Draft Talk – More on Barnett + Day 2
Posted: April 28th, 2017 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 229 Comments »
Derek Barnett was a solid pick. Not sexy. Not flashy. Solid. This felt like a Joe Douglas pick.
Eagles fans have always looked down at Howie Roseman for not being a former player. “He’s an accountant or lawyer, not a scout.” Howie then went out and hired someone that is absolutely a football guy in Douglas. Howie gives him power and control. Douglas then picks a player who isn’t a great athlete. Barnett is a football player more than a runner/jumper/etc. Watch the tape. That’s what you’ll see. So the football guy picks a football player. And some fans are like “Yeah, I’m not feeling it. He’s not athletic enough.”
Ugh.
*****
I’ll write a longer, more detailed scouting report on Barnett when I’ve got time. Here are some quick points.
There is a lot of talk about how Barnett compares to DE picks of the past. Barnett is nothing like Brandon Graham. Graham was a terrific athlete with an insane motor. He played like the Tasmanian Devil from the old cartoons. Constant motion and havoc. Barnett is an okay athlete, but nothing special. The guy he reminds me of is Derrick Burgess, and that’s a huge compliment in my book. Burgess was my favorite player in the 2001 draft. I was beyond ecstatic when the Eagles took him. Burgess was a football player more than an athlete. He had horrible injury luck in Philly, but showed glimpses of how good he could be. When he got to Oakland and stayed healthy, Burgess had 27 sacks in his first 2 years.
There are 3 key words to remember when it comes to Barnett: bend, flatten, finish. Most pass rushers can fly off the edge. Most get blocked because they can’t bend well enough to get around/under the OT. Some do, but then keep going up the field and past the QB because they can’t flatten their path and go toward the QB. And not all pass rushers who can bend and flatten can actually get the QB on the ground. Getting to him is hard, but you want to finish. You want sacks. Barnett can do all 3 things and that is why he racked up 32 sacks in his 3 seasons at Tennessee.
Some people love to point out that the Eagles have missed on a few DE picks in the past. That is true. But circumstances are different this time around. Joe Douglas is a top notch scout. He knows what he is looking for. Jim Schwartz is a top notch defensive coordinator. He has a strong track record of developing good pass rushers. You had a smart guy pick Barnett and now a smart guy is going to coach him. That doesn’t guarantee success, but it should give you confidence that this pick can work.
Scheme fit is a huge part of draft success. Watch Barnett play at UT and he’s doing many of the same things that Schwartz will ask him to do. I watched guys like Takk McKinley and T.J. Watt and wondered if they would be good scheme fits. Both were terrific college pass rushers, but they did some different things. Barnett is a player who you should be able to plug-in right away. That doesn’t mean he’ll start as a rookie, but it won’t shock me if that happens. The coaches are going to put the best players out there. It is up to Barnett, Vinny Curry and Chris Long to show who deserves to start opposite of Brandon Graham.
In terms of intangibles, I think the Eagles hit a home run. We saw with Danny Watkins that intangibles can be a big deal. Watkins had NFL ability, but didn’t love the game of football. Barnett is a tough, hard-working guy who does love the game and will do whatever it takes to succeed. That mindset is huge for pass rushers. And watch this. Seems like he’s had his head on straight for a long time.
Derek Barnett's work ethic comes from his mom. She worked seven days a week while he was growing up. Story: https://t.co/oVhLbZQlRl pic.twitter.com/5iqdQG4JHE
— WBIR Sports (@WBIRSports) April 27, 2017
I want this guy to succeed even more after watching that.
*****
So we’ll have the 2nd and 3rd rounds tonight. The Eagles are in a good spot in the 2nd round, with the 11th pick. I’m guessing the Eagles go for a CB, RB or WR. There are strong choices at each position.
RB
Dalvin Cook
Joe Mixon
Alvin Kamara
CB
Kevin King
Quincy Wilson
Chidobe Awuzie
Fabian Moreau
Cordrea Tankersley
* Sidney Jones
WR
Chris Godwin
Taywan Taylor
Curtis Samuel
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Zay Jones
Luckily there are a couple of QBs who could go ahead of the Eagles. There are 3 or 4 OL who could be taken ahead of them. There are a few pass rushers who could come off the board. The Eagles are in a good situation. If they love a CB or RB, stay put and take him.
You can also argue they should move down.
I’m hoping the Eagles can somehow add a pick or two in the middle of the draft. So many good players…
*****
I’ll put out my longer post on the draft this afternoon.
_
I wonder if RB is even more of priority on the teams’ board than CB right now. Right now it’s a big hole in their primary goal of “support Wentz”. Kamara, Hunt, or the red flag boys fit the Pederson mold best out of what’s left.
I think Cook changes the dynamic of our offense. He is my top target in round 2. I know we may have to watch another year of poor CB play, but I’d take to complete this offense around Wentz.
Cook would certainly give this offense some weapons. Not sure that he fits the Douglas prototype, but the team has much more info. If his injuries are cleared, the fumbles and extracurriculars are manageable.
Drinks are on me if the Eagles take Cook.
I love Red Bull!
It’s tonight or never.
