Building a Corps

Posted: January 26th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 129 Comments »

You never who is going to become a stud WR. Antonio Brown wasn’t supposed to be nearly this good when he came out. Julian Edelman was beyond a long shot. Jordy Nelson was well-regarded, but not to the level of player he’s become.

You draft players like that with the idea that they will be part of a WR corps. If they become even more, that’s great. You just can’t count on that.

The Eagles may try to sign Alshon Jeffrey in free agency. Or they may get Mike Williams or Corey Davis in the draft. Those are the only really high level WR targets I know of for now. That doesn’t mean the Eagles have to get one of those guys. They can focus on building a WR corps.

Sterling Sharpe was an elite WR in the early 1990s. Brett Favre loved him. Sharpe suffered a serious neck injury and had to retire. Green Bay won the Super Bowl without him. Their WRs were Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman, Don Beebe, Terry Mickens and Desmond Howard. Andre Rison was added during the season in a trade.

Brooks was very good, but not an elite Jerry Rice/Herman Moore/Michael Irvin level of player. Brooks and Freeman were 3rd round picks that developed into key players for the Packers and helped them to win a Super Bowl and almost a second one.

There are no elite receiver prospects here in Mobile, but there are some good players. You can make an argument the Eagles should draft a couple of them to build up the overall set of WRs.

Artavis Scott has played well so far. He is smooth and looks like the kind of guy you could expect to help as a rookie. He is 5-10, 193. That’s the kind of size you would prefer in a slot receiver. The question is whether Scott has enough speed to play outside. He does have 31-inch arms. That helps him to reach for the ball. Scott has good RAC skills. If the Eagles insist on throwing WR screens, at least go get someone who has a chance to make them work.

Josh Reynolds is 6-3, 187, which is a bit smaller than we expected. He started slow in Mobile, but has played well since that. He can really extend away from his body to get the ball. Reynolds is more of a downfield and Red Zone target. He is a long-strider that eats up ground quickly and helps him get by the CB.

Ryan Switzer reminds me a lot of Jamison Crowder, who is playing so well for the Skins. Switzer is an amazing PR. He has 7 career TDs and that would be higher, but teams quit kicking to him. He could be a terrific slot receiver and someone that would be very good on WR screens.

Taywan Taylor is a guy I’m still figuring out. His production is crazy, but he also played at a mid-level school and was the primary offensive weapon. Switzer, Scott and Reynolds were not the best WRs on their college teams. Taylor is 5-11, 198 and has 32-inch arms. I think he can be a starter in the NFL. At the least, he could be a good role player.

The guys listed above are just the South WRs. There are good targets on the North as well.

Cooper Kupp is the name a lot of people are talking about. I think the Eagles will love a lot about his game, but he’s a lesser version of Jordan Matthews from what I’ve seen. I’m not really all that interested in adding a possession receiver.

Zay Jones is a WR that has caught my eye a few times. He might be a starter in the NFL one day. Jones has good hands. He has solid size and is fast enough. He won’t be mistaken for DeSean Jackson any time, but is athletic enough to be somewhat of a playmaker.

Jalen Robinette is another guy that’s a bit of a mystery to me. He is 6-3, 218. That’s great size for a WR. Robinette can run. He has good body control. He’s athletic. The downside is that he never caught more than 43 passes in a season and played in an option attack. That meant lots of wide open deep balls and huge plays. That’s great for highlights, but trying to evaluate just how good he is can be very tricky. Robinette could turn out to be a stud, but there is risk in taking him. And a guy with his size and speed won’t last long in the draft, no matter how raw he might be.

I’m not even talking about the underclassmen here. These are just the guys in the Senior Bowl. The Eagles need to draft at least one WR. They could take a couple and start building up a corps of targets for Carson Wentz to grow with for the next few years.

*****

Howie explained the Taylor Hart move to OT yesterday. The Eagles were really banged up on the OL during the season and needed help in practice. Hart got put at RT. A few defensive players mentioned to the coaches that he was better than they expected.

The coaches talked to Hart to find out if he ever played OT before that. He said that was his primary position in high school and that only Oregon wanted him for DL. The team talked internally and then went to Hart to ask him about moving to the OL. He embraced the change and will work there all this offseason.

