More on Team Building

Posted: January 24th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 123 Comments »

There is no magic formula for building a title contender. The Falcons have an elite offense. The Pats have arguably the best coach/QB combo in football history. Denver won with defense last year. We’ve seen great offenses and defenses win over the years.

The key is to look at what you have and what resources are available in free agency and the draft and then build accordingly. There are a lot of good CBs and DEs in this draft. The Eagles need to focus on those positions. They’ll get good value. That doesn’t mean you ignore other positions, but this is all about odds.

If there are 20 good CBs and 10 good WRs, the odds tell me that it is more likely that a good CB will be available when I pick. I’m just throwing numbers out there to make the point. Don’t take this to mean there are 2 good CBs for every WR. The point is that the Eagles should feel reasonably confident they can find some CB help in the draft.

I’m still doing research on the free agent class so I’m not completely sure what I want the team to do there and I’m also not sure what the smartest plan of attack is. Do you go after Alshon Jeffrey and pay him mega-bucks? Do you go get a top CB? Do you go for a talented LG? You can make a case for any of those options.

So often at this time of year we get caught up in thinking about positions when really the emphasis should be on players. This ties in to the whole Eric Rowe situation. Would I love a 6-1, 205 CB who runs 4.45? In theory, yes. But then I think about how Rowe played last spring and summer. He was…not mega-awesome, to put it mildly.

Jimmy Bama wrote a fantastic piece on the situation and tried to explain that point. On paper, Rowe sounds great. And he did show talent in 2015. But the guy from 2016 was a mess. He stunk. That’s who the Eagles traded. I don’t know why that is such a complicated idea to take in. Reuben Frank and plenty of others are stuck on the notion that since Rowe played better for NE, the Eagles should have kept him because he might have played better here as well.

Scheme matters. Circumstances matter. Rowe didn’t play well in Philly. He went to the Patriots with a clean slate. Belichick is a master at getting the most out of his DBs. Patrick Chung stunk in Philly and is a solid player for the Pats. Belichick isn’t just another team. He’s not just another coach. He’s a freak.

There is also the player getting a wake-up call. When a young player is cut or traded, it is a signal to them that their career is not headed in the right direction. That can bring out the best in some guys.

Nigel Bradham’s best NFL seasons are 2014 and 2016. He played for Jim Schwartz both years. Something about that system and the way Schwartz coaches brings out the best in Bradham.

Sometimes a change of pace brings out the best in a guy. Darren Sproles looked like a declining player for the Saints in 2013. He’s been terrific since coming to Philly. In 3 years here, he has 11 rushing TDs, half of his career total. He’s been a key role player on offense and great on STs.

The Eagles need to focus on finding the right guys this offseason.

Les Bowen wrote a piece on Joe Douglas and what he’s looking for in draft prospects.

Douglas said he wants “guys that are obsessed with winning, guys that are physically and mentally tough.”

That is Ravens 101. Needs to be Eagles 101. Don’t obsess on measurables, as Chip Kelly did. They have a place in evaluation, but the real key is finding talented players who fit your schemes and who will battle, on the practice field and during games.

Mobile can be a great place for finding those players. You see who competes in practice every day. Some guys are up and down with effort. Others are locked in as if their life depended on it.

I’ll be focused on WRs with good hands and guys who fight for the ball.

With CBs, I’ll be looking for aggressive players who aren’t afraid to take chances. I think Schwartz would tell you it is better to make a couple of plays and give one up than to not make any plays at all.

Let’s hope Douglas, the scouts and Eagles coaches can find some guys who will help this team take a big step forward in 2017.

_


123 Comments on “More on Team Building”

  1. 1 Sb2bowl said at 1:02 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Your line “With CBs, I’ll be looking for aggressive players who aren’t afraid to take chances. I think Schwartz would tell you it is better to make a couple of plays and give one up than to not make any plays at all.” really summed up most of our defensive problems last year. QB’s weren’t afraid of our CB’s, which didn’t buy our defensive line time to get the sacks needed to force mistakes. It all snow balled on us. We need secondary help, mostly depth and a strong starter who can make a QB think twice about going his way.

    Think about all of the “almost” sacks that Graham or Cox had- maybe a dozen between them over the course of the season? More? I don’t know, but if they get home on half of those chances, we make the playoffs. It’s an important off season, but I’m optimistic that we will grow as a team this year.

