and Safeties…

    Don’t forget that even tho we are changing schemes, we still have a Wildcard in our back pocket to whip out against TE’s in big games….Mr. Connar Barwin….
    ..
    For Example: if we face the seahawks in the playoffs, Barwin getting Physical with Jimmy Graham has to be in our game plan, even if Barwin hasn’t played LB all year, and even if we have corners, safety or SAM LB that have done a Good job against opposing TEs…
    ..
    barwin needs to be in ATTACK mode all year from DE spot, but we should still keep his size, physicality that he brings to the table covering TE’s in our back pocket for special occasions, especially come playoff time
    ..
    Just because Barwin is going to be a DE for us, DOESNT mean his ability to matchup with TE wont be available when we really need it.

  14. 14 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:27 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    As soon as we eventually move on from Malcolm Jenkins, I would move Ramsey back to Safety immediately

  15. 15 Crus57 said at 7:16 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I remember a lot of people lamenting that Gocong wasn’t as good as Emmons covering TEs, but I also remember Tommy pointing out that Emmons left around the time the rules changed and you could no longer grab and hang on to people without causing PI, making the job much harder.

  16. 16 Media Mike said at 5:28 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Funny, I remeber Gocong also being good at nothing pretty much.

  17. 17 Crus57 said at 7:08 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    He scored top marks in “not selling bow-ties” and “not playing air banjo when he made a tackle”.

  18. 18 Fufina said at 7:19 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I just do not think Sam is a premium position in the modern NFL, because of how the TE position has developed. There are so few tight ends who are effective run blockers and quality receiving threats that you do not need the old style Sam backers who could hold up in the run game and then cover the TE in the passing game.

    If a team comes out with a run blocking TE, find a big 260lb LB late in the draft who is tough and can play the run but struggles to have any coverage ability. If you are match upped against a passing TE, then find yourself a ‘big nickle’, a CB who lacks the pace to cover outside of quick slot guys but is capable of hanging with most TE’s.

    So much of the game these days is in nickle and dime, your Sam backer is on the field only about 50% of the game – and most of the time those are early downs.

    I am sure we draft 1-2 LB’s in the draft, but unless Jack falls i think we will be doing our shopping in rounds 5-7, trying to find match up specific role guys.

  19. 19 D3FB said at 7:25 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Bradham does have 34″ arms, and ran a 4.64. If you can stick the hip pocket and get the arms up that’s a really small window for the QB to throw into.

    Add in the fact the SAM comes off the field in nickel sets, and I don’t think it’s a huge concern.

    Really like Kwiatowski as a target in rounds 3-5. Reminds me alot of Bradham, similar build, similar ability to take on blockers, similar athleticism, similar in that both can make all the plays physically, but you wonder about the mental side of the game. Would be an ideal guy to backup SAM/MIKE for a couple years and then slide into a starting role down the line.

    They also seem to be looking pretty hard at midround safeties. I wonder if Schwartz hasn’t been tinkering with some big nickel (3 Safeties) sets during his sabbatical.

  20. 20 Media Mike said at 5:31 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    However we end the 9-129-2 stat lines from Jordan Reed is fine by me.

    I can’t have TEs on pace for 144-2064-32 seasons vs. our D because we don’t have any LBs that can cover.

  21. 21 LB Shuffle? - said at 10:10 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    […] Tommy Lawlor Interesting comment by Dave Spadaro today. Perhaps my biggest question at this moment regarding the […]

  22. 22 nopain23 said at 10:11 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    Torn meniscus not acl…..

  23. 23 ChoTime said at 10:16 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    OT: “The Process” goes where it belongs, right with “Measurables” and “100 yard rushers”. Next up “Volume Scorers”!

  24. 24 RobNE said at 11:05 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    right, why don’t they just do what the Spurs did.

  25. 25 ChoTime said at 11:26 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Literally anything would work better than what he did.

  26. 26 RobNE said at 12:01 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    what he did worked really well. And your sentence can’t really be true, as Andre the giant once said: “I do not think that word [literally] means what you think it means.”

  27. 27 ChoTime said at 1:21 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    You literally couldn’t have taken my statement more literally.

  28. 28 D3FB said at 2:16 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Oh, you mean tanking to get Tim Duncan, then exploit a market inneffiency with European players and hire one of the best coaches of all time. Totally doable.

    Why don’t the Eagles just draft one of the top QBs of all time in the sixth round and pair him with a do it all wundercoach? I mean come on.

  29. 29 RobNE said at 3:04 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Mine was sarcasm, you got that right?

  30. 30 Gary Barnes said at 11:24 PM on April 6th, 2016:

    The issue with Hicks IMO is staying healthy. The best ability is availability. If he can stay healthy and produce, we’ll be fine, but if his track record of injuries continues at some point we’ll need to cut bait and find a better option. Add in Kendricks propensity for injury and it gets downright scary.

    That brings up my second point which is LB depth – we have close to absolute zero quality depth. When Najee Goode is your best reserve, you’re in trouble. The Eagles traded Kiko, let Ryans go and signed one starter in FA. We need several more LB, either in the draft or UDFA.

  31. 31 Media Mike said at 5:23 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Hicks need to be on the field for 16 games. The talent is certainly there. But so is the fragility.

    And you’re 100% correct that we need to build some depth in that unit.

  32. 32 BobSmith77 said at 2:15 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’ll take someone like Hicks with his frame and athleticism over Trotter’s size any day.

  33. 33 Media Mike said at 5:01 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Evans was so much better than Trotter. Just lacked a cool nickname.

  34. 34 Jack Waggoner said at 8:48 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    B & E

  35. 35 GermanEagle said at 7:28 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    you seem to forget the Trotter in his prime. When he brought his A-game, take the playoff game against Vick and the Falcons for example, he was a BEAST. I loved Trotter.

  36. 36 bill said at 8:16 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I loved Trotter, but that was a game tailor made for him. He had almost no danger of being exposed in coverage, just fill his gap and attack, attack, attack.

    I agree with Bob. I’ll take the smart, agile even if undersized MLB over the thumper. Especially in today’s game, where every coach (except maybe the Chipper) looks to create matchup problems in the passing game. Trotter will always be a favorite of mine, but B&E was a great, underrated player who, IMO, was the glue of those great defenses – the guy who allowed all those playmakers to do their things because he was there to erase their mistakes.

  37. 37 BobSmith77 said at 10:36 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    My favorite players on that Gang Green defense were unspectacular but very steady & consistent guys (Hopkins and Evans) albeit not Pro Bowl caliber guys.

  38. 38 bsuperfi said at 1:19 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Trotter was such a key part of the defense back in the day. He did attack over and over again, but he was incredible at it. Part of Jim Johnson’s genius was putting Trotter “in the right position” to maximize his talents (which JJ also did for Dawkins too). Maybe you need smaller LBs in today’s NFL–you certainly don’t see many Seth Joyners anymore–but Trotter was one of the central pieces of that defense.

  39. 39 A_T_G said at 7:18 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I don’t doubt the validity, but I find it amazing that the 6’1″ 236 guy might not be big enough, but the guy who is the same height with another 7 pounds is the prototypical, top-5 pick.