It is a long shot that anything comes of this, but it isn’t impossible. Hart has an excellent combination of size and athleticism. He is physical. Just watch his DT play from last summer. He looked really good.

Hart was not going to break into the DL rotation. This way he gets a shot to show what he can do at a spot where it is really hard to find players. This is a chance worth taking, for him and the team.

_

129 Comments on “Building a Corps”

  1. 1 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 11:43 AM on January 26th, 2017:

    A strong athlete who had spent his entire career as a blocker, and who only Chip viewed as a DL?

    Where have I heard that before…

  2. 2 ACViking said at 11:43 AM on January 26th, 2017:

    RE: Belichick’s Senior Bowl Challenge (reposted)

    !!!SENIOR BOWL CHALLENGE!!!

    Ok you savages. It’s that time of year again. Tommy provides us with tons of content all year round and provides us a forum to yell at each other about how Kenjon Barner is actually going to be a Hall of Fame Running Back, Joe Webb is sneaky the GOAT QB, and our shared afinity for Honey Beau Beau, Destroyer of Worlds, Fullback Extraordinaire.

    Tommy is currently at the Senior Bowl on his own dime. So it’s our turn to say thank you. This is your opportunity to buy the man a beer and offset some of the costs involved in the trip.

    So click the PayPal Donate Button on the right hand side of the screen.

    I NEED 35 PEOPLE TO STEP UP.

    Why 35?

    Because a case of PBR is 30 can, a snack pack of chocolate pudding has 4 units, and Tommy needs a new 2017 Megan Fox poster.

    Honor System. Just respond to this saying you have. No amount is too small. No need to include the amount in your response

    Honor Roll
    D3FB
    bill
    Mac
    ACViking
    _________________

    Coach –
    I’ve added myself to the list after donating.

    Thanks for picking up the flag and carrying it forward.

  3. 3 Tumtum said at 1:11 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Donated. Mostly only because it has been far too long since my last donation. Typically I would not reply here to admit I had done it. I will endorse the practice this time to encourage others to do the same.

  4. 4 damccomas said at 10:24 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Done

  5. 5 Dave said at 1:45 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Done!

  6. 6 midnitemud said at 1:46 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    A donation well overdue and certainly well deserved! Your passion and commitment to the team you love is second to none. Keep up the great work Tommy!

  7. 7 Ark87 said at 2:45 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Thanks for sharing the post, was hoping you, D3FB and ATG would share it, you guys have a fair amount of people who are notified when you post. You posting helps more than you know.

  8. 8 Steven Steiner said at 12:02 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Donated. Tommy deserves it for all his hard work and not sure I could bear not being able to read his stuff. Good looking out encouraging the donations AC.

  9. 9 Jon said at 5:11 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Done. Thanks, Tommy for everything. And to you AC for reminding us.

  10. 10 anon said at 11:48 AM on January 26th, 2017:

    Is it me r are some of the names in this draft class getting a little exotic?

  11. 11 MattE said at 2:35 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gODZzSOelss

  12. 12 Bert's Bells said at 2:59 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Great sketch

  13. 13 Ark87 said at 12:12 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d6a018d6742b44a72ccb07bd6c53a43ed290c228d06264d2c645eef6d715cb21.png

    Your Sticker, sirs (and madams?). Majestically delivering bounties of PBR and Funyuns

    Honor Roll:
    D3FB
    bill
    Mac
    ACViking
    meteorologist
    Bert’s Bells
    P_P_K
    Ark87

    Let me know if I missed you, or feel free to post an updated honor roll

  14. 14 John Galt said at 12:36 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Im in.

  15. 15 Ark87 said at 12:37 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    added you

  16. 16 Nailed It! said at 12:49 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Just donated.

  17. 17 Ark87 said at 12:52 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    true to your name as always, thanks! I added you to the list

  18. 18 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 2:09 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Donated! Thanks for organizing this, Ark87. You’re a regular Baloophi (sp?) in my book.

  19. 19 Ark87 said at 2:15 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Thanks for pitching in! I’ve been a football zombie through this post season and it just hit me this morning that we hadn’t raised money for Tommy’s trip like we usually do. Asked if I missed it, D3FB confirmed, so we sent out the call, Anchorman style.