Ship it to me?
I was going to. Not that psyched we got a cb with a torn achilles.
Man, I hope it isn’t. I want a Corner soooooo bad to help bump up our defense.
Hell, at this point I almost don’t care if we draft a 7th round RB and tell Howie to scrape together funds for Jamaal Charles.
Kidding aside, I don’t mind the idea of a 2nd round running back, but would much prefer the CB.
I’d greatly prefer the trade down, seems a lot more viable in round two. Chris ivory should be available cheap from Jax.
I think they can be middle of the pack with a day 3 pick at RB.
I’d say not having to score 50 every week to win probably makes life easier for Wentz than a RB
True. I just got the impression they were expecting day 1 to be offense.
Agreed. But I think you can get the RBs to solid on day 3 even if you have to double dip, and WR should have some toys still on the shelf tomorrow.
I just think if they go RB right now we’ll be sitting there at pick 70 silently weeping
This is Philly. It will be loud weeping.
This draft is sooo deep at RB it seems like a big opportunity cost to incur to pass on a highly-rated talent at another position to draft a guy there who will be only marginally better than someone you can get two rounds later.
I’d feel so much better spending a fourth/fifth/sixth on
Connor/Dayes/Gallman/Hunt/Jamal WIliams/De’Veon Smith
Minor correction: Barnett racked up 33 sacks in his 3 years at Tenn.
Hence beating out Reggie
I don’t think you can get upset if people don’t like Barnett because he isn’t athletic enough. Both athletic players and productive players in college can burn out in the pros. I personally am not a huge Barnett fan, however I’ll trust the people who are paid to make these decisions and hope for the best and definitely root for him. Also, I think what is being over looked is ya, Davis, McCaffrey, Williams would have been nice but without making a major trade they aren’t possible. Where we were, without trading down, Barnett was one of the best options left. And if both Joe and Howie believe in him thats good enough for me.
Disappointment is too strong. But my initial apathy towards the pick was because of Jonathan Allen being available. I’m fine with the pick. Obviously the kid can play. Don’t understand the Graham/ Smyth comparisons at all
Trade down, take the best CB and then Hunt with a higher 3, or Kamara in 2 and CB in 3. Hunt could easily be gone by 99, I think it’s a decent dropoff to Mack or Gallman. Not that I would mind Conner or Perine or Foreman, but they don’t seem like Pederson guys.
I am warming up to Barnett. my problem, like a lot of other fans, is who was left on the board — Allen, Forster, Cook. I realize each of these guys comes with injuries and/or baggage, but they are difference makers. We will have to see how these guys play because Barnett will be judged against them. My guess is the Eagles went with the safest player so they didn’t whiff on their first selection. But I don’t think they hit a homer either. I hope they can get Kamara, Awuzie, and Goodwin or at least two of the three.
While I understand wanting to have drafted Allen, Foster or Cook, I think especially with Allen and Foster, as fans, we are clearly dealing with incomplete information. Obviously, none of us have seen the medical information on Allen or Foster. With Foster, CLEARLY teams had major medical concerns. In fact, reports today suggest SF itself, the team comfortable enough with his health to draft him in the 1st round, thinks he still needs surgery. So while his game tape may look good, the Eagles (and ~30 other teams) felt the risk was too high to draft that early. As for Allen, given that he was considered on of the top 3 or 4 players by most and fell that far, suggests that teams had some major concerns about his health as well. While any pick has its risk, I think we are forced as fans to trust that teams felt the risks were too high with Allen’s health than to use that high of a pick on him, and medical/character concerns are nearly impossible weight just watching game tape, reading up on players strengths/weaknesses and looking at top 100 lists.
As for Cook, when people talk about reaches in a draft, it is often unprovable because we have no idea what teams would have done after you pick up a player and take him of the board. With that said, it is clear now, had we drafted Cook at 14, that would absolutely been a reach considering he is still available, and for all we know will be available when we pick in the second round.
Going into last night of the draft, I certainly would agree that in the moment, the pick wasn’t as exciting as I would have liked, but given the information we now have and the fact that the Eagles know way more about those players health, I am comfortable with the fact that we passed on Allen, Foster, and Cook.
Obviously, the Eagles could end up being wrong, but seems to me like the Eagles used good process to get there, and we will have to wait on the results.
The more I read about Barnett, the more I like him. The Philly beat writers seem to like the pick as does Kempelski, Tommy, and Gruden. He won’t be a bust. If he’s anywhere near as good as Suggs, who he has been compared to, I’ll be very happy.
There’s also the fact of the matter that Foster and Allen were much more well-known players. Fans will always gravitate towards the known than unknown. They could be right, ultimately, but draft bias is definitely aligned with familiarity.
That is an awesome video about Barnett and his mom! Makes me proud to root for him and the Eagles. Not that I haven’t cheered on players without that kind of high-character background, but it is never the same thing.
Here’s an analysis of teams that could go cornerback:
31. Green Bay needs a CB but Dalvin Cook or Forrest Lamp could be their guy.
32. Seattle has Shead with a torn ACL and signed Parrish Cox. They could take Lamp if GB doesn’t take him or Cam Robinson . They have four 3rds and another late 2nd. I think OL Cam Robinson makes sense if off the field issue doesn’t bother them. King may interest them though.