  40. 40 D3FB said at 7:29 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    The big question I had with Hicks last year was dealing with junk. He was ok but coming from the Big 12 where damn near everybody runs spread, he was ideally suited to coverage in the modern NFL but still has alot to learn about dealing with loaded fronts and clutter. He did well but certainly has alot of growth left to make in that department.

    Also Jack is one of the most violent LBs taking on blockers I can remember. He does crap like this regularly.

    https://twitter.com/Astonia67/status/709772406215327744

  41. 41 xmbk said at 7:46 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Someone needs to teach that lineman how to get low.

  42. 42 Mitchell said at 10:29 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I found an instructional video: https://youtu.be/IYH7_GzP4Tg

  43. 43 xmbk said at 7:43 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Jack would probably play the outside, for most teams.

  44. 44 johhnyblaze said at 9:52 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I was thinking the same thing, Tommy’s argument was the weight of Hicks, yet Jacks only a few pounds heavier

  45. 45 eagleyankfan said at 7:41 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Shame Jaylon Smith got hurt…
    is T-Law insinuating that Spadaro is hinting that the Eagles will be moving up? Outside of that “guess” — what else is he hinting at?

  46. 46 xmbk said at 7:42 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Probably a smokescreen to cover who the Eagles might be interested in, especially if there’s a trade up. Another Spadaro quote:

    “Is there a top-rated defensive back who would be on the board and
    immediately impact this secondary? Have we even mentioned the idea of a
    stud linebacker coming in to shake up a room that hasn’t had a lot of
    conversation in the offseason? Maybe the Eagles go out and get
    themselves a standout pass rusher to add to the arsenal up front.”

    I wonder if there’s a stud DB, stud LB, or stud pass rusher in this year’s draft? 😉 Or it can just be an attempt to temper fan expectations, so that they are happy with whoever the team drafts.

  47. 47 A_T_G said at 8:17 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    So… he mentions LB, DB, DE on the heels of the QB conversation? That means we are going OL, right?

  48. 48 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:24 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Is A) our draft board really set already while we still have plenty players to workout and further Evaluate? And B) if the draft board was really set, how likely is it that they shared it with Spadaro?

  49. 49 Dave said at 9:33 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I found this article by Jenny Vrentas the most telling to date on Hack.

    The Hackenberg Riddle

    “There’s a divide between those who see a player held back by a lack of talent around him and an ill-fitting offensive system, and those who believe great players figure out how to be great regardless of circumstance.”

    Those that believe in the latter, would seem to think that Wentz would have been successful at Penn State and Hackenberg would have failed at North Dakota State.

    http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/04/07/christian-hackenberg-penn-state-nfl-draft

  50. 50 mtn_green said at 10:43 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    So hard to evaluate a ‘good’ qb on a bad team. Or mismatched scheme, your mind fills in the blanks and may attribute failings to scheme and surrounding lack of talent that really are just the qb flaws.
    That was the pro foles argument.

  51. 51 Dave said at 12:58 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    On the flip side, Tebow was drafted in the first round because of the “he just wins” mentality of coaches/GMs. It’s telling when Belichick and Chip brought Tebow in because they were infatuated with his history of winning, although the talent was clearly lacking.

    It’s the same reason that the Hall of Fame is littered with Superbowl winners while better players who were surrounded with less total team talent never get in. Hell, I have little doubt that Eli is not in the Hall of Fame someday because of his 2 Super Bowl trophies.

  52. 52 P_P_K said at 9:57 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Off topic. Anyone else glad Hinkie is gone? I hate what he did to the Sixers.

  53. 53 Fufina said at 10:03 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Not at all. What i hated was the Bynum trade and where it left the franchise – traded away our future picks, lacking any talented players to build around and no future.

    ‘The Process’ has been slower than anyone would have hoped due to ping pong balls, we would be in a very different place if we had Towns/Wiggins/Noel as a core to start building around, although Embiid if ever healthy could be a generational player.

    What i also hate is hiring a washed up GM with the main qualification of being the son of the most senior advisor. We are going to rush towards mediocrity signing average players to bad contracts. Lets hope we win the lottery and Embiid gets healthy since that is frankly the only way this team does not end up in late play off purgatory.

  54. 54 mtn_green said at 10:40 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Agreed. Hope brown gets some time with a real team. Unfair to evaluate last three years.
    Rather have Hinkie, he had the balls to go full out, obviously tried to make the tank as full and quick as possible.

  55. 55 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:22 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Scared to death that this leads to eventually replacing Brett Brown with MIKE Dantoni..

  56. 56 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:21 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    The only thing im thankful for when it comes to the Bynum trade is I thank the basketball Gods that Kawhii Leonard was drafted one spot before Vucevic.. As epically horrible as the Bynum trade was, can you friggin imagine how we would feel today if we traded away Kawhii Leonard instead of Vucevic? Just the thought of that made me appreciate the exile of the charlatan Doug Collins, the termination of the Eddie Stefanskis,and appreciation for SAM Hinkie

  57. 57 RobNE said at 11:02 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    no I’m actually really down about it. My guess is the owner wants to sell, so needs the team to be mediocre and will no longer take such a long view. It’s really incredibly disappointing. And to top it off, he was pushed out to hire another guy’s son.

  58. 58 D3FB said at 2:12 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    We get to be the Crystal Palace of the NBA! HORAY!

  59. 59 RobNE said at 3:03 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    ha! I get that reference.

  60. 60 P_P_K said at 2:44 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I agree with you about the hire. If the decision was financial then I guess it makes sense. Otherwise, I wonder what brought about the tipping point where he needed to go.

  61. 61 A_T_G said at 11:07 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Honestly, it seemed inevitable. When the organization feels they are ready to try to change direction from planning for the future to actually winning, it would be a lot harder for the current leader to convince everyone that they should change what they are doing than it will be to change leadership as a signal that expectations are changing.

    I don’t even know that this is an indictment of what Hinkie did as much as a planned step to use and discard him.

    To be open, though, I am not a big basketball guy, just looking at the management side.

  62. 62 ChoTime said at 11:33 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    I am, it was a disgrace. At least Chip was trying to win. Integrity of the game. If I wanted artificially-gamed teams, then I’ll watch college.

    Also, what some people will miss in their regretification (I made that word up), is that a major reason “the process” wasn’t going to work was always the financial/popular aspect. (the other reason is that draft picks are wildly overrated, esp. in bball) It is an attractive ploy in a video game, but not in real life. That’s why it has never worked before, and probably never will. It’s appealing in a reductionist way, but ignores reality.

  63. 63 James Adair said at 11:58 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    This is insane. Where else do you get young good players? Where else can you get a superstar? You have to draft them. The higher they are and the more of them you have the better chance you have to draft a superstar. How do you think the Spurs (mentioned above) got Robinson/Duncan/Leonard.

  64. 64 ChoTime said at 1:20 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    There are plenty of serious analyses out there on this topic. One-liners are going to work here. Like in politics, they generate a lot of heat, but not much light. I would suggest looking into how the Robinson thing and the Leonard thing actually went down. Getting stalked about the Spurs is tiresome.