    Thinking of corralling some of our wayward posters over on Kempski’s site. I’m sure their moderators would love that (don’t think they have any).

  20. 20 Bert's Bells said at 2:57 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Jimmy probably gets his bills picked up by Philly Voice, so let’s hope Tommy’s putting all the Funyons on his tab.

  21. 21 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 9:53 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Cheers! Men (and women!) of action are a rare breed.

  22. 22 anon said at 2:18 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Donated. Thanks for another great year of blog posts to offset another poor year of football.

    Thanks to the comment section for another great year. In a world of trolling this place has been mostly immune so appreciate all of you all for making this a place I want to come back to more than I probably should.

  23. 23 Ark87 said at 2:26 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    The blocking feature came just in time, we had the one guy we just couldn’t seem to shake, but we made it. Still the best concentration of Eagles commentary that you can find on the internet.

  24. 24 Corry said at 4:57 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Done. I wish we could get Tommy a decent sponsorship for the time he puts in…I mean besides the bizarre Japanese lady jeans ad I saw (I have no idea what’s in my cookies that generated that ad).

  25. 25 Ark87 said at 5:12 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Definitely, you can tell Tommy loves doing this but the job has him strapped. As soon as he takes some time off, he starts posting like a mad man. I wish a media company would hire him or sponsor him to do this. Hopefully our contributions can at least help cover the trip.

  26. 26 ChoTime said at 10:22 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    The skillz are strong in Tommy but the business sense in him is weak.

  27. 27 Insomniac said at 5:04 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Done. I was actually curious about this since Tommy went to Mobile and I haven’t seen anything regarding the donations until today. Thank you for being one of the best Eagles bloggers out there Tommy.

  28. 28 Ark87 said at 5:14 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    thanks for pitching in, you make #17, D3FB suggested a goal of getting 35 of us to contribute. Just about half way there.

  29. 29 Bert's Bells said at 12:20 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    I think the Eagles really need “The Guy” at WR. A Dez/Alshon/ODB type player. I know these dudes don’t grow on trees and every team wants one.

    It seems that having 5 Jordan Matthews on the roster won’t get it done. You have one Julio Jones/Antonio Brown and suddenly the rest of the receiving corps becomes a lot better.

    Not only do the other players elevate, but the real fact that the #1 guy is being double covered, or matched up with the #1 DB on every snap, or getting a safety rolled towards him just changes the dynamic of the defense in the offense’s favor.

  30. 30 Mac said at 1:29 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    I’ll settle for a group of WRs who can catch the football. It seems as though Doug’s system is set up to distribute the ball all over the field anyway, which I think mitigates the pain of not having an elite WR.

    Given the choice between the two (in theory) I would take an elite CB over than an elite WR. But an impact player at either of those positions would be very beneficial to this team.

  31. 31 Bert's Bells said at 8:22 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Yup, five guys who can at least achieve the minimum job requirement of “receiver” would be a step up for sure.

    I do think that great corners are more rare than great WR. Just look around the league. Even a top 15 WR can change the whole complexion of a game -just look at Dez when he catches fire. A CB is just one piece of a defense, a WR can virtually run a whole offense.

    There are definitely merits to Eagles focusing on defensive secondary. If those are the best players available, grab them.

  32. 32 Sb2bowl said at 1:39 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Which team wouldn’t like to have that opportunity? I agree, adding that piece to our roster would be a huge upgrade/improvement. However, those guys are hard to get, and just as hard to develop. Our best option may to be draft a few guys with the traits/characteristics that we desire, and hope for the best.

    With our talent, even one “down field threat” will greatly open up our passing attack. Ertz and Matthews can command the middle of the field. DGB is a long stride WR and as long as he doesn’t have double team help against him, can take advantage of an open field.

  33. 33 anon said at 2:05 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Does the haul that the Falcons spent on Julio look good now? Would you be ok if we did that? Most have considered the haul not worth it, but they’re in the SB – Julio is also super injury prone.

    I think having the right OC matters. Also a year makes a huge difference, Falcons were not good last year; first year of their new coach.