36. Chicago needs a CB. They signed Amukamara , Cooper, and Webb plus they are unhappy with Fuller. Many thought Lattimore was a possibility for them. They could take a safety though – Budda Baker, Obi Melifonwu, or Josh Jones.
37. LA Rams – They have Trumaine Johnson on franchise tag tender, E.J. Gaines and Kayvon Webster at CB. They could take a CB or S like Chicago.
39. NY Jets – They have Claiborne and Skrine. They’re a big threat to take a CB but need a center and TE. They have Brent Qvale at right tackle. Is he any good? Will they take a QB again and grab Kizer though?
40. Carolina – They have Bradberry and Munnerlyn at CB. They need an OT though and WR is thin. Would they take Eastern Carolina’s Zay Jones to replenish their depth behind Benjamin and Funchess with Ginn and Brown gone?
41. Cincinnati – CB is possible as people thought Conley was a possible pick for them but they did take William Jackson last year. He tore his pec last season. They could easily take a RB like Mixon. They could also use a DE and ILB even though they signed Kevin Minter. They have Westerman stepping in at right guard but may look for guard depth.
Seattle could be landing spot for Kevin King or Obi. They have interviewed both players.
So, much, pressure. Thank goodness we have cool hand Howie at the helm this year rather than some jumpy head coach looking for a quick solution to a problem.
They have to DB now, right?
Don’t know, what’s your guy at Novacare say?
I forget his handle, but there was a guy who’d come around to the EMB once a year with a hilarious and detailed “insider” scoop on the draft.
We’re lucky to have an actual Novacare fly-on-the-wall here.
Focker
I miss Focker
Either CB or RB
What your guys at NovaCare don’t have some false info to feed you about who the pick is?
Barnett —- Jernigan —- Cox —- Graham
Nice.
Barnett, Jernigan, Cox, Graham, Long, Curry, Allen.
Very solid rotation.
Tommy, what do you think of the Terrell Suggs comp? Suggs was another incredibly productive college player, with a very similar physical/athletic profile to Barnett. Douglas was a scout w/ the Ravens when they drafted him and said he sees a similarity. Obviously if he has a similar career it was a great pick.
Note though, Douglas didn’t do a player comparison, rather he specified two very specific things that were similar. He took effort to say that he wasn’t saying they’re overall similar players.
Well, yeah, of course he soft-peddled the comparison. No smart talent evaluator is going to come out and say “this guy we just drafted is the same as a borderline HoF caliber player in every way”.
I think it’s safe to say that given that Douglas was involved with the selection of both players and identitied Suggs as a reference point for comparison he sees similarities. I (as a total amateur) certainly do, in that they were both highly skilled technicians who were praised for character, work ethic, and competitiveness and excelled against top competition in college but had somewhat subpar size/athleticism numbers.
I see your reasoning there. But I think you’re reaching a bit.
Perhaps, but if it’s a reach I want someone to explain to me why. I remember Suggs getting drafted and people said the exact same things about him they’re now saying about Barnett (great college player but doesn’t have the athleticism to excel in the NFL, game won’t translate, etc.).
“I think it’s safe to say that given that Douglas was involved with the selection of both players and identitied Suggs as a reference point for comparison he sees similarities.”
Your words – maybe you disagree, but to me that right there is you providing justification/background/reasoning for an assumption of yours. And to me an assumption is a reach.
I don’t think Douglass was “soft-peddling” to avoid being the front office guys who said “this guy we just drafted is the same as a borderline HoF caliber player in every way”.
I think he was “soft-peddling” to clarify that he was not making the player comparison. I truly do.
“I don’t think Douglass was ‘soft-peddling’ to avoid being the front office guys who said ‘this guy we just drafted is the same as a borderline HoF caliber player in every way’.
I think he was ‘soft-peddling’ to clarify that he was not making the player comparison.”
Given that personnel decision makers in this situation almost always qualify when making comparisons of the players they just drafted to established stars, and have two very good incentives to do so (namely, not wanting to put pressure on the player and not putting a statement on record that will haunt them later if the guy doesn’t pan out), I don’t see why you would necessarily think that. At the very least you’re making an assumption as well.
Douglas said he saw similarities. He may have limited the comparison in a few ways, but he did say it. If he didn’t think they were at all similar players, why would he have brought up Suggs and said that Barnett resembled him in X or Y way?
In any case, even leaving Douglas out of it I think the comparison is worth noting. They do profile similarly in many ways as noted in my previous post.
I assume so.
We know Schwartz’ mantra is “don’t blitz, get the rush from the front four”. So I’m thinking a corollary to that is: put your money in the front seven and the safeties and you can be good with competent but not necessarily elite CBs. Not that an elite CB is a bad thing but – priorities. Also I’ve noticed a trend towards large Richard Sherman type CBs to the extent that size and style might cause drafters to overlook the talent of smaller guys. But mightn’t a team like a mix of differently sized ( and good) CBs so they can best match up with teams with a mix of WR styles and body types? No team I can think of has all big body Alshon Jeffrey types. But maybe you need a big CB to cover the other team’s big receiver.