  65. 65 RobNE said at 4:44 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I don’t understand this. Because something happened once or twice, rather than try something (that is by definition likely to fail) that might succeed x% of the time, we should limit ourselves to trying hard, having mediocre players and having a y% (much smaller than x) chance of becoming a great team.

    Just because someone else found a path doesn’t mean it’s the only or best path.

  66. 66 RobNE said at 11:59 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    draft picks in the NBA are over rated, that is crazy.

  67. 67 SteveH said at 11:36 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    No real feeling either way, but we’ll see in a few years where they stand talent wise from the picks they have made/still will make based on what Hinkie did. Should be interesting if the Sixers are good in a few years based off what Hinkie did whether or not he’ll get the credit for it.

  68. 68 P_P_K said at 2:42 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I hear that, but how do you measure success? At what point does winning balance out these abysmal seasons?

  69. 69 D3FB said at 2:44 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Purgatory is worse than hell.

  70. 70 P_P_K said at 2:49 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Dante thought so, too, but he wasn’t a sports fan. I disagree.

    It’s incredibly difficult to balance being competitive today with planning for the future. I get that. My problem, maybe, is that I’m just a sports guy. I can’t imagine ever taking the field without feeling like it’s life and death, I’ve got to win. I would have dreaded the thought that my coach or someone involved with my team would be deliberately sabotaging our chances.

    I like to believe there’s a certain honor involved in compettitive sports. Maybe that’s naive.

  71. 71 bill said at 2:50 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    There is, but once money gets involved, honor is one of its first victims. In any endeavor.

  72. 72 D3FB said at 2:56 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I mean they weren’t throwing games. They just decided that winning 15 games vs 25 games was pretty pointless from an expenditure and long term planning point of view.

    I just don’t understand the “tanking is stupid it doesn’t work” crowd. LOOK AT MINNESOTA! Is it any nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of sheer incompetence rather than say nah we’ll punt?

    Also for all the crap this team gets, it is not the historically worst team by any measure. Not over the three year span, only one year did they have the worst record, and even then they still won’t tie for worst record ever.

    If Embiid gets fully healthy and reaches anywhere near his potential, it was worth it.

    If we get Ingram or Simmons and they become top 10 players it was worth it.

    Oh yay, we were in the playoff hunt until the last week, isn’t worth it.

  73. 73 P_P_K said at 3:21 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I hear you. If things pan out and the Sixers win a couple Championships, my opinion will sound pretty stupid. I’ll celebrate along with everyone else and maybe even change my opinion. But I don’t think so.

    If I remember correcty, you played college ball. I presume you are like most of us that, win or lose, your team is your team. If it was possible to replicate Hinkie’s process on the college level, how would you feel about the AD of your alma matter implementing such a plan? I ask this without judgement because it’s reasonable that we just see this differently.

  74. 74 RobNE said at 3:30 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    colleges don’t have a draft. How is this similar?

  75. 75 P_P_K said at 3:45 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Of course, just an exercise in “What if?”

  76. 76 RobNE said at 3:49 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    but the main obstacle in the NBA is the acquisition of talent, that’s why you had to give up near term resources and lose more. so if you take that away, the comparison seems tough.

    your question of how do you go into games knowing you will lose, I get that part of it.

  77. 77 P_P_K said at 4:01 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Yea, I guess the comparison is pretty shaky. I root for “my team” regardless of winning or losing (You get good at the latter as a Philly sports fan, right?).

    I wonder what the young guys on the Sixers feel about their pro careers thus far? I wonder how they’ll feel in a couple years when we know if Hinkie’s plan worked or not?

  78. 78 D3FB said at 4:09 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I think Noel and Jah to a lesser degree (and he can get gone for anything fun or upsideish) are about the only ones who could legitimately complain.

    Roco was in the D-League.
    Grant wouldn’t be getting nearly as many minutes anywhere else.
    Ditto TJ and Richaun.
    Sauce has been given a chance to work through his struggles.

  79. 79 P_P_K said at 4:23 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Defitniely Noel but, yea, a lot of those guys wouldn’t be playing as much anywhere else.

    I remember devating with my pals whether we would prefer to start on a losing team or be a sub on a winning team. I can’t remember a single guy choosing to be a sub.

  80. 80 D3FB said at 3:36 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    We went into every season after my freshman year realizing we were realistically probably going to get our asses beat by Hobart, Hopkins, Ursinus and Muhlenberg. Recruiting has been bad for a while, our S&C program and offensive philosophies were badly broken. We just didn’t have the scheme to cover up our talent deficiencies, one of my teammates who is now on the staff at F&M marvels at how we won any games given how comparatively assbackwards our program is (to our most hated rival working under the same academic profile and resources restrictions).

    I didn’t care. I had a blast, we played our asses off even in the games we realistically were going to lose, and other than a few deader brain cells, and achy joints am no worse the wear for it all.

    I’m not really sure the equivalent in NCAA football. Maybe Kansas coaches begging recruits and Juco guys with the offer of hey if you can’t start here day 1 you probably can’t hack it anywhere else. I mean they weren’t wrong, and the players know that (the smart ones anyways).

    At the end of the day all you can do as a player is strap em up and let em hang.

  81. 81 P_P_K said at 3:48 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’m completely with you about being an athlete and going into battle with the weapons you have. Plus, at the beginning of every game the score is tied. Some of the greatest thrills are the unexpected upsets.

  82. 82 anon said at 3:14 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    not from a business standpoint.

  83. 83 D3FB said at 3:17 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    You’ll never go broke making a profit. This is true. But I am a fan. So frankly I don’t give a damn about the relatively minuscule profit/loss margins of billionaires.

  84. 84 Anders said at 1:26 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    You mean take a team with no future and no picks and get ask the assets they have now? Hinkies only miss is not getting 1st overall last year and taking okafor

  85. 85 cliff-Partying w/ Dez' Monkey said at 1:42 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    bet he’d go back and sign better guards. nothing was going to prevent them from being bad, but not 1-30 bad. he forced NBA to step in, Harris cracked and brought in Colagelo. still teetering with worst ever is going to force someone to lose job.
    .
    the tank was too obvious, too long, too indepth for Hinkie to survive 1-30 start. thought it was a great idea, but the real issue is ‘what if it worked’. the NBA model is so flawed, that 20+ teams should be tanking at all times.

  86. 86 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:17 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Not sure how anyone can even consider it being a good thing that Hinkie is gone when he is being replaced with Bryan Colangelo.

    The ONLY thing to be glad about is that Billy King ISNT Jerry Colangelo’s son…

  87. 87 Tumtum said at 10:30 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    Tulloch has been Jim’s guy since Tenn. Perhaps he is just setting the stage to pick him up by making a bit of noise that Hivks isn’t big enough yet.

    I call BS. Hicks is 6’1″ to Stephen’s 5’11”. He gives up 4 pounds. That’s just a few pudding cups.

    Jim wants his Mufasa. I get it. I’m not sure I want the Stephen Tulloch of today. I trust the evaluation would be there if they get him. Hicks is here. Invest elsewhere I say.

  88. 88 James Adair said at 11:58 AM on April 7th, 2016:

    It’s the density I guess.

  89. 89 Tumtum said at 2:23 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Yeah, of course it is. It’s just complete BS. Hicks hit harder and shed blocks better than any LB we have had in quite a while. Tape don’t lie! Density schmensity.