  2. 2 P_P_K said at 1:54 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Off topic: ‘I’m drunk. I’m stupid. I’m a Pats fan,’ explains Boston man accused of pulling fire alarm at Steelers hotel.
    My comment: Bet “the friend who dared him” was Belichik.

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2017/01/23/im-drunk-im-stupid-im-a-pats-fan-explains-boston-man-accused-of-pulling-fire-alarm-at-steelers-hotel/amp?client=safari

  3. 3 Ray888 said at 2:05 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Given his history w/ fire alarms, perhaps BB delegated assignment to RB Lewis. ( Note, I always thought his stock on Eagles was never the same after that incident.)

  4. 4 Mac said at 3:41 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I had the same thought. Belichick knows how to get the most out of his players.

  5. 5 Bert's Bells said at 3:13 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    There were a lot of fan hijinx before the Atlanta NFCCG in Philadelphia. New England fans should act like they’ve been there before, though.

  6. 6 P_P_K said at 4:25 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I thought only my parole officer remembered that.

  7. 7 BobSmith77 said at 3:50 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Autographed Brady football was a nice consolidation prize.

  8. 8 P_P_K said at 4:25 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    And a job with the Pats.

  9. 9 BobSmith77 said at 4:39 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Need some new ball deflators.

  10. 10 P_P_K said at 6:49 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Probably a storage closet full somewhere.

  11. 11 Stephen E. said at 10:33 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    Other team driving down the field with the no-hurry? Pull the fire alarm!

  12. 12 Insomniac said at 2:18 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000778535/article/howie-roseman-reexplains-eric-rowe-trade-to-pats

    Just leaving that here for a shorter version of Jimmy’s article.

    This draft has a lot of possession WRs so chances are that we’re going to end up with one..or two.

  13. 13 Mitchell said at 3:29 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    That’s one thing i noticed too so far. Lots of guys with good hands, which lines up perfectly with what the team lacks. All aboard the DE,CB,WR train this year BB!

  14. 14 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 3:55 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I think we try to “fix” WR through FA this offseason. However John Ross is really growing on me.

  15. 15 GermanEagle said at 3:17 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    With Taylor Hart being tried out at OL it’s safe to assume that Jason Kelce’s days as an Eagle are numbered. #alternativeFacts

  16. 16 Media Mike said at 4:39 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Bad alternative.

  17. 17 Tumtum said at 4:40 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Usually this means that player is being let go soon…. unless of course its Dan Klecko.

  18. 18 GENETiC-FREAK said at 3:32 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Looking forward to seeing these guys play at the Senior Bowl
    DT Larry Ogunjobi
    LB Duke Riley
    CB Damontae Kazee
    DT Eddie Vandredoes
    DE Josh Carraway
    WR Taywan Taylor
    DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
    S Lorenzo Jerome
    G Jessemen Dunker

  19. 19 Media Mike said at 4:39 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Good list. Thank you.

    Pat Kirwan was really pumping up Vanderdoes from your list today.

  20. 20 Dave said at 3:38 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I think Tommy and Jimmy are way off base with Rowe. Adam Caplan stated several times that Schwartz did not like Rowe’s laid-back personality, he was not fiery enough for Schwartz’s taste. Finger-wagger extraordinaire, Jalen Mills, was the complete opposite.

    Schwartz appeared to have stripped Rowe of all his confidence by the end of spring OTAs. By the time the preseason games came around, Rowe was emotionally shot, and it showed in his play.

    Tommy, you said in the past that Rowe was traded because his skill set didn’t mesh wish Schwartz’s system, which was false. Now you are saying he just played bad and that is why he was traded. I think that is a cop-out on the fact that Schwartz is paid millions of dollars to get he best out of his players and he did the exact opposite with Rowe.

    Schwartz is the one and only reason Rowe is not in Philly, and it’s the reason he will never be a head coach again. Say what you want about Pederson’s playing Ags too much (God knows I have), but Pederson did his damndest to try and get the best out of Ags, while Schwartz did the exact opposite with Rowe. It seems he took every opportunity in the media to strip Rowe’s confidence even more.

    For once, I’m with Roob on this, Schwartz gave up on a 23 year-old based on spring OTAs and preseason games for the 2016 Na Brown award winner, Jalen Mills.