  34. 34 Bert's Bells said at 2:40 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    I always think if a team wants a guy, they should go get him in the draft. To me, Jones has paid off but even if he busted I respect a GM who’s going to take that chance.

    And, absolutely, circumstances are super important.

  35. 35 ChoTime said at 10:21 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Wow, really? That’s called reaching (aka gambling), and it usually doesn’t work out.

  36. 36 Mac said at 11:01 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Ah the 2011 draft… I wanted the Eagles to move up for Ryan Kerrigan in round 1.

  37. 37 ChoTime said at 1:09 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Well, if you had been in charge of the Eagles draft in 2011, that would worked out great, then.

  38. 38 Bert's Bells said at 2:08 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Wentz, for example. Fletcher Cox. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it don’t.

  39. 39 unhinged said at 3:05 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Your post put this bizarre image in my head: Matt Millen bloviating on a split-screen with Bellichick. Millen reiterates your position authoritatively, expertly, loud and during this monolog, Bellichick can be observed making a pained expression as though he’s got to throw up or expel gas.

  40. 40 Bert's Bells said at 3:35 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    We’re all a lot closer to Matt Millen than we are to Bill Bellichick.

    If your plan is “be one of the 5 greatest coaches of all time” you’re probably going to fail.

  41. 41 unhinged said at 3:56 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    I’m old enough to remember how hapless his Cleveland Browns were, and that was before the whole franchise became hapless. He learned at some point how to reinforce urgency and intelligence on the field of play, and I’m guessing he has a list of one-time offenses that will get a player benched, cut or traded. When the league was flush with dynasties and flair, he was pointedly mediocre. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he probably should be smiling, but I don’t think he’s ever done that.

  42. 42 Tumtum said at 1:03 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    A couple of Wentz related notes:

    Funny to see the Browns are now saying they will certainly be taking a QB at some point in the draft. I translate that to: “We could have had Wentz, now we will probably just swing and miss this year”.

    Also good to see Wentz is going to work on his mechanics. I expected it, and he is doing it. Really like our guy.

  43. 43 ChoTime said at 10:20 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Wentz in Cleveland would have been a sad tragedy for that young man. He probably would have looked like a dime a dozen bust there IMO.

  44. 44 Tumtum said at 2:04 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Meh. His line would of been ass, but at least his weapons would be better.

  45. 45 anon said at 2:08 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Tommy and others would be interesting to hear what kind of WR(s) you think would be good for Wentz? Does he need a deep threat (how are we feeling about his deep ball accuracy); does he need a screen catching / RAC guy (we have two of those already and how are we feeling about Wentz’s screen passes); do we need a slot / possession guy.

    What type of WR would elevate Wentz’s game? Could he / the offense handle a diva?

    I don’t have an answer to any of these questions. Has anyone seen a breakdown of Wentz’s accuracy by throw type?

  46. 46 Ark87 said at 2:43 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    I’d love to have someone who can do some sandlot stuff (not as their primary attribute, but as icing), Wentz is so good at extending a play, but I don’t think I’ve seen an Eagles WR demonstrate the ability to improvise and get open in that situation. It’s sort of a fact, if you can’t get to a QB in X seconds, coverage will break down, every time, except again Eagles WR’s.

  47. 47 anon said at 2:48 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Honestly, I’d overpay for doug baldwin – he’s made lemonade of out of lemons for sure.

  48. 48 Insomniac said at 5:09 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Right now? Someone with a great catch radius and some hops.

  49. 49 Anders said at 2:53 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Run the right routes and catch the ball

  50. 50 Anders said at 5:04 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChKHE2lWkAAs4sH.jpg:large

    This picture is from his last in college (not sure anything has changed much about where he is good).

    He is pretty much best in the area where a star TE or a WR similar to Maclin operate.

  51. 51 bill said at 10:35 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I’m already on the bandwagon for tall, relatively slow, blocking TE project that can become a 20-30 reception/year guy to work the middle and catch high throws. There’s gotta be some of those who will be available in the 5th, right? Is there a recent draft pick like that who’s languishing at the bottom of some other team’s roster?

  52. 52 eagleyankfan said at 8:11 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    A break down is nice but Wentz isn’t a finished product. He’s still learning/growing. Can’t say what WR he needs until he’s more polished. A wr who doesn’t drop the ball will help :).