  90. 90 A_T_G said at 12:06 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    So you are saying hakuna matata. Let Simba grow into the role vacated by Mufasa and focus on removing Scars from other places on the roster? Sounds like it would make a good movie.

    (And I apologize for the joke. Those nicknames are so tired, but I couldn’t muster up the self control to let it pass.)

  91. 91 Tumtum said at 2:20 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Scar was obviously Chip. What happens now is after the credits. Lets call it “happily ever after”. Championship!

  92. 92 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:04 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Id love to get Tulloch but ONLY if it’s crystal clear that he will be signing on to fill a backüp/mentor role… If he isn’t at peace with going into the season as a backup, than i would want nothing to do with him.
    ..
    Roseman talked about how when It comes to the first wave of Free Agency, typically Money does most of the talking. Which is backed up by examples like the Texans giving Osweiler a big Longterm deal without Their coach Bill Obrien ever having a conversation with Osweiler. That’s a clear example of MONEY TALKS during that initial wave of Free Agency.. But after the first wave of free agency, the secondary Free agent market becomes more about recruiting and selling free agents on the specific opportunity you can offer them.. Most of the guys signed in that second wave of FA DONT get the big money, extensions they hoped for, so there is more selling involved(at least according to roseman). A good example of that is young NFL starters like Wisnewski and Rueban Randle essentially signing prove it deals with a team they perceived to give them the best opportunity to “PROVE IT” and put themselves in a better position in next years free agency…
    ,,
    Has Tolluch even been cut by the Lions yet? Last I heard the assumption was that they would end up cutting him but the Lions were still dragging their feet… If he gets cut Months after fee agency started, there is a chance that there will be a team offering him a starting opportunity. But if he can’t find that promised starting spot, it be great if we could sell him on backing up/mentoring 3 young players, while being under a DC that he trusts and knows well. And while he wouldn’t be going into the season as a starter, he wouldn’t exactly find himself between 3 Iron men LBs who are the poster child’s for durability, so odds are he would get to play a little ball at some point….
    ..
    We still have to add two backüp LBs. We can draft one, but Im hoping we can sigń or even trade for the second LB,,., getting a decent backüp LB in exchange for Taylor Hart would be perfect…. Of course there is always a slight chance that the skinner or Heburn kid are better than expected and earn a roster spot this summer

  93. 93 Tumtum said at 2:19 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Nope they haven’t yet. Tommy mentioned that so I didn’t bother.

  94. 94 RobNE said at 12:02 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I feel like we all want Jack and we will be disappointed when it’s Stanley.

  95. 95 bdbd20 said at 12:10 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’m starting to wonder if Stanley is the guy they actually want. Maybe this QB stuff is bait to get teams to trade ahead of them to snag Wentz, Goff, and possibly Lynch.

  96. 96 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:12 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I think the round 1 QB talk is Bait, but it’s probably not realistic to expect Jack to last Til #8, but if he happens to still be available, that pick would be the definition of a no BRAINER as far as I’m concerned.

  97. 97 RobNE said at 12:20 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    would you trade a 3rd to move up 2-3 spots to grab Jack?

  98. 98 b3nz0z said at 12:25 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    i would not because there’s likely to be a good option at 8 without giving up the 3rd. maybe if we had a 2 but not like this

  99. 99 Gian GEAGLE said at 1:46 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    a real Mind fuck scenario for me would be, if the Rams are offering our 2nd round pick back to swap first round picks, and a kid we view as one Of the special players in This draft happens to fall for #8… What do we do then? Do we take the special talent, or do we pass on him expecting to get a good player at #15 along with our 2nd round pick which would give us 5 picks in the top 100 which is EXTREMELY VALUABLE? That’s a real mind fuck for me, and while it would be a fantastic problem to have, Im glad I wouldn’t have to make that decision..
    ..
    If Tunsil, Ramsey, Wentz, Jack, Buckner, and Bosa are all off the board, taking our 2nd round pick from the Rams would be a no BRAINER for me.
    ..
    And if Goff is available at #8, Id play hardball and make the Rams sweeten the pot a bit on top of that 2nd round pick they would send us.. Maybe get them to swap their 4th for the 5th we got from Boykin trade… I feel like you can get a bit more compensation when it’s a QB that you are allowing a team to trade up for

  100. 100 b3nz0z said at 1:52 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    yeah if you go by the “tiers of players” theory and our entire top tier is gone at 8 it’s a no brainer like you said. i’d say of the dudes you mentioned, the only ones with any chance of sliding to 8 are buckner and wentz. wentz i’d take at 8 in a sec. buckner . . . are you talking yourself into a dude who might not fully fit our scheme, or is he truly talented enough to be a difference maker in whatever front he’s in? i’m not claiming to know but the question mark makes me think moving down is a better value. so unless wentz was there i’d say take the rams trade

  101. 101 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:12 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Another interesting Question is what scenario would provide us more value in a trade back scenario:
    ..
    1) Wentz going top 7, with Goff (#2’QB prospect) being available at #8 and a team like the Rams wamting To trade up so that they can get Goff instead of having to settle on staying put and Taking Paxton Lynch?
    ,
    2) or can we get more value in a scenario where both Goff and Wentz are gone in the top 7, and the Rams start to sweat and consider trading up to get Lynch instead of settling for Cook at #15 which would be way too high for Cook?
    ..
    Which of those scenarios provide us with a best opportunity to get our 2nd round pick back from the Rams and the most trade compensation in return?

  102. 102 bdbd20 said at 1:01 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I think if he were healthy, he’d be the consensus #1 pick. I’m not sure you trade a valuable asset (3rd) for someone with an injury concern. He may be fine, but that’s a steep price to pay.

  103. 103 Gian GEAGLE said at 1:34 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Id certaily have to consider it…. But ultimately it would have to come down to how he compares to the next 3 or 4 players that would be available to us… If there is a significant gap in the grades, then I would strongly consider it, as long as our Medical staff gives us the full green light to take him….. If it looks like there will be a player available who is close to as special as Jack, then I’d probably keep the pick..
    ..
    But I would Imagine that I would probably be all for It…. At #8 I want a special playmaking talent that has a chance to take our Offense or defense to new Levels, and I would be willing to pay a 3rd To get that Player, and I do personally view Jack as that type of a Talent that could give our defense a serious Boost

  104. 104 Insomniac said at 12:10 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’d be excited if we get Stanley.

  105. 105 Mac said at 12:24 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Consensus 2nd best OT with the potential (according to some draft guys) to be the best OT from this class?

    I’ll take it as well.

  106. 106 GermanEagle said at 12:25 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’d be OK with Stanley at #15…

  107. 107 eagleyankfan said at 1:47 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    latest on the NFL network had Stanley falling out of the top 10.
    ….
    I know HR wanted to get in the top 10 – just seems like they’re still just missing out on a higher tier talent at 8.