Mills can handle some of the bigger guys- he’s got the tenacity to do so. What we will need are hard nosed “twitchy” outside athletic types that can help combat quick hitters, screens, crossers, and comebacks which will be designed to neutralize our pass rushers.
Think of it this way- teams will look to take advantage of our strengths by turning them into weaknesses. What did we see with the Packers? Lots of dink and dunks, with a shot down the field at the right opportunity. When our DLine can’t get there, we need corners that can play tight and create turnovers.
I like the twitchy types but who will cover Dez.
Mills with safety help over the top shaded his way.
So many good players left. No doubt in my mind the Eagles are getting a great players 90% of us can get behind!
Gotta grab another 3rd somehow in this draft- that 56 selection gap is killer; perhaps we can even use 99 plus another player to get back into the end of the 2nd. Lots of value and depth remaining
I dont see Kelce or Kendricks netting much but maybe JMatt could get some value if we are talking players they can move.
For those upset about Foster
https://i.redd.it/6zhe8hyz3buy.jpg
TL, thanks for strong defense of a pick that left me only slightly impressed. There’s a mindset and a vibe that early and mid round 1 needs to be a freak or a consensus BPA, and that perspective can come with a blind spot. Our DL is better than it was yesterday.
RE: today is Sidney Jones a risk because of injury and/or size?
Yes. He’s weighs like 12lbs and didn’t exactly test through the roof before the injury
Great picture. I remember that moment.
Cook Vs Mixon
If both are still on the draft board (and we have to take 1 of the 2)- who you got?
Cook
Why?
Hard to say because so much of that comes down to medical and off the field info so have to trust the Eagles who have much more access
Agreed. For me, Mixon has what we are looking for in a complete RB. Cook can work, but I prefer Mixon
I lean towards Mixon. I wonder if he’s even on the Eagles’ board though. Both have tremendous potential.
I wonder where Douglas had DE Charles Harris?
Love his spin move.
I’m curious too.
Came over from basketball, some questions about coachability, problems holding his spot v run. I think they might very well have gone CB before him, but we’ll never know. Might turn out great, but doesn’t seem to check the right boxes.
If Cook is, I’m sure Mixon is as well.
Per Kempski, who picked Barnett earliest and most often, he says not only is Mixon on the board, but it’s the most like pick at 43.
Mixon may not make it to 43 folks
Agreed.
Cook, purely for non-football reasons.
You are a cat person, aren’t you?
Hell no.
I don’t like puppies, either.
Do they both check out character-wise, under this assumption?
If they’re comfortable with Mixon as a person, I run to the podium at 43.
With what we know about both individuals. They are the choices. Choose wisely.
Mixon, still.
Mixon. Much healthier and less tread on the tire.
Minus being a human prick..
Yes we know but I trust the FO if they think they can handle him. I want a CB in the second so I wouldn’t take either of them 🙂
He can learn a lot from Sproles and our veterans before the next generation of Eagles come through; might help him grow more as a person as well……….?
I feel like Mixon is straight up better too, but probably comes down to who the brass trust the most, if RB is the way we decide to go.
I think he’s the best RB in the draft talent wise.
Bigger body, good hands.
Mixon
*Thumbs up*
*Screams into pillow*
Mixon
*Screams into pillow*
Hear ya, D3. If he’s there, I think they take him or drop down 10 spots to pick up more ammo.
As a wise man once said, carpet bomb strategy between prospects 70-120.
With how things are shaking out I’m currently team trade up for a CB
In Round 2 or Round 3?
2. I think they’re gonna get cleaned the hell out and I think it’s a step down after King, Awuzie and Tankersley
Out of those 3, who do you like and why?
I’m preferential to Awuzie, but he will struggle against speed. But I like his instinct, anger, and physicality
All three are kind of different flavors.
King- Probably has the most upside of the three, but also the most downside. Not sure he’s the greatest fit in the world
Awuzie- Sticky guy who can play inside or out. Good blitzer. Bit handsy.
Tankersley- The most likely to step in and be a high quality outside CB day 1. Footwork needs to be tightend up. Bit on the older side.
I probably lean Awuzie, followed by Tankersley and King is the big risk/reward play
As always, appreciate the feedback.
I would try to trade down if Awuzie/Mixon is gone. I can settle with Moreau and Tankersley.
I think Tankersley could be gone by 43. And if he is it’s only going to cause more of a run. I think you don’t get cute and either take the best CB on your board or move up a little to go get your guy.
I would be ok with Moreau if Tankersley is gone by 43 but I’m a lot higher on him than most people.
I thought about the trade up scenario but the only teams that could trade with us is the Jaguars, Chargers, and Panthers.
Pretty much everybody after the top 3 could use an extra fourth.
Bears are ok at CB and just gave up a ton for Trubisky.
Rams need pretty much anything offense.
Jets are a tirefire
Panthers def go CB
I think you take 118 and call everybody from 36 to 39
I don’t think the Bears are ok at CB. Fuller and Amukamura are serviceable.