  53. 53 Ryan Rambo said at 3:23 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/videos/videos/Press-Pass-Joe-Douglas/c2d856bf-ea99-4320-ad54-d03eb3c51ed0

  54. 54 Ryan Rambo said at 3:44 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Press Pass: Howie Roseman

    http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/videos/videos/Press_Pass_Howie_Roseman/baa4008e-7ca2-4144-9a68-30f67de4da79

  55. 55 GermanEagle said at 5:48 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    What is more likely to happen:

    1) Taylor Hart making the team as a OL.

    2) Donald J Trump resigning before his term is over.

    Time’s yours.

  56. 56 Ryan Rambo said at 6:10 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    1. Easily

  57. 57 Dave said at 6:17 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    You forgot an option:

    3). Impeachment

  58. 58 Ark87 said at 6:29 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    4) Invade and annex Mexico, realize a lot of Mexicans live there, liberate Mexico.

  59. 59 Sb2bowl said at 9:30 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Not a bad idea

  60. 60 ChoTime said at 10:19 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I have five words for you, M.A.M.O.N.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q__bSi5rBlw

  61. 61 Mac said at 6:30 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    5) GE hasn’t had enough Guinness yet today.

  62. 62 GermanEagle said at 9:14 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Ha! I had quite a few last night though.

  63. 63 daveH said at 10:55 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    GE did you send Tommy Law any euros ??

  64. 64 GermanEagle said at 9:14 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    No, not yet. It’s on my list.

    Stopped by at OHanlons last night.

  65. 65 Cafone said at 1:50 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Probably #2. Expect to see President Mike Pants before the year is over.

  66. 66 Sean Stott said at 1:52 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    There’s no chance Donald Trump won’t make it to 2020. He is unimpeachable. It would never get past the House, and Dems wouldn’t want Pence. Dems have no chance of taking the House until redistricting after 2020 census, at the earliest.

  67. 67 Cafone said at 1:57 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    The vast majority of republicans in congress would rather have Pence and the democrats will fall into line to get rid of Trump. Republicans are already starting to make noise about using section 4 of the 25th amendment so they can do it without impeachment,

  68. 68 RobNE said at 9:22 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I think there is a significantly higher chance he doesn’t make it to 2020 compared to recent prior presidents (that would include resignation, impeachment or death (natural causes). Not to say it’s probable. But I agree with Cafone that R’s would prefer Pence but will only act if/when their self-interests allow them too. This may be unlikely, but to me it’s if/when folks actually get hold of his massive conflicts including ties to Russia, and the R’s fear his base less b/c his popularity is so low. Or you know he’s 70, quite overweight, eats horribly and doesn’t exercise at all. I’d still put overall chances that he doesn’t low, say….20% but for the more recent presidents this would be like 1-2%. He is unimpeachable right now but Trump will try to take out Ryan from his speaker position, and Ryan may fight back, and you just can’t predict where this is going.

    Dems would take Pence every day over Trump. Trump is Pence’s domestic policy anyway, but with the additional overlap of all Trump things which I won’t get into here.

  69. 69 ChoTime said at 10:18 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Hey Sean, just curious, are you digging what’s gone down the last four days?

  70. 70 Ark87 said at 6:24 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    After-work update.
    We’re just about half-way to the totally-not-arbitrary goal of 35 donations. Going to repost for the folks that sort the comment section by newest. I know, my sticker was lame. You would never print it out and pin it to your shirt. Might I pique your interest with a fancy ribbon then?

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d102f06d2174cba64b4b10aec2036b0d09ed9065901cf1472a1597ee55bc22c9.png

    Donate and wear it proud! To catch anyone up: we, the community of Igglesblitz are donating money to take some of the financial burden of traveling to the Senior Bowl off of Tommy (and a general show of appreciation of sharing his thoughts and notes all year long). Any donation, no matter how small, helps. Let me know if you donate.

    Goal Progress: 17/35
    The Heroes:
    D3FB
    bill
    Mac
    ACViking
    meteorologist
    Bert’s Bells
    P_P_K
    Ark87
    John Galt
    Nailed It!
    Tumtum
    Dave
    Midnitemud
    Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard
    anon
    Corry
    Insomniac

    Thanks guys, and sorry for spamming.