  108. 108 Gian GEAGLE said at 1:19 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    We all have pre draft opinions that will effect our initial reaction when the pick is announced on draft night. but my only real concern is that we take advantage of this rare opportunity to have a top 10 pick, make this pick count adding a talent that will eventually grow to be up there with Cox and Lane as our most elite young core players of the future at whatever position this draft will provide
    ..
    I don’t Love Hargreaves or Stanley, but I don’t hate them either, I may not see Special NFL players who I would bet on going on to become one of the top NFL players at their positions, but I also don’t view them as kids who are destined to become a Bust. Id be more excited about stanley or Hargreaves if we were still picking at #13
    ..
    Ideally sitting at #8 the top player on our board would be a Tackle(guard versatility would be gravy), a CB, or a DT with interior pass rush ability. So Id absolutely LOVE to be wrong about Stanley and VH. But while CB, OL, DT would be ideal for us at #8, thinking in terms of position or need that high in the draft IMO increases our chances of making a mistake in the draft… It’s way More important for us to get Elite Talent, than it is to address a certain position we view as a bigger need.
    ..
    Must take the best player at the position this draft provides. If that also happens to be a CB,OL or DT, EVEN BETTER! But the position is really irrelevant to me.
    ………………
    The Standards I will always hold the Eagles GM to are:

    -Round 1 picks need to provide starters who are at least close to reaching pro bowl/All pro level.
    ….
    -A Top 10 pick: anything less than a special gamechanging talent who will grow into one of the top players at his position should be considered a failure. Solid starter ISNT good enough for a top 10 pick
    ….
    – Round 3 picks: Anything less than a legit, solid starting player is a Failure

    Round 2 picks (strive for round 1 type players, settle for round 3 caliber starters)
    .,
    When it comes to rounds 4 and 5… Some should provide Subpackage players who can play smaller Roles on offense or defense Like: Nickel CB, #3 or 4 WR, a 3rd down pass rush specialist, maybe a nickel LB… And some should provide decent backups and core ST players… I don’t hold it against a GM if he doesn’t get a starter out of rounds 4 or 5.
    .
    Anything after round 5, I have no expectations for, Basically just treat them as lottery tickets that mostly won’t amount to much, but every now and then provide a player to be excited about… I will never rip a GM if his 6th or 7th round picks don’t make the roster. But a Good GM will hit on a 6th or 7th round pick every once n a while..
    ..
    So in our case, a solid starter just isn’t good enough out of the 8th pick. I don’t need Roseman to draft a prospect that I think I love. I need him to be right and come away from #8 with a kid who will go on to become on of the top 5-10 best players on our team, who will eventually be amongst the top players at his position.. Give me that, and I honestly won’t care what position he plays

  109. 109 laeagle said at 3:43 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I want them to pick all of them. Not as in, I like them all equally. As in, I want them to use one draft pick to take 8 players.

  110. 110 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:10 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’d probably prefer leaving Hicks in the middle and unleashing Jack allowing him to fly around as the WIL
    ..
    I don’t agree with the notion that to add a LB we may have to move on from Kendricks.
    Ii think it’s importan to add legit starting talent to the core of Kendricks, Hicks, and Bradham all of which have had durability concerns. We need a 4th LB that is a starting caliber Talent whether THATS Jack or someone else…. Adding a starting LB, and subtracting Kendricks puts is in the same position we are in now. With 3 LBs and one solid backup in najee..
    ..
    One thing we do have going for us is our LB’s are versatile. Bradham has played both SAM and WIL.. No idea why anyone ever thought Kendrcks would have been the Sam instead of WIL that fits him so well. But Mychal is capable of moving to SAM short term if injuries to the position call for it.
    ..
    Hepburn and Skinner can’t be considered locks to make this roster. Maybe they surprise us in camp and make the team, that would be great, but we can’t assume that, we have to add more LB talent….Goode is the only backüp I can have any faith in being able to take over for a month or Two in case of an Injury… Think it’s important that we add two more LBs. I assume one will definitely be drafted, but im stll holding on to hope that we sigń a Backüp in FA
    .
    When it comes to our NEED at LB, ideally we can get a kid with enough size to be versatile in that he can play MIKE or SAM. That’s probably not Jack attack, but Jack is a special Talent you don’t pass up if he inexplicably falls to #8. Kendricks, Bradham and hicks haven’t been durable enough to where we shouldn’t add a starting caliber LB
    .
    Sure I’d like to see Hicks pack on a little more size as long as it doesn’t take away from his speed… But ultimately I do expect Hicks to be able to thrive in the middle. If we can actually get a healthy season out of our starting 3 backers, I would expect a big year out of them forming one of The better LB units in the game.
    .
    Sure we are soured by Kendricks down yeàr, but he is one of the defenders im most excited about schwartz unleashing. HOWEVER, if KEndricks goes on to miss another 4-6 games because of a hamstring, Id never go into a season with him as a starting LB ever again…. Stay healthy, Or prepare to get used to your new role as a backup, and subpackage weapon. He can’t continue to miss a month of action every season

  111. 111 Joe Minx said at 1:32 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Anyone seeing this pro day OBJ’s cousin is putting on today?

    4.4 40, 36 reps, 44.5″ vert, 11′ broad
    225 pounds

    Damn skippy!

  112. 112 TypicalDouche said at 1:35 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    UDFA at best.

  113. 113 truehaynes said at 2:46 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’d draft him in the 5th. Hell sign with the giants if he goes undrafted. I want that athleticism. Absolutely unreal. You can’t coach that

  114. 114 TypicalDouche said at 2:48 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    That is true but him be as athletic as he is doesnt mean that it will translate to on field performance. He has also been out of football for a couple of years so its doubtful he would make an impact.

  115. 115 Anders said at 2:49 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    How often does a 5yh ring pick make an impact?

  116. 116 TypicalDouche said at 2:52 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I don’t know but I also would not spend a 5th round pick on him ever. Undrafted free agent, if not then let another team waste a pick on him regardless what pick it is.

  117. 117 D3FB said at 3:13 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    35 5th round picks in the 2013 draft:

    Kenny Stills (2000 career receiving yards)
    Zac Stacey (1350 career rushing yards)
    Quinton Dial (starter, just got contract extension)
    Caleb Sturgis
    Luke Miller (solid TE2 in Sea)
    Jordan Mills (34 career starts)
    Micah Hyde (important member of Packers secondary)
    AJ Klein (starting LB for Panthers)
    Dennard Robinson (900 yard, 4.1 ypc)
    Sam Martin (starting P for Lions, seems to be solid)
    Ricky Wagner (solid if meh starting RT for Ravens)

    So about 1/3 you get a solid contributor/starter
    1/3 you get a fringe depth guy
    1/3 they don’t pan out

    Still way too early for a not real football player

  118. 118 TypicalDouche said at 3:45 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    But but but those guys have only played football for most of their careers, Beckham is a personal trainer who hasnt played organized football. He screams 4th round pick at least!!

  119. 119 D3FB said at 3:46 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    That bench press though, probably 2nd just to be safe.

  120. 120 TypicalDouche said at 3:48 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    The hell with it, lets hope the Eagles pull a Mamula and take him in the top 12.

  121. 121 Anders said at 4:02 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I still take a flyer on elite athletic ability.

    I wouldn’t call 1300 yards rushing over 3 season solid contribution

  122. 122 D3FB said at 4:12 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    He was 14th in rushing yards as a rookie.