  21. 21 GENETiC-FREAK said at 3:45 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Hmm i agree this your post. Saw an article about Rowe n how he is a silent achiever. I do think he has n had the talent here. But listen to what Schwartz wants from his players. All i hear is he wants confident competitive players. Mills gets smoked but gets the pass coz hes a competitor. McKelvin sucks but still gets the pass coz hes a competitor. Yeah i think that move was all Schwartz. Not scheme fit. Just his preference of player he likes.

  22. 22 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 3:48 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Eric Rowe isn’t a starter, at present he’s the nickel corner-ish on a team with lots of defensive talent. I don’t get all these articles now, we got good value for a nickel corner (remember what we got for Brandon Boykin).

    More a symptom of the 24/7 social media news cycle needing a story to run with in January. Roseman is inexplicably fanning the flames by talking a lot about it.

  23. 23 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 3:58 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    All that being said, if Eric Rowe is a competent starter come October 2017 imma blow a lid.

  24. 24 Dave said at 4:18 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I just keep remembering how Lito couldn’t get on the field as a rookie while Shledon was playing with Troy and Bobbie. In retrospect, Lito had to sit and learn while Rowe wasn’t afforded that luxury. We need to remember young guys aren’t a finished product.

  25. 25 Tumtum said at 4:39 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Especially it would seem at that position. How many highly touted young corners have taken a couple seasons to develop lately? Way more than not, it seems to me.

  26. 26 Dave said at 5:49 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    After rereading my posts on Rowe, I realize I need to move on and get over it. Next thing you know, I’ll be posting that someone needs to be held accountable: o

  27. 27 sonofdman said at 1:24 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    This is why I am optimistic for Jalen Mills, even though it seems like everyone else is down on him. He played a ton as a rookie 7th round draft pick. He got beat plenty of times, but he played well a lot of the time and he kept his head in the game and kept competing even when he got beat. CB is hard position for a rookie, and I think there was a lot to like about Mills’ rookie season.

  28. 28 Stephen E. said at 10:45 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    Mills will never get faster. He may PLAY a little faster, as he gains experience, but we will continue to watch him be beaten down the field.

  29. 29 Tumtum said at 4:37 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Rowe can’t be blame on Schwartz. In this case we must blame Howie. Schwartz is paid to coach, not decide the 53. Sure Schwartz didn’t help Howie out and gave him bad council. At the end of the day if you are assigning blame, it lays on Howie’s shoulders.

  30. 30 BobSmith77 said at 4:50 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Schwartz also bears real blame for this even if it is overblown over the caliber of player Rowe actually is.

    Schwartz strikes me as the kind of coach who has a limited shelf anywhere he goes & isn’t an good coach at developing younger talent. If his units don’t do well, a real short shelf life (2-3 years).

    The comments that Schwartz continued to make in public this year about Mills just kind of boggled my mind at times. Even he admitted (at least through his play calling) that Mills was a poor fit outside who needed S help on almost every play.

  31. 31 D3FB said at 9:03 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    If Schwartz isn’t going to play him (and he wasn’t) getting a solid pick back is the right move.

  32. 32 Tumtum said at 9:51 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    At the time, I am sure that he convinced Howie of that. We were so thin this year that I doubt very much that is true.

    I am one that has chalked Rowe up to being a caduality of regime change and am not out raged or anything like that. I just wanted to point out that if you are placing blame, place it where it is due.

    No matter what he becomes elsewhere, we will never know what he would of been here now.

  33. 33 Gary Barnes said at 9:26 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Exactly, Roseman is good shifting blame and escaping accountability, but only if we the fans allow it to continue. Roseman has final say and his reasoning on trading Rowe was nonsensical at best.

  34. 34 Insomniac said at 4:57 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Well if that’s the best Belichick can get out of Rowe right now then we got away with the better deal.

  35. 35 Stephen E. said at 10:36 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    “Finger-wagger extraordinaire, Jalen Mills, was the complete opposite.”

    Indeed. Rowe has natural talent and is humble.

    Mills is kind of the CB equivalent of Freddie Mitchell. Maybe he’ll surprise me and turn into a solid player, but he’ll never get faster or taller.

  36. 36 BobSmith77 said at 3:49 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    How do you even objectively measure ‘obsessed with winning’ though and compare it with very different players?