Rams don’t really have anyone outside of Trumaine Johnson. They could go OL but I think the best remaining guys are gone by their pick. WR is an option for them too.
Panthers are the wildcard to me.
They really like their nickel (Le’blanc). Marcus Cooper is a starter.
Not a Quincy Wilson fan?
CBs aren’t my forte but I never really got it with either of the Gators (and I watched multiple times because Howie)
Just curious, mainly because of the Florida connection. By my untrained eye, I would be happy with any of those 4 with the 2nd round pick.
Wilson just does alot of fake tough guy shit that I hated with Gilbert. But even in coverage I don’t understand how some people had him as CB1
Thanks, guess I did not see enough of him to realize that he a tough guy wannabe. Hate that nonsense too.
Gets blocked for 10 yards stays blocked and then tackles Cook in the endzone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJxUYddCxoA
Lmao. That perfectly describes how I feel about it.
I wanted to ask if folding the team is an option
Neither?
Lets play a game. Choose one
I’m going Mixon plus 10,000 hail marys.
Thank God the pope was just in Philly. We got that covered.
Mixon
Mixon…best RB in the draft. (Minus Scumbag behaviour)
Either way i may need to take a bath afterwards..hopefully the bath will be in champagne after we win a superbowl (i know im just a fan but f-it i’ll deserve it)
Nelson knows something about the champagne room, maybe you could ask him for advice?
as someone who was hiding in a cave ignoring football stuff for the last year or so, can someone else explain to me the bad off-the-field stuff from these two? i have no clue what they did, but assume they hit a woman, or maybe a cabana boy or something.
Dalvin Cook has a wonky shoulder and fumbling issues. Tested really poorly as well. Off the field he’s had a over half a dozen legal issues from the time he was 14 to about eighteen months ago.
Joe Mixon broke a womans jaw his freshman year and the video is disgusting. He had to take a redshirt and has been not exactly the most remorseful dude on the planet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=shjopTfHFlw
awesome. thanks so much.
Two kids with off field red flags, give me the better Talent, which sounds like most would agree is Joe Mixon. Isnt the Alvin Kamara kid squeeeky clean?
I’m a fan of the pick, so don’t take my criticism of this being a Wow play out of context. With that said, if Barnett is ever covering a WR like that, it would be a “Wow” play in the sense, “Wow, what the hell is that defense?” It reminds me of being super excited about the ability of a WR to block. The WOW plays i want to see from Barnett should be showing off his ability to bend, showing him chasing down a QB/RB. Not covering a WR 24 yds downfield. That should never happen in a game, and if it does, it’s a failure of the scheme.
He was really effective in the few coverage snaps I saw him get. Just icing and evidence of his athleticism
Why are all of the sports talk guys acting as if the wider fan base is upset with the Barnett pick?
There is nothing to reflect that observation including the Philly.com poll which overwhelmingly supports it.
Before Philly.com pulled the ‘Thumbs up/Thumbs down’ on the Barnett pick was already over 70% last night at 4k votes and crested to 78% today with more than 11k votes.
Granted there is likely some demographic differences between people who voted online on that poll but I would bet it is a pretty representative sample of casual Eagles’ fans.
When you get 78% of a broad group of people agreeing on something, that is very strong support/sentiment for it.
Just part of more of the lazy cliche at best and at worst a cynical way to drive callers to the show.
nice info thanks, because they want to create fake drama and conflict to generate discussions
You don’t listen to talk radio do you?
The haters are the reading or going to sources where you have to read much types.
Yes I’m being judgmental.
Yeah but they were likely a clear minority to begin with and steadily shrunk today as the day when on.
But I think they are the loudest of loud minority, and they keep calling in/teweet at yada yada yada… all the radio/beat guys. The haters hate loudly and often.
Kind of really want a lb, so per BPA would like lb in the mix at least. Almost have to go corner though as much as I wanted a RB in 2nd but that was mostly under assumption they took corner at 14. I just think end of 3rd is a bit scarce at corner
Why a linebacker? Our base defense is essentially nickel, so who do you see coming in and replacing Hicks or Bradham? We have a talented guy who barely sees the field already in Kendricks, whereas we’re missing starters at CB and RB.
Kendricks is terrible, they need another quality lb to fill in and Hicks injury history factors in. Not saying they should at 43 but if they really are looking at BPA theres some decent lbs in this draft Ive read. I still think it has to be CB there, dont get me wrong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Oo5uQfcfIQ
Nice thanks, looks like good speed and hands. I like that Blair Brown kid later on also
Is this that 4.5s no name LB in the fifth round for us?
I also like Lee.
Great comparisons, Tommy. Barnett isn’t necessarily going to be the centerpiece of our pass rush (rare pieces), but as he should be a very nice piece on our D-line with Cox as the centerpiece.
Hope to see a way to have him and graham on the outside with Cox and Curry in the middle on 3rd and long. That should be a handful.
CB needy teams ahead of us
Packers (33)
Seahawks (34)
Bears (36)
Rams (37)
Jets (39)
It doesn’t look good on paper so uhh I think some people might have to come to peace with us taking Joe Mixon or Dalvin Cook early.