  123. 123 Anders said at 2:47 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    You use a 6th round flyer on a guy with his athletism

  124. 124 TypicalDouche said at 2:49 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Think Bryce Brown but not as talented. Brown was a 7th round pick because he hadn’t played football in a number of years. He was a former #1 overall player coming out of high school and still hasn’t done much in the NFL.

  125. 125 Anders said at 2:54 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Brown also had character concerns, nothing say Beckham has that

  126. 126 TypicalDouche said at 2:59 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Character concerns aside Brown was and still is the superior player and prospect and he has done nothing in the league. So I am supposed to believe a career personal trainer is worth a higher pick then a former # overall recruit?

  127. 127 truehaynes said at 2:05 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    36 reps? Gtfo

  128. 128 Joe Minx said at 2:45 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    ‘Tis true.

    Apparently he did 42 reps at a pre-training event in Februrary.
    If you see a picture of him it’s not so surprising. Dude is unbelievably ripped.

  129. 129 Dave said at 3:30 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I saw a pic a few weeks ago. He reminds me of LaRon Landry when he got huge from steroids.

  130. 130 Anders said at 3:57 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Not at all, Beckham is just well trained

  131. 131 Anders said at 2:48 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Guy was a personal trainer, guy spend the last 5 years doing nothing but pumping and eating right

  132. 132 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:14 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Broncos Coach Kubiak has spoken to Johnny Manzeil about possibly joining the Broncos down the line, with stipulations that will require him to go to rehab/counseling..
    ..
    LOL from Super Bowl champions with Peyton and Osweier, to Sanchez and Manziel?
    .
    Good luck with that,

  133. 133 anon said at 2:35 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    If @JimmyKempski were better at his job, he wouldn't need to comment on mine for attention.— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL)

  134. 134 TypicalDouche said at 2:37 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    They’re still going at it? Its like 2 petulant children bickering day after day.

  135. 135 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:48 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    What’s the biggest Beef?
    .
    A) Tupac vs Biggie

    B) GREG Hardy Butthurt about Aldon Smith getting a job
    .
    C) the adorable cat fight between Albright and kimmy Jempski

  136. 136 TypicalDouche said at 2:53 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    It is definitely entertaining to say the least. 2 grown men going on a twitter war is hysterical.

  137. 137 anon said at 3:18 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    .@AllbrightNFL Are we still doing this? Also, lol "things change." pic.twitter.com/f8FOFiPb48— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski)

  138. 138 A_T_G said at 2:40 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    https://twitter.com/JimmyKempski/status/718081037893500928

  139. 139 Ark87 said at 3:30 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    People from the Philly/Jersey area are world-class shit-flingers. Allbright’s been taken to the wood shed for like a week straight. Poor guy.

  140. 140 D3FB said at 3:20 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Jimmy has a point. Albright is trying to have his cake and eat it too.

    https://twitter.com/JimmyKempski/status/718072762464604160

  141. 141 SteveH said at 3:32 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Jimmy has a point, and I don’t think it’s necessarily outside of his purview, but it is unusual to see one sports journalist go after the work of another with such gusto.

    Policing your own is never a bad thing though, and Jimmy obviously think’s he’s sniffed out a rat. Makes for good theater at least.

  142. 142 laeagle said at 3:39 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Albright isn’t terrible, and not as bad as Jimmy’s making him out to be, but I had to unfollow. If 70% of someone’s posts are dealing with supposed trolls, then I don’t have time for them. Get a thicker skin and/or move on.

  143. 143 Anders said at 3:56 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I love jimmy for calling him out on his double hedging. Guy seems to be more wrong than right regarding the eagles.

    The problem is that Albright wants to be the next Schefter, but his sources seems to be lower level guys his info isn’t as strong

  144. 144 D3FB said at 3:58 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I enjoy that his defense was “oh I was just letting agents use me to spin, I’m totally 100% legit though.”

  145. 145 anon said at 3:21 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Some nasty rumors circulating about dougy p.

  146. 146 anon said at 3:24 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Bryan Collangelo new gm, per sources.

  147. 147 RobNE said at 3:32 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    well at least they did a worldwide thorough search.

    I really wonder if the Sr. Colangelo has a deal to buy the team or something.

  148. 148 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:48 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Thank god for billy King isn’t jerry Colangelo’s son

  149. 149 Dave said at 3:31 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Sheesh, this Pederson rumor is going to blow up right before the draft. This sucks.

  150. 150 RobNE said at 3:32 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    is anyone going to tell me the rumor. Charades maybe? First word?

  151. 151 Ark87 said at 3:34 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    lol, I’m all over everything but twitter and coming up with nothing, so I’m guessing it’s there?

  152. 152 Dave said at 3:34 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Yup

  153. 153 RobNE said at 3:40 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    no I found it in the googles. Go to the Chiefs fan site. I’ll just say it, the rumor is he was doing it with a young secretary, Reid knew and wasn’t going to bring him back and so lied and said Pederson called plays when he hadn’t.

    Parts of this may be true but I don’t believe Reid would lie like that.

  154. 154 Ark87 said at 3:50 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    ok so worst case scenario we have an adulterer who probably isn’t qualified for the job, was afraid we had another Sandusky incident from the tone I was reading.

  155. 155 RobNE said at 3:51 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I tell you I was relieved too. ha.

  156. 156 TypicalDouche said at 3:53 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Did you just relate Doug Pederson having a sexual relationship with a 26 year old young lady to Jerry Sandusky improperly touching young college men?

  157. 157 Ark87 said at 4:13 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    no, when people are like, oh nasty rumors that I won’t repeat here, it sounds like the worst, like Sandusky. Upon someone informing me what the rumor was, I was saying, oh, so the worst case scenario is an adulterer who is unqualified to do his job, like Bill Clinton, and he’s my favorite president, so, pheew.

    also those weren’t young college men Sandusky was touching, was much much worse than that.

  158. 158 b3nz0z said at 5:50 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    no he did not

  159. 159 Dave said at 3:34 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I’m not repeating it. Just type his name on Twitter and hit search.

  160. 160 D3FB said at 3:41 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    It’s horseshit. Barstool apparently claiming they found out that Pederson was banging a secretary in KC and Andy was pissed, wanted him gone, and sold a bag of shit back to Lurie. These screencaps reek of someone who doesn’t know shit spreading a third hand rumor and passing it off as legit.

    https://arrowheadaddict.com/2016/04/07/doug-pederson-allegedly-had-sex-scandal-in-kc/

  161. 161 RobNE said at 3:41 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I love this part “Howie found out at the combine when he overheard real football people talking”

    is that you Chip??

  162. 162 D3FB said at 3:42 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    That part immediately made me go NOPE this person is not actually in the know.

  163. 163 solid said at 3:43 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    BUT, what if he italicized “real?” If he did, I don’t see how you cannot take this as gospel.

  164. 164 D3FB said at 3:46 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    There is no way if this is true, that a team with a large amount of security professionals, a GM who is well connected in the league, and a well respected owner had one pulled over on them to this degree.

  165. 165 anon said at 3:55 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Wouldn’t be a huge thing to hide. Especially considering the way the process took place, Dougy P was hired before he was interviewed.