    When scouting directors in any sport starting mentioning that kind of stuff, it gets into ‘well-worn cliche’ territory. What are they going to stay otherwise?

    Yeah we want guys who might be inconsistent but are really great when he feels like it?

  37. 37 Bert's Bells said at 4:10 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    How? Sleep monitors.

  38. 38 Tumtum said at 4:34 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Well said. Sounds like one of those buzz words that gets thrown around corporate America all too often. Holds no value but somehow helps useless schmucks climb the ladder.

  39. 39 kajomo said at 5:57 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    That’s the pessimistic view I guess. It’s more about work ethic and emotional fight.

    You can see which players put in the time during the offseason, during practice, and during game prep. You can also see players who show no quit.

    I always envied teams like Balt, Pitt, and NE for delevoping a culture of tough, gritty winners. It’s a lot easier to have that if you draft guys who already have that mindset

  40. 40 Media Mike said at 4:32 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Reuben Frank has some sort of blood libel against Howie. It’s repeatedly over the top and inaccurate. If you want to rip the team for moving Rowe; rip Schwartz.

  41. 41 GermanEagle said at 4:33 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    He’s still not over the Rowe trade, is he?! What a douche..

  42. 42 Media Mike said at 4:36 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    He’s still not over his main rat Tommy Gamble getting (rightly) run out of the building by Howie.

  43. 43 BobSmith77 said at 4:44 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    He isn’t a terrible writer but he seems to get really fixated on something & not let readily let go it.

  44. 44 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 4:41 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Thats how I see it as well. Howie got value for a player the DC decided he didnt like and was going to bury on the depth chart

  45. 45 Media Mike said at 4:42 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Which is 100% how I need Howie to do his job. Jim Schwartz is a big boy and can deal with the professional consequences if he keeps making those type of mistakes.

  46. 46 Dave said at 5:45 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Doug made it clear that Schwartz had free reign to run the defense as he sees fit without Doug interfering.

  47. 47 Rellihcs said at 7:26 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Kinda like you and Barner. But i totally agree.

  48. 48 SteveH said at 8:50 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    The difference is MM will own up to his grudge, Reubs would never admit it.

  49. 49 Rellihcs said at 8:53 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Agreed

  50. 50 Media Mike said at 8:53 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    And I’m not here professionally. I’m a fan.

  51. 51 Media Mike said at 4:37 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    “Patrick Chung stunk in Philly and is a solid player for the Pats.”

    He’s not quite solid. He’s frequently substituted out of the game on passing downs and Jesse James WORE OUT Chung on multiple occasions on Sunday.

  52. 52 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 4:45 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    He’s a box safety that cant cover. No one made Billy Davis line Chung one on one with Dez but Billy Davis

  53. 53 Media Mike said at 4:51 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    That’s 300% true!

  54. 54 Insomniac said at 4:47 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/senior-bowl-2017-rosters-north-south-players-prospects-weigh-in-results/13bpeqmuyseox18g4e5d37wnj8

    Senior Bowl weigh in results are in.

    Underwear winners

    Rasul Douglas has NFL size at 6’2 204lbs and good hands. The question is if he has the speed.
    Zay Jones almost 6’2 and came in heavier than expected at 202lbs.
    Dan Feeney, 6’4 304lbs and has decent arm length at 33″.
    Julien Davenport, 6’6 301lbs and 36″ arms. Longest arms at the Senior Bowl.
    Dion Dawkins, 6’3 317lbs and 34″ arms. Listed as a guard, would keep an eye on him at the game.
    Jourdan Lewis, 5″10 188lbs and 31″ arms. Everyone expected him to be smaller but turned out to be wrong.

    Noticeable disappointments

    Forrest Lamp has short arms at 31″.
    Zach Banner is 6’8 and 361lbs but has short arms at 33″
    Cameron Sutton, Damontae Kazee and Tre’Davious White are under 185lbs. Not good.

  55. 55 GENETiC-FREAK said at 5:24 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Dawkins damn thats like 3 inches shorter than what was listed.

  56. 56 Insomniac said at 5:44 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    He’s closer to 6’4 than 6’3 so there’s that.

  57. 57 daveH said at 6:17 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Im 5’9 and ny arns are 34 !! Im dragging my knuckles and Zach B cant reach his wallet !!