Bears trade their second though right?
Like that…
https://youtu.be/7AO-mwYgjL0?t=405
Thats a good 45 seconds, hustle, stack shed, inside counter, etc
Elliot SP said Barnett is a reach. That settles it, excelent pick.
he didnt fit into his 20 predictions for pick 14
It was funny when Les Bowen called him out on twitter for doing too many predictions and random mocks. Just from the bleacher report team stream – It had the feel of something Les has held back from saying out loud/tweeting for a hell of a long time!
Like, you’re killing me smalls.
I remember when the Eagles drafted Marcus Smith. I didn’t really know anything about and what kind of player he was. I remember watching his highlight videos and thinking he was a good athlete but there was something missing. It seemed every time he was able to bit the QB, one way or the other it seemed as if he was just dragging the guy down instead of putting a good hit on him. Just thought overall he was too soft of a player to really make an impact. Fast forward to this year and again, not knowing much about a player, I am watching all of his highlight videos and I have come to the conclusion that this dude is trying to hit people HARD. I like that about him. It’s a crapshoot now but I hope he pans out!
https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/858034290323599363
The Packers are also putting out that they might draft Kizer but that is to attract trade suitors.
https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/858034568577855488
Why would jags go D? Nickel corner? They’d be crazy not to go Lamp, complement Fournette.
Maybe because Lamp may not be there.
Agreed, though that doesn’t seem to be what breer is saying. Not really Coughlin’s style, but I think they should be aggressive about getting him. Seems like a great fit.
The Jags really like Cam Robinson so I don’t think they’ll pass on him.
Seattle could grab him. They have a ton of picks and there’s a drop off on OL . They’re also great at finding and developing CBs but King could also be in play.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-insider-blog/article147010034.html
I think they could get away with King with their first second round pick. Robinson is great but they could get a similar OT in Taylor Moton at the bottom of the second.
They also may have Robinson graded a lot higher than Moton and aren’t worried about where they get a CB.
I could see it either way.
True but I think there’s going to be a run on CBs.
Hadn’t heard that. If so, he’s also a great fit for them. I imagine they’d start him out at guard.
They had him in for visits and a private workout. There were rumors of them having him graded as a top 10 player on their board as well.
https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/858035031532609540
https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/858034717618294786
How much time between picks tonight? Thanks.
I think just 7 minutes
Goes:
1st: 10
2nd: 7
3rd-
4th: 5
5th-
7th: 4
6th?!? ugh never mind.
Right!!!
its 5 mins for 3-6.
4 mins in 7th only.
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too much Balvenie last night
I read it too fast my bad.
No such thing.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3c977bc3645d8343eaaf18a8028d74829036689aae3ec5ccb7f9315e7e2e1b71.png
……this was the “Bradford Pick”, I woulda been happy with a washing machine for Bradford lol……. in light of that I am very happy with the pick.
Day 2 Baby!
Looking for Coach Belichick (yes, he lurks here under a guise).
– you think the Eagles add another DE . . . Daeshon Hall?
– go 2 CBs?
– if you could draft only one of the remaining WRs, who is it?
No
Yes
Switzer
PS. I am a tool (belicheat)
If Hall is there in the fifth, I would say yes.
I could see them taking one and if they’re really high on Jalen Mills being the #2 CB. God I hope they don’t do this.
Carlos Henderson
No
Yes esp if Jones is there at 99 otherwise not til later
Godwin
To continue the trend: Not in the second. Why not? Henderson or Jones.
M –
I should have phrased my questions better.
Regarding another DE . . . anywhere in the next 2 days?
And thx for responding.
Not sure but you have to wonder what kind of twist Douglass puts on this draft vs how much of an influence is Schwartz vs how dedicated are the Eagles on getting Wentz weapons via the draft. On a side note: If the Eagles do develop a potent bevy of skill players on offense they can indeed be called “Wentz’s Weapons.”
I don’t think they add another DE until we’re in the throw shit at the wall picks
The second pick tonight is closer to the two 4ths than it is the 43. Just something to remember, expectation-wise.
Jordan Matthews for Kyle Fuller straight up. Job done. Next.
hey saw your post earlier, last time I was in London a Lloyd’s insurance broker was telling me lots of places now forbid liquid lunches (sadly) is that true? Or still going on?
Idk. But to be honest I didn’t think liquid lunches were ‘allowed’ offfically anyway. But at my former office it is still ‘permitted’ every once in a while. However those good old days with 4 hour lunch breaks are gone I guess…
I’m good with a three hour lunch and a one hour nap.
right I had heard now they were forbidden, with risk of job loss. Anyway you look at it, that’s sad.
The Bears should throw in an extra pick to stay consistent with their performance last night. Maybe next year’s 1st.
Tommy, I am not feeling your spiel about Roseman. I didn’t notice a single comment on this site complaining about him not being a football player. I certainly don’t give a rip.
What I care about is his getting the job done. He has had a long career here and the Eagles have not drafted well during his tenure. He’s a whiz at making deals happen and has pulled off some zingers, but so far, the team is worse off than it was when he came on board. He needs to correct that.