  166. 166 Dave said at 3:58 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Philly brass flew to KC to interview him. Doug was hired over a week later.

  167. 167 anon said at 3:59 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    “formally hired” only delay wasn’t playoffs. But given the way the Chip thing happened it was clear to me at least that an Andy protege would be the direction they went, especially after Gase didn’t happen.

  168. 168 D3FB said at 4:00 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Hey Doug and Andy, no skeletons right? Was asked at some point before ink was dry.

    And again the team employs people to make sure that all the dumb crap players do is never more than a whisper here or there on the fringes and off the record stuff. Those guys know the guys in KC.

  169. 169 Dave said at 4:02 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Here is an article in KC that said Doug was calling plays back in December. One confirmed lie in the rumor.

    http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article49222725.html

  170. 170 Greg Richards said at 4:47 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Of course, it’s bullshit. Come on, bar stool sports? Yeah, they’re going to break a story.

  171. 171 anon said at 3:53 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    that’s hilarious. Seems like philly media staying away from it.

  172. 172 Insomniac said at 5:02 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I can make also make up texts and claim to be a source, Also the source cannot be legit since they did not have a picture of the secretary.

  173. 173 Media Mike said at 5:40 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Louis Riddick was spreading that story?

  174. 174 solid said at 3:40 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    If this is true, it’ll only help him relate to all the players who are cheating on their wives on the road. Street cred galore! More people will want to play here!! lol

  175. 175 A_T_G said at 6:13 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Maybe. We need to see pictures of the secretary first.

  176. 176 Media Mike said at 6:16 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Exactly. I can’t make any type of judgement until I get a full story.

  177. 177 TypicalDouche said at 3:40 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    So he had a sexual relationship with a team secretary, he never really called plays in KC, and Andy Reid just blew smoke up the Eagles’ ass just to get Dougie the job here because he knew he wasn’t going to be brought back to KC?

    Those are a ton of variables there and I don’t know what to believe.

  178. 178 eagleyankfan said at 3:46 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    that’s a stretch saying that AR lied….

  179. 179 TypicalDouche said at 3:46 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    That’s what the article said. The whole thing reeks of bullshit.

  180. 180 Dave said at 3:48 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I agree. I just having a tough time believing Andy would screw over Lurie on purpose.

  181. 181 Gian GEAGLE said at 6:28 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    This Rivals Desean jackson Gang banger story as the trashiest crap written about the Eagles

  182. 182 TypicalDouche said at 6:30 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Hell even the Jackson story had some merit to it being that he did/does hang out with a certain CA crip set, but this story is an entirely different monster. It screams of bullshit reporting and non-fact seeking on the writers part.

  183. 183 eagleyankfan said at 3:44 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    this is a little different mock draft: http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/4/6/11369684/2016-nfl-draft-seven-round-mock-draft-2-0

  184. 184 Dave said at 3:52 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    The only positions that would shock me at #8 for the Eagles would be center, guess, wr, te, or safety. All others are a positions are in play.

  185. 185 eagleyankfan said at 4:04 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    that’s what I’m thinking too. Anything is in play…

  186. 186 Mac said at 3:56 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Swing… and a miss. Is this cat from L.A. or St. Louis?

  187. 187 Anders said at 4:13 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I prefer doctson to Treadwell, but I take Elliott over them both and I can’t see them pass on Goff

  188. 188 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:17 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Can’t think of which Draftnik it was, but someone was throwing around rumors of hearing front office people talking about Fuller as the first WR that will come off the board
    ..
    I support all my fellow Roman Alumni, but I never really considered Fuller as a possibility to be the first WR drafted

  189. 189 Anders said at 4:28 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    It was Daniel Jeremiah, who personally have Coleman as the best wr

  190. 190 Gian GEAGLE said at 6:27 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I like Doctson and think MIke Thomas from Ohio St. will end up being one of the best WRs to come out of this class.
    .
    Saw someone wrote about Roseman being focused on adding WR deep threat. Might have been Peter King

  191. 191 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:13 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    In no particular order:
    1) Tunsil
    2) Wentz
    3) Ramsey
    4) Jack
    5) Goff
    6) Bosa
    7) Buckner
    8) Zeke
    9) Stanley
    10) Hargreaves

    Those are the 10 players most associated with making up the top 10 of the Eagles draft board…. Who would be viewed as A sleeper to possibly be picked by the Eagles at #8 outside of those 10 names?
    ..
    Id probably have to go with Rankins.. We have some solid run stuffers on our DL. Important that we add an explosive DT who can rotate with Logan and Cox when hunting QB’s on 3rd down…. We have Beau on the bench who can be solid against the run, Need to find an explosive DT that can provide some interior pass rush next to Beau on that second unit.
    .
    I guess many people also think that Conklin could still be in play for us. Not sure if its because people are overvaluing his ability to also play Guard, or if those people think he is being under rated and think he will end up being closer to the #10th pick, than the #15th pick?

    Any other sleeper name we should take serious as a possibility to be taken by the Eagles at #8?

  192. 192 Fufina said at 4:51 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Not entirely sure we need to add a 3 tech to be honest. Vinny is very effective as a DT in pure pass rush situations, and i think a Barwin-Curry-Cox-Graham line will be very effective on 3rd and 10+.

    I think Lynch could be in their top 10, Alexander could, as well as Conklin. Think a DT or a pass rusher could be a top 10 player on their board as well.

  193. 193 RobNE said at 4:54 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    where is Lynch projected, how much of a reach is that?

  194. 194 Fufina said at 6:15 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I have no idea where he will go. I think he is the 3rd QB in this draft since he has the most significant mechanical flaws and is coming from a pure spread… but he has huge talent and i think he can be an elite QB in 3-4 years time with the right development although you would probably prefer him to not start a game for 1-2 years while he works on those issues.

    What that converts to in draft value i don’t know…. would be shocked if he makes it to 20 in the draft however.

  195. 195 Insomniac said at 4:59 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Conklin is not top 10 worthy.

  196. 196 Anders said at 5:05 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    For me the optimal 3 tech would be hargraves in the 3rd. While curry can move inside, you want him starting outside so we need a real backup as cox can’t stay on the field every down

  197. 197 Gian GEAGLE said at 6:25 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Yeah, and it would be foolish to assume Cox is going to play 16 games every single year

  198. 198 Gian GEAGLE said at 6:24 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    For me when all you have on your bench at DT is Raciti. Beau and Taylor Hart, DT becomes one of the Biggest Needs on our team… And out of those 3 backuos, Baeu Allen is the best, and he would be a run stuffing 5Tec.
    ,,
    I understand the Argument that Vinny can be moved inside on 3rd down. But we would have to be Morons to go into the season just assuming Cox is going to play 16 games every yeàr, so not only do we NEED a 3tec, it’s one of our biggest Immediate Needs.. Im thrilled for Curry to be back at DE… We NEED a steady rotation of talent at DE and DT, so im way more interested in adding a 3rd starting Caliber DT to add to Logan/Cox rotation than im interested in taking VINNY away from the DE rotation…. When schwartz asks our DL to explode up field every play, we are going to Need a steady 4 Man DE rotation, and a steady 4man DT rotation. And that’s assuming all 8 of those players will play 16 games…we need VINNY, Barwin, BG, and MS2 to be the DE rotation, so I think adding a 3tec is one of our biggest under rated Needs, considering Cox is the Only 3 Tec I value on the entire roster.