  58. 58 Insomniac said at 6:24 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Can you catch? I heard the Eagles need WRs.

  59. 59 daveH said at 9:29 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Id look like the guy behind andy reid in his Rams uni

  60. 60 Stephen E. said at 10:54 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    For those who don’t get it, search for “Andy Reid punt pass kick”.

  61. 61 daveH said at 7:46 PM on January 25th, 2017:

    Andrew Ried even .. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f4ca651bf13439310a7ccf70388b96eaa67ee5eddf77bc380905736cac0a4008.png

  62. 62 Mitchell said at 8:50 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    My man Zay Jones looking good. I really think he is gonna climb up the boards.

  63. 63 Media Mike said at 8:53 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller were really pumping him up today.

  64. 64 D3FB said at 9:02 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I didn’t realize we had his brother in camp last year

  65. 65 Media Mike said at 9:05 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Nice.

  66. 66 D3FB said at 9:10 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Cayleb was the bigger recruit, Zay is going to be the better pro.

  67. 67 Insomniac said at 9:31 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Yup didn’t know until Duffy mentioned it.

  68. 68 Mitchell said at 9:38 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    For real? Me either.

  69. 69 D3FB said at 9:40 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Yea apparently Cayleb and Zay are brothers.

  70. 70 Insomniac said at 10:10 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    https://twitter.com/ChrisBurke_SI/status/824026540199575553

    I believe that’s Rasul Douglas that he beat.

  71. 71 bridgecoach said at 5:24 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Jim Schwartz is the real problem with our secondary. He doesn’t believe in spending resources there. Rowe wasn’t traded because he was bad due to talent or scheme, he was shipped because Schwartz doesn’t value cover guys who can defend a pass. He values his defensive line and scheme. If they do their job, no secondary required. He wanted plug and play ballhawk guys looking to intercept and score off of bad passes. He doesn’t want to spend time teaching or coaching secondary guys. He picked exactly who he wanted and repeated the same mistake he has always made with his wide 9 scheme – by ignoring the role of a talented secondary in the NFL.

    Trading Rowe and Byron Maxwell were awful decisions.

  72. 72 Bert's Bells said at 5:38 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Maxwell played poorly in 2015 and Rowe was owned up and down in training camp and pre-season. If guys earn a spot on the team, why would those two beat out men who clearly outperformed them?

  73. 73 anon said at 6:16 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    He’s gotta be a troll.

  74. 74 A Roy said at 8:15 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    My thought exactly.

  75. 75 FairOaks said at 12:32 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Maxwell was our best DB in 2015 — and better than anyone we had in 2016. But he wasn’t playing near his contract, and that contract was an albatross. If you think our cap situation is bad now, just imagine what it would be like with that contract on top of it. That one and Murray’s.

    I’m ambivalent on Rowe. He got burned early in 2015, but played much better at the end of the year. Didn’t look like a burner, but got the job done. In 2016… sounded like he was terrible for whatever reason. If we keep him he probably rides the pine until injuries force him to play (unless he gets out of the coaches’ doghouse somehow), and he has little value. Coaches didn’t want him, and Roseman had a chance to get back a noteworthy pick and put the player in a better place for the career.

    Frankly, Patrick Chung has played better for them than Rowe has. I don’t see screams to bring him back. Yes, Patriots probably do a better job of putting players in a position to succeed. That wouldn’t help Rowe here.

  76. 76 Bert's Bells said at 9:40 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    Points taken on Maxwell and especially Chung.

  77. 77 Insomniac said at 5:39 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    He ignores the secondary?

    Brings in 2 CBs that knew his scheme through FA
    Brings in a new starting safety
    Drafted a CB in Mills
    Brought in more CBs that were eventually put on the practice squad

    Pick one, make some sense or put your foot in your mouth.

  78. 78 anon said at 5:26 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Eagles GM Howie Roseman said Carson Wentz will have input on the team’s offseason acquisitions.

    “We want to make sure that he’s on board with some of these things,” said Roseman. “Probably more in free agency than in the draft, because it’s hard for him to get caught up on the draft prospects.” -roto

  79. 79 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 5:49 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Screams FA WR

  80. 80 anon said at 6:09 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Yup – although is it weird that you’re giving a sophmore QB input into personnel decisions. Does he decide if JP / Kelce stays or goes, AGS and Matthews, etc.? Interesting position to put a 22 year old. But then again when would Howie ever put a decision squarely on his own shoulders?