That would be pretty cool if Barnett turns out to be as talented as Burgess. I think the similarity between Graham and Barnett is that neither was freakishly talented and there was always a perception of cap on their abilities. IRRC, wasn’t JPP drafted the same year, who always appeared to have unlimited potential?
Chip was the person that belittled Howie by referring to other scouts/personnel guys as “football guys”, clearly inferring that since Howie was not a football guy, he was not qualified to do his job.
CB or RB, in either order. Maybe even 2CB’s. Move up from # 99 to ensure both players are ones that Eagles really want. Don’t just settle; go get choice. If Eagles end the evening with 2 more players seriously competing for starting jobs at these positions, it’s an extremely successful first three rounds. Very positive presentation by Phila. last nite, with lots of such comments in various sites today.
This was one of the funnier draft photos I have seen. Similiar to my friend’s Bobby Hoying jersey that he put duct tape & used a white permanent marker to remake into a Wentz jersey last year.
http://media.phillyvoice.com/media/images/18191040_10154942116673432_1917227112_n.width-800.jpg
Other less noted draft-related issue is that the price of escorts has supposedly gone way up (25-75%) and brought in a fair amount of ‘out-of-town’ workers as well.
Not surprising and I bet the local strip clubs in Center City/South Philly have seen a real boost too in business this week.
A friend of mine was a guest of the State of NY penal system since 1973. Released this past Jan. He called me and said, “Man, do you know how much a cup of coffee costs these days?”
Real kicker is on what matters the most – housing, college, and healthcare.
Maybe you can make do without higher education but not the other two.
Very happy to say he has family that have wrapped around him with love and support.
i had the general impression of Barnett being a low ceiling guy, he will take what he had in college to the nfl, improve a little in places, but with no elite athletic traits he will be in the nfl what he was in college. I had no idea of his age, never thought about his age. He could have been 24, and that is fine, a little older, but that is no Danny age. Safe to assume he was at least 22, maybe 23 would have been my guess. But 20? So at age 17 he was racking up sacks in the SEC? He had three very solid years, not just one or two. So, yeah, at 17 he was being a beast in the SEC. So he is not at his full strength or speed yet. He has room, in just getting older, to get stronger and faster.
And i had no idea of his understanding of the game or his preparation for games. His coach says he is a student of the game. He says how he likes to study the tackles he will face. So just by learning how to study game tape better he will improve his game.
Good to see that he has areas to grow in, to perceive him in terms of having both great “production” but also great untapped “potential” just like how Myles is seen as great because of his “potential”.
Its really not important, but he wasn’t playing at 17. He played years at 18,19 and 20. He turns 21 in June and will play his rookie year at 21.
I’d be curious if he would be a top 5 pick if he stayed for his senior season and/or ran faster at the combine.
Yeah I didn’t realize how young he was either, which means not this past season, but the season before he was only 18-19yrs old while balling against laremy Tunsil who was the top OL prospect a year ago with length for days.
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It certainly doesn’t suck to have to worry about red flags. Off field incidents, lack of work ethic. Hopefully this kid will grow into an NFL Edge Terror. He has some talented classy veterans at his position to help bring the kid along.
He was ill at the combine and injured for his pro day. Not that he is an elite freak athlete but he is better than his numbers he posted at the combine.
People tend to focus on explosive burst when describing ‘athletic’ people, but body control, flexibility and balance are athletic tools as well and Barnett has them in spades.
Watching press conf with Barnett. Man what a great kid. Loving this pick more and more.
Was ahuge fan of Derek Burgess .. a classic example of all the injuries we ve suffered. .was it football or andy reid ..
It was all about Reid’s Taco Friday. Chip took care of that, and smoothies will prevent our prize 1st round linemen from getting terrible knee injuries, severe depression, or getting shot in the stomach.
Or stu stupid id play calls drags a game on and wrecks kevin kearse
Or maybe getting us deep into the playoffs every year, making guys play more games and putting wear and tear on their bodies.
Im ok with your take on it !!!
Hopefully Dallas now continues the Taco tradition.
I loved me some Derrick Burgess and would be thrilled if Barnett is all that. But when I watch tape of this kid, he reminds me more of Clyde Simmons. No real single outstanding trait stands out, but he’s coming at you all game long.
Probably comes up a little short in the arm length to really compare, I especially remember Clyde making hay with those long arms and big paws, blocking lots of field goals and extra points.
I feel good for his mother here. Working two jobs your entire adult life is beyond rough. Finally she can afford to rest easy and truly live.
I never watched the NFL red-carpet stuff until last night. The unbridled joy on some of these player’s and family member’s faces is awesome.
Was hoping we would adress the front 7 with our first round pick, so im as pleased as I could be without being very familiar with this class of prospects. hopefully we got a kid that will become a double digit sack guy year in and year out that we have been missing. I didn’t realize how young this kid was, makes his production numbers that much more impressive. Drafting corners Isnt the only way to deal with the elite WRs in our division, and there is no way schwartz could have been pleased with our sack production nose diving the second half of last season the way it did. Our sack numbers have to be much better if Schwartz defense is to succeed
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It’s not as sexy as some other positions but fans should Never be upset about adding talent/Depth to either side of the trenches. dominate the battle at the line of scrimmage and you will give yourself a chance to win a lot of games. And Especially if Schwartz will be here for a few years, the DL needs to be one of the best in the league if The rest of schwartz Defense is to fall into place.