  199. 199 Sean Stott said at 6:47 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    D-Line is a position where you need a lot of bodies. It’s not like O-line where you want the same 5 guys all game long. You absolutely have to rotate your D-line, which makes drafting a D-linemen high a lower risk proposition than nearly any other position.

  200. 200 Greg Richards said at 5:18 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    CB William Jackson. Also, based on pure talent, Robert Nkemidiche is probably a top 10 pick.

  201. 201 Gian GEAGLE said at 6:34 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    at #8? Like the kid, don’t think I like him anywhere close to enough to consider with a top 10 pick

  202. 202 Greg Richards said at 5:16 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Actual real, legitimate football information:

    John Middlekauff
    ‏@JohnMiddlekauff

    1h1 hour ago

    More I talk with NFL people the more I hear about the potential Vernon Hargreaves drop in the draft

  203. 203 anon said at 5:18 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    masterful tweeting – begs so many questions

  204. 204 Insomniac said at 5:20 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    It could just be smoke but could be true. Allbright-ism at it’s finest?

  205. 205 Greg Richards said at 5:22 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I tend to trust former scouts in the media than I do random reporters. I know they have connections with teams.

  206. 206 Insomniac said at 5:32 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Well it is the time of the year where teams start spreading BS everywhere. Middlekauf would not be an exception of being used.

  207. 207 Media Mike said at 5:55 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Sans Louis Riddick. That guy sucks.

  208. 208 Greg Richards said at 7:01 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Riddick doesn’t suck. I thnk he comes off as quite intellligent and knowledgeable. The problem is that he has an ego and is opinionated and let’s everyone know what is the “right” way of doing things and what is the “right” opinion. When you act like you’re smarter than your boss, even if it’s true, you’re not going to have job security. That has played out for him and you can tell that he’s quite bitter about it.

  209. 209 Media Mike said at 7:05 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I think he comes off as jilted and jealous.

  210. 210 Fufina said at 6:21 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I think some teams/schemes will love Hargreaves… some will hate him. So if you are talking to teams scouts you will have people say he is way over rated and not got top half of the 1st round.

    He is a twitchy playmaker, but he lacks ideal hight and length as well as long speed and he will get burned on pumpfakes badly at times. He also is happy to gamble and if he gets it wrong then it can lead to big plays and TD’s.

    So while i like him, a lot – because i think his short area speed is exceptional, he is actually quite strong and aggressive for a CB and can hit, and he is an aggressive playmaker who will attack the ball… there will be plenty who will see the other side. Not sure that means he falls on draft day… just takes one team to fall in love.

  211. 211 A_T_G said at 5:51 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Borrowing GEAGLES’ list, which I think is a good one, an alternate question. What two names can you cross off and be satisfied with whoever is left at 8?
    In no particular order:
    1) Tunsil
    2) Wentz
    3) Ramsey
    4) Jack
    5) Goff
    6) Bosa
    7) Buckner
    8) Zeke
    9) Stanley
    10) Hargreaves

  212. 212 A_T_G said at 5:52 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    For me, Buckner and Bosa.

  213. 213 Media Mike said at 5:52 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    ZEKE and Bosa

  214. 214 Insomniac said at 5:53 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Buckner and Bosa.

  215. 215 Gian GEAGLE said at 6:40 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Hargreaves and Goff

  216. 216 scratcherk said at 6:47 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Zeke and Buckner

  217. 217 tball_man said at 8:39 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Bosa and Stanley

  218. 218 D3FB said at 6:59 AM on April 8th, 2016:

    Zeke and Buckner

  219. 219 anon said at 6:17 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    “NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein reports the Eagles are “trying to find a way to get” North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz” — Roto

  220. 220 FairOaks said at 6:18 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Same report as the one covered in Tommy’s previous posting right?

  221. 221 Media Mike said at 6:18 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Does “hope he falls to 8” count as a “way?”

  222. 222 TypicalDouche said at 6:19 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Do you think Doug would throw his wife and his mistress in on the deal being that he is so infatuated with Wentz?

  223. 223 Media Mike said at 6:23 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    They had both better be at least 9s.

  224. 224 ACViking said at 6:24 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    No, no, no.

    They need to be “1s”.

  225. 225 Fufina said at 6:27 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I don’t buy it honestly at the moment. Trade chats happen in the week leading up to the draft or before free agency. No team is dealing the no.1 pick today, there is no benefit showing your hand or leaking to the media that you are genuinely interested.

    So unless there is someone really stupid in the coaching staff/front office or someone who is trying to sabotage any chance of a deal like that i cannot believe anything is coming from the Eagles.

    Think most likely it is the Titans trying to spook the Browns to trade to no.1. Get a 3rd round pick off them, still get Tunsil and save a couple of mil $$ on his contract over the next 4 years.

  226. 226 Media Mike said at 6:49 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    And the Browns are dumb enough to do that………….. if they want a QB.

  227. 227 Gian GEAGLE said at 6:42 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Has Rosemans draft intentions ever been so transparent that everyone happens to know exactly what we want weeks before the draft?
    .,
    If they trade to get Wentz, signing Bradford for 22mil and Chase Daniels will be one of the most Incompetant moves Roseman ever made… personally, I think Roseman is better than that… Thankfully it’s almost mid April and we will have our answers soon enough

  228. 228 Sean Stott said at 6:52 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Obviously the Doug/secretary rumor is probably not true, but does anyone else kind of want it to be true? To me, there is something appealing about a scumbag coach. More willing to do what it takes to win.

  229. 229 ACViking said at 7:00 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    If she was Elway’s wife, then I see your point . . .

    You know, cheating against the opposition.

    But the rumor only has Peds cheating against his own team.

  230. 230 Sean Stott said at 7:02 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Increases the amount of scum in said scumbag even more then! Bonus!

  231. 231 anon said at 7:03 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Wouldn’t be surprised if there was a secretary issue not uncommon, would be surprised if there was any fleecing or if it was an issue, andy only had positive things to say about doug in the press.

  232. 232 Sean Stott said at 7:27 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Someone over on Reddit might have completely debunked this rumor:

    [From source] “Howie did not find out til at the combine when he overheard real football people talking about and went to Andy Reid and dressed him down for not letting them know.”

    Only problem is Andy Reid was not at the combine, had surgery.

  233. 233 SteveH said at 7:30 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I think the use of the phrase “real football people” pretty much debunked itself.

  234. 234 A_T_G said at 8:00 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    I wonder if that was before or after Michael Irvin talked to Reid at the combine. C’mon, do your homework people.

  235. 235 Greg Richards said at 7:58 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Albert Breer
    ‏@AlbertBreer

    2m2 minutes ago

    Buckeye RB Ezekiel Elliott said on TA tonight that he has visits with the Bears, Dolphins and Eagles set up. Already went to Dallas.

  236. 236 TypicalDouche said at 8:01 PM on April 7th, 2016:

    Due diligence for sure.