  71. 71 Rellihcs said at 10:20 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Done did it. Feel damn good about it too.

    This ain’t spamming. This is gospel.

    You’re the greatest Tommy!

    Thanks for your service Ark

  72. 72 Ark87 said at 8:37 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    The Gospel must be spread across the land

  73. 73 Rellihcs said at 10:05 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Preach brother. Amen

  74. 74 ChoTime said at 10:17 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    So guys, if Tommy pulled a Sheil and started writing for the Cardinals or something, how many of you would follow him?

  75. 75 Ark87 said at 10:38 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Cho, why must you ask us these painful questions? I doubt we would follow, but he would quickly earn a devoted Cardinals following, who will be in no way as awesome as us. We will be lost in the desert for 40 years until D3FB leads us to the promised land, whereupon he becomes the chosen King and carries on the legacy.

  76. 76 ChoTime said at 1:10 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    It’s actually amazing how good Eagles blogging is. I don’t even know if there is such a thing as a Cardinals blog.

  77. 77 Mac said at 10:57 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I can honestly say that I still follow Sheil on Twitter, but don’t read nearly as much of his content. Because of Tommy’s focus on the draft, he would still be putting out valuable information, especially this time of year.

  78. 78 Ark87 said at 11:08 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    great point, didn’t think about that

  79. 79 laeagle said at 10:41 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Done, and happy to do it.

  80. 80 daveH said at 10:57 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Im in. Thank you T Law. . TY Ark87 for incentivizing !!#

  81. 81 Ark87 said at 8:35 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    you just added a whole new dimension of strategy to this. I think we will need ACViking to help assuage the buyer’s remorse. “Sure #17 currently belongs to Nelson Agholar, but some of you will remember the great Bubby ‘Sink Thrower’ Reading…”

  82. 82 A_T_G said at 11:41 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Done.

    Thanks for organizing, Ark.

  83. 83 Ark87 said at 11:29 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    It’s super easy, all I have to do is say “Anyone want to give money to Tommy?” And people come out of the wood work screaming “TAKE MY MONEY!”

    It’s a testament to Tommy.

  84. 84 BobSmith77 said at 11:54 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    How do you donate again?

  85. 85 anon said at 12:08 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    paypal link on the right

  86. 86 Anders said at 4:57 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I will donate once I get my pay after the weekend

  87. 87 Ark87 said at 8:26 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I know you’re good for it. If you say you’re going to do it, that’s good enough for me. Didn’t occur to me, is it hard to convert currency to US dollars? If so, kudos to you and other great fans outside of the US.

  88. 88 Anders said at 8:34 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Just pay with paypal like the rest. One just needs a valid credit card

  89. 89 Ark87 said at 8:39 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    oh good

  90. 90 Crus57 said at 8:53 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Done. It’s great to see the IB community self organise this kind of thing; even if we sometimes drive each other crazy on gamedays we still look after our own.

    2016 was a real Freddie Mitchell of a year, here’s hoping 2017 is a better year for all of us!

  91. 91 Ark87 said at 9:00 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I’m always amazed by the generosity of this community. I thought D3FB was crazy to set the goal at 35, but you got to respect those fancy advanced metrics those scouts use.

  92. 92 Rellihcs said at 10:04 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    We should change to 36, 35 makes me think “Trevard Lindley” too much. I guess I should show more respected for Terrell Watson, but stil…

  93. 93 Sb2bowl said at 10:28 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Lets get crazy and go for 99. Bring it home, for Jerome!

  94. 94 RobNE said at 9:29 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I just donated. Thanks for organizing.

  95. 95 ChoTime said at 10:15 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Done; hadn’t heard anything about the pledge drive this year.

    FYI, Tommy, maybe there is a way to give a suggested donation? Right now it defaults at 0.00 and I’m not sure that’s the message you want to send 🙂

  96. 96 Ark87 said at 10:21 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    we can get to our goal very fast with that suggested donation

  97. 97 TXEaglesFan said at 11:02 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Donated, thanks!