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Last time we had a long time veteran defensive coach(jim washburn) of the wide 9, we got Fletcher Cox. hopefully this works out as well with Schwartz/Joe D/Howie got us a legit future #1 Edge Terror
yup, always good to build from the lines out. Very true about Schwartz if we want him to succeed with his scheme
Anyone have an idea who the other team was that was after Trubisky that made the Bears lose their goddamn minds and give up 3 picks to move up 1 spot?
No way is the move or player worth it
The shangri-la makebelievers
well done John Lynch if that’s the case. Pretty impressive welcome to being an NFL gm moment
Either way actually
Some respected members of the media indicated on Twitter that the Bears were bidding against themselves as nobody else was willing to pay the price laid down by the 49ers.
I highly doubt that
i assumed they were legitimately bidding against another team like the Jets or Browns. John Lynch had a great night but I highly doubt he totally bluffed his way into Recieving so much compensation, my guess is that the Bears had to cough up some extra compensation because the Niners probably had a lucrative offer on the table from the Browns/jets trying to trade up from 12 or 6 which isn’t cheap, so Bears had to sweeten the pot and bridge the gap in compensation that the Browns/jets were offering a little bit, and once the compensation was lucrative enough. The Niners prefered to move to #3 and get the guy they probably wanted all along instead of accepting some extra compensation but Losing out on Solomon by trading down to 6 or 12. That’s my guess. Yesterday I posted about Sal Pal saying that he was with the niners at the combine when news broke of Reuban Foster getting kicked out and the Niners were Dissapointed because they told Sal they were considering him with the #2’pick. turns out John Lynch got him with the last pick in round 1. 49er fans have to be feeling so far so good with their unexperienced GM
.,
I assumed that Jonathon Allen’s draft slide was because medically we was removed from a few teams draft board. It reminded me of Sharrif FLoyd, a DT who was supposed to be a top 10 pick, but medical questions caused him to fall into the 20’s, fast forward a couple of years and Sharrif Floyd is no longer playing in the NFL. Someone in the media tweeted yesterday that there was a concern that Allen’s career would only last 4 or 5 years, I assume that was reflected in his fall?
Also wonder if Lynch/Shanahan looked at Fox dead in the eyes and say “I f-ing need Trubisky in my life, he’s mine, I won’t part with him cheaply”
Plausible
RB Alvin Kamara . . .
I did not know until this day that he’d been suspended twice while at ‘Bama, in addition to being popped for driving w/out a license.
Don’t know the grounds for the suspensions.
On the other hand . . .
Team captain . . . great receiver . . . no assaults on women.
It appears he matured quite a bit from his late teens to early 20s.
Some question if he can carry the load/ holdup or is he more of a role player back like Sproles though his size suggests he can be an every down back. You can legit put him in the slot. He’s very athletic, narrow. He sprained his LCL and injured his meniscus this year.
great stuff
ya I read some of that also recently, he wasnt used a lot at Tenn. Seems a tad limited possibly which was kind of turn off after I initially really liked his highlight reel. Still want corner at 43 so maybe Hunt later on
Which RB is that?
Double dipping in Tennessee with Alvin Kamara? If he ends up with the Eagles I will have to insist on him wearing the number 47
What are the chances Roseman goes GaGa for his alma matre again trying to trade up for Quincy wilson?
which round?
you think Wilson’s worth any extra assets?
I havent looked any of these kids, can only go by what I hear so Its hard for me to want to package picks trading up when I don’t know any players well enough to love any of them. To trade up he has to be significantly better than what will be available for us if we stay put, and I just haven’t been able to watch any of these kids to even try to form an opinion. This year my plan was to let the draft play out and then I’ll try to go back and familiarize myself with the kids we drafted.
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But from what I hear my understanding is Quincy is expected to go in the first half of the 2nd round, no?
I hope they can just stay at 43 and get one of these 3 or 4 corners. I dont want to lose any picks rest of way. Im catching up on some of the RB highlights, wow Perine breaks tackles, like Kareem Hunt too. Some good choices later on if the do go corner with next pick
Yeah I’d rather just hold on to our picks if possble. maybe if there is a big run on cornes it could lead the Eagles to move up, but if they do move up, I would much rather see the Eagles trade away playërs to move up instead of giving up draft picks
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I would think we come away from tonight with a corner and RB, possibly two corners if they feel like Sidney Jones is worth a 3rd round investment. If they only take 1 corner tonight, i would expect a 2nd corner with one of our 4th rd picks tomorrow
ya would love Jones at 99 but really dont think he makes it that far. Guys with first round value that are injured always get picked earlier than expected it seems, some team willing to wait on recovery and gamble
fwiw
https://twitter.com/LesBowen/status/858079740263006208
New thread
Things didn’t turn out too bad for mixon or cook