  81. 81 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 6:25 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I think its solely on FA WRs. I doubt Wentz is giving much input in anything else

  82. 82 Mac said at 5:55 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I hope the title of this article doesn’t indicate a lack of faith in our current front office.

  83. 83 scratcherk said at 6:30 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Newest mock draft on NFL.com has three qbs and two safeties in first seven picks…. Perrrrfect …

    Although we end up with lattimore. Don’t dislike the pick but I hope we take a cb in the second since the position is deep.

    They had us with lattimore in the first, kamara in the second and Westbrook in the third

  84. 84 Media Mike said at 6:37 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I saw that and liked that.

  85. 85 Insomniac said at 6:38 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I would be pretty happy with that draft, albeit I’m not as big on Kamara as most people are. Marshon Lattimore is the best cover corner in the draft and he’s really young.

    Guys that I would rather have over Kamara

    Joe Mixon (despite being a huge scumbag)
    Fabian Moreu
    Marlon Humphrey
    Maybe trade someone to jump ahead of the Jets to take Gareon Conley

  86. 86 Media Mike said at 6:56 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I would really hope the Eagles would pass on Joe Mixon. I don’t want him here.

  87. 87 Insomniac said at 7:30 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I wouldn’t care too much if they took him later, he’s easily the 3rd best RB in the draft. The talent is there, he just needs guidance and anger management classes. Maybe some green substance to smoke when it finally becomes legal.

  88. 88 Media Mike said at 7:50 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I don’t want a de facto endorsement of his transgressions via a paycheck from my team.

  89. 89 Insomniac said at 8:12 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Fair enough, he has a shit ton of growing up to do. I would trust our scouts to do whatever it takes to make sure that no stones are unturned if Pederson wants a guy of his talents.

  90. 90 Media Mike said at 8:12 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Yeah, you have to make sure you’re not getting Lawrence Phillips.

  91. 91 Insomniac said at 8:30 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Yup, like the Justin Blackmon case where scouts sat in a bar to spy on him.

  92. 92 D3FB said at 9:36 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Even if your not a McCaffery guy, Marlon Mack and Jamaal Williams are both better

  93. 93 Insomniac said at 9:45 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I’m not seeing it. I like Williams but I don’t think he’s better than Mixon. I haven’t seen anything on Mack yet.

  94. 94 xmbk said at 5:55 PM on January 25th, 2017:

    Easily? Nah. And being a scumbag matters.

  95. 95 Ryan Rambo said at 6:31 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Eagles GM Howie Roseman said Carson Wentz will have input on the team’s offseason acquisitions.
    “We want to make sure that he’s on board with some of these things,” said Roseman. “Probably more in free agency than in the draft, because it’s hard for him to get caught up on the draft prospects.” It’s rare for a rookie quarterback to have this much pull, but it’s clear the Eagles will do anything to keep Wentz happy. Wentz is developing nicely, but the Eagles need to surround him with more weapons. Having Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham as the top three wideouts isn’t going to cut it

  96. 96 Media Mike said at 6:58 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    What really irks me with the group that our best guy, Matthews, seems to really only be good in the slot. I would really enjoy seeing this team in 2 TE more, but that seems to not be in the cards with needing to keep Matthews on the field.

  97. 97 myartz04 said at 7:09 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I like Matthews but would prefer a traditional smaller type slot receiver who is quick and can get instant separation.

  98. 98 Dave said at 7:16 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I think Mathews could play outside, as long as he was a #2 behind a quality #1. I agree with the smaller shifty slot receiver would be a benefit.

  99. 99 Media Mike said at 7:46 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I would as well, but they seem to never play him out there often enough.

  100. 100 A Roy said at 8:12 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    New England runs with 2 and sometimes 3 slot receivers.

  101. 101 Media Mike said at 6:59 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Do you guys have any “screw it, we’re taking him even if that position isn’t a need” players at 14 if they were to unexpectedly fall to us?

  102. 102 Dave said at 7:14 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Outside of QB, TE, S, and MIKE, every position on the team could be considered a need. With that being said, I would not take a QB, TE, S, or MIKE at 14 under any circumstance.