  98. 98 Insomniac said at 8:36 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    https://twitter.com/PFF_Gordon/status/824696577268871169

    oh damn

  99. 99 Corry said at 8:41 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Zay Jones is my current man crush for the draft….which sorry to say means he will not be an Eagle and likely a Cowboy. I’m sorry to the other Zay Jones fans.

  100. 100 Insomniac said at 8:43 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    https://twitter.com/SportsGuyTweets/status/824027083533905920

    I don’t think we should draft Desmond King.

  101. 101 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 9:55 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    These Senior Bowl practices must be absolute hell for spazzes. So much scrutiny constantly, so much pressure to stand out. I’d probably trip over the lines painted on the field.

  102. 102 Sb2bowl said at 9:27 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    CB’s are at such a disadvantage in these drills; throughout a week, they will have practice and film time to pick up tendencies that an opposing offense will try to run. In these drills, unless specifically stated- they have no idea what is coming at them.

  103. 103 Insomniac said at 12:48 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    These are 1v1 drills, this is no different than Rowe getting beat by our bum WRs in training camp.

  104. 104 Sb2bowl said at 1:22 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Disagree completely, but that’s alright.

  105. 105 BobSmith77 said at 11:21 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    Yet more shuffling in the Eagles’ front office and another senior guy who got pushed out after they just brought him back last year.

    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/eagles/Eagles-part-with-personnel-executive.html

    This organization has some hallmarks of real dysfunction in their executive decision-making process right now including the reports that Lurie is becoming much more involved in scouting and player personnel moves.

    http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2017/01/eagles_owner_jeffrey_lurie_is_at_the_senior_bowl.html#incart_river_index

    At this point, I’ll just give Roseman & Pederson 2 years but there is no reason why either should be given a really long shelf life especially Roseman. This team either shows real progress over the next 2 years including winning at least a playoff game or he should be fired.

  106. 106 laeagle said at 12:20 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    If they just brought in Douglas to take over personnel, as a changing of the guard, and that’s not seen as a bad thing, I don’t know how them letting the previous personnel guy can be seen as dysfunction.

    I don’t know the inner workings of the front office. It may well be dysfunctional as all get out. But so many people try so hard, all the time, to try to treat every move as some sign of deeper dysfunction than is probably warranted.

    This strikes me as a pretty expected move if they’re bullish on their new, highly regarded personnel director. I don’t see how you could spin this into dysfunction. More importantly, I don’t know why people would lead with that; people have an amazing tendency to grasp onto a narrative and let every little thing they see support that narrative, justified or not.

    Seems like a waste of time and energy to be honest. It’s certainly tiring to keep hearing from everyone who thinks they can read the tea leaves despite the lack of actual knowledge.

  107. 107 BobSmith77 said at 3:23 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Given the recent state of the team though and a lot of personnel churn in the FO, it doesn’t surprise me that people readily speculate on it.

    A lot of turnover in a front office or executive suite isn’t always a sign of dysfunction but it usually.

    I’d agree that though that particular move is less worrisome than Lurie apparently taking a much more hands on approach to player personnel decisions.

  108. 108 ChoTime said at 10:13 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    “It’s certainly tiring to keep hearing from everyone who thinks they can read the tea leaves despite the lack of actual knowledge.”

    You mean tiring to hear negative readings of the tea leaves or just in general?

  109. 109 laeagle said at 11:44 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Maybe I’m just tired. It’s been a long, exhausting week.

  110. 110 ChoTime said at 1:09 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    All right, hope you can take a load off this weekend. That reminds me to go pick up a sixpack now.

  111. 111 Cafone said at 1:48 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    He was brought back before they hired Douglas. They hired Douglas and now they don’t need him anymore. I think you’re looking into it too much.

  112. 112 Dave said at 8:05 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Yeah, they made it seem like it was a temporary position last year to help out after Chip and Ed were fired.

  113. 113 Anders said at 2:47 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    3 years to see if they can build a team is pretty standard

  114. 114 ChoTime said at 10:12 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    … which keeps getting reset for HR because reasons.

  115. 115 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 10:18 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    His drafts (when he’s been the one solely in charge) have been pretty good. The FA’s have been a disappointment, perhaps up until this past offseason. This is the draft where I hope he helps me make up my mind one way or the other.

  116. 116 ChoTime said at 1:11 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    You mean “draft,” right? Because I thought the whole deal was this was the first year he actually was officially the man and thus, could start be held accountable (and to be clear, I’m all for giving him credit if his drafts work out).

  117. 117 unhinged said at 9:02 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I thought HR bought himself a little job security with last year’s handling of the draft. If Wentz, Big V and Seumalo all end up as starters in Philly or anywhere, HR gets out of jail and $200.00. This year is another dice-roll, and Joe Douglas can either steal some of HR’s glory, or cop much of the blame. HR’s position is pretty strong right now I would think.

  118. 118 BobSmith77 said at 11:58 PM on January 26th, 2017:

    It sounded like from Roseman’s comments today about WRs that they are going to seek address it through both the draft & FA. I didn’t get the sense it was only going to be through FA as some did. I just don’t see them spending huge dollars on a Jeffery-type FA.

    If I’m DGB or Agholor, I’m working as hard as I can to hit camp running because my sense is that this team isn’t simply going to trot either of these guys out there in a starting role.

  119. 119 Corry said at 7:34 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I agree. They’ll address the position in both FA and draft, if for no other reason than there is space on the roster. Turner, Treggs, and DGB are guaranteed nothing. Agholor is guaranteed just a bit more than nothing simply due to the money it would cost to cut him, but I don’t think that makes him safe at all. The only WR who is likely to be safe is Matthews.

    I don’t think they’ll draft a WR in the first round though. I’d put money down on it being a defensive pick (CB or DE).

  120. 120 eagleyankfan said at 8:07 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Why wouldn’t DGB/Agholor and other WR hit training camp hard no matter what? It’s their job. If they are showing up with just expectations they shouldn’t be here anyway….

  121. 121 ChoTime said at 10:09 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    If you were one of the worst starting WRs in the league, and you didn’t already feel the heat, doubt anything’s going to change with you now.

  122. 122 Sb2bowl said at 9:25 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    We’ve probably got 3 WR’s on the team that will stick; Matthews is one of them.

  123. 123 eagleyankfan said at 8:23 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I get what your saying about “ok” wr’s that make is to the SB but you can’t use that example with one of the best QB’s of our generation. That group of WR’s wouldn’t go deep into the playoffs with Bradford or Bortles at QB….

    Jalen Robinette — knocking him for < 50 catches. Does that mean he dropped a lot of passes? Was he not targeted a lot? Sounds like he has the tools. I'd rather taking a risk on him(or his type) instead of yet another slow, possession WR. If Eagles are going to re-build the wr's corps, they need a playmaker….

  124. 124 D3FB said at 8:50 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    He played at Air Force. Flexbone option offense. They threw 150 all year.

    So he could turn out to be Demarius Thomas. Or Stephen Hill.

  125. 125 Sb2bowl said at 9:23 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    In other words, hope that the Jets take him in the second round

  126. 126 eagleyankfan said at 10:49 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I’ll take it. Reward it great, risk is — you have another wr’s with all the skill sets of players already on roster with no high ceiling :).

  127. 127 xmbk said at 10:23 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Based on team statements from last year, and my personal preference, we will use FA to fill roster needs with mid-range and lottery tickets. That means 2 WR and 2 DB minimum. Then the draft becomes a matter of what falls to you.

  128. 128 James Adair said at 11:28 AM on February 1st, 2017:

    Much higher on Kupp and Jones than you are Tommy.

  129. 129 Ark87 said at 12:19 PM on March 15th, 2017:

    Hey guys, I’ve been thinking. Mock drafts are hella dumb and groan inducing. You have the vaguest concepts about the other 31 teams and what they want and know squat about the other 31 GM’s. Then someone will fall and trades will happen and your mock draft is useless by the second round.

    I thought it would be more interesting if we try to guess the Eagle’s draft-board. Simple concept, you order the prospects not in how you think they will be drafted, but the order in which you think the Eagles rank them. Come draft day you cross players off as they get drafted, then when the Eagles come to pick, you have a list of players you think the Eagles with take, If one of your top 3 guys on your mock board isn’t picked, you take a shot, and we make fun of you.