  103. 103 Media Mike said at 7:16 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    So, so OJ Howard, or Foster, or Hooker wouldn’t get you to bite at 14?

  104. 104 Dave said at 8:04 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Nope.

    Having 2 great TEs isn’t going to stretch the field.

    If we take Foster, that means Kendricks gets traded, which I’m not sure will get much of a return based on how much Schwartz lowered his value this season. That puts Bradham on the bench in nickel, wasting his talent.

    As we saw from this year, a good safety is innefective when your outside CBs let the receivers run right by them for TDs.

  105. 105 Media Mike said at 8:07 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Fair enough on all 3.

    Although seeing Kendricks gone would be a bonus.

  106. 106 Media Mike said at 7:17 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    One reason I’d see as a consideration for taking a guy like Hooker at 14 is that I’d rather see a premium safety on the field more often than Kendricks on more downs.

  107. 107 Nick C said at 7:19 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I’d take Foster in a heartbeat.

  108. 108 Media Mike said at 7:46 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    That would get Seth Joyner his wish; Hicks at WIL rather than MIKE.

  109. 109 Stephen E. said at 10:58 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    Hicks led our team in INTs at MIKE… I wonder what will happen if he goes to WIL.

  110. 110 The original AG said at 8:58 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I saw the quote from Douglas that they will take BPA in the draft. I’m wondering if this means that our #1 won’t be the sexy pick ala OL, DL, or LB.

  111. 111 Media Mike said at 9:01 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I personally tend to discount LB due to Reid Rules for drafting in round one, but I think a lineman is totally plausible.

  112. 112 The original AG said at 9:04 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I would never be mad at picking OL or DL in the 1st round.

  113. 113 Media Mike said at 9:05 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Unless you’re taking a DE projected to be an end of 2nd / beginning of 3rd round player at 26…………

  114. 114 The original AG said at 9:30 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder681/500x/30937681.jpg

  115. 115 The original AG said at 8:13 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Tommy, I gotta disagree. You have preached in the past that patience for players is important. Why is the message different for Rowe? It’s okay to say it was a bad move, it happens in the NFL and it happens to the best of them. But in this instance, I don’t think it’s okay to defend getting rid of a player after one year. If we can stand pat with a coach that IMO in his first year was worse than what Rowe showed, they can wait a bit longer on a player they drafted pretty high.

  116. 116 D3FB said at 9:05 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Doug was worse than Rowe was this summer?

    Huh?

  117. 117 The original AG said at 9:29 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    I don’t know what happened in the bye week, but when Pederson came back he was not the same coach in the first three games. He was terrible and seemed to get worse as the season went on.

  118. 118 Sean Stott said at 1:38 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    Or, Texas Sharpshooter fallacy.

  119. 119 The original AG said at 2:30 PM on January 25th, 2017:

    Not sure how that fallacy is relevant, unless you’re saying he wasn’t that good in the first three weeks so that he didn’t get worse as the season went on – he was just always bad.

  120. 120 Insomniac said at 8:43 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    http://phi.247sports.com/Bolt/Brian-Dawkins-scouting-for-Eagles-at-Senior-Bowl-50776566/

  121. 121 SteveH said at 8:49 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Rowe hasn’t even played that awesome for the Pats, he’s been serviceable at best. He was a mess in the Texans playoff game, and has been benched a couple times during the season.

    If he went to the Pats and lit it up I could see people being annoyed, but he’s really only been a so-so player for them this year.

    And yes, he was sucking ass for us lately, and if Schwartz didn’t think he’d fit the scheme, why not get good value for him?

  122. 122 Gary Barnes said at 9:22 PM on January 24th, 2017:

    Again, all these personnel decisions need to be made within the framework of an effective strategic plan, to guide how the team is built and, just as importantly, what mistakes and lessons learned to avoid.

    These cannot be random choices, we cannot reach for talent because of positional need – the CB picked have to fit and be able to thrive in the defensive scheme that has been selected and the coaches need to know how to develop that talent for the scheme. Same with the WR. Same with RB etc.

  123. 123 Stephen E. said at 10:29 AM on January 25th, 2017:

    Terrible coaching is the reason why Rowe regressed here. If he doesn’t play well here, then plays well elsewhere, that’s the element missing. What, do you think he likes the New England weather better, or the uniforms, or Belicheck’s hoodies?