A Special Team

Posted: January 24th, 2018 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 184 Comments »

The 2004 Eagles got off to a 13-1 start and reached the Super Bowl. That was an outstanding team. It is hard not to compare the current Eagles to them because both got to the Super Bowl.

But there are some real differences.

The 2004 team didn’t have many injuries. RG Shawn Andrews missed almost the entire season. Backup RB Correll Buckhalter missed the whole year. FB Jon Ritchie only played in three games. Brian Westbrook and Terrell Owens missed some games during the year. Westy was healthy for the postseason and TO returned for the Super Bowl.

This team lost Jason Peters, Darren Sproles, Jordan Hicks, Chris Maragos, Caleb Sturgis and Carson Wentz. Ronald Darby, Stefen Wisniewski and Zach Ertz missed multiple starts. Various players missed a single start and part of another game.

Can you imagine the 2004 Eagles winning a pair of playoff games without Donovan McNabb? I think it is fair to say what this team did is special. This is beyond 2004.

Another difference with the teams is that the 2004 group lost to the Steelers 27-3 and were physically dominated that day. They gave up 252 yards rushing in that one game. This team never gave up more than 137 in a single game. There was never even a 2-game stretch where the starters allowed 252 rushing yards. The Giants and Raiders combined for 212 yards late in the year.

The Eagles lost 3 games all year and were never dominated. The Eagles out-gained KC and SEA, despite losing those games. Dallas did out-gain the Eagles in the season finale, as Dak Prescott proved to be a better player than Nate Sudfeld.

You saw this team flex its muscles on Sunday night, winning the NFC Championship 38-7. I wrote about that for PE.com, explaining how this team blew out opponents all year and that performance shouldn’t have been a complete surprise.

I’d love to tell you they’ll blow out the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but that’s not likely, even from a team as special as this.

*****

I am down in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. Eagles scouts spoke to some DL after yesterday’s practices.

DE Tyquan Lewis – 6-3, 276 – Ohio State

DE Da’Shawn Hand – 6-3, 282 – Alabama

DT B.J. Hill – 6-3, 321 – NC State

DT Andrew Brown – 6-4, 294 – Virginia

Obviously the Eagles love their D-linemen. There will be tough decisions to make in the offseason, with Chris Long and Beau Allen set to be free agents. Vinny Curry doesn’t have the friendliest contract.

Hand and Brown are similar players. They were used all over the place. Brown was a 3-4 DE who also played DT and even LB at times. You could see the Eagles loving the versatility of Hand and Brown, guys who can line up anywhere and get pressure up the middle or off the edge.

Lewis is the most athletic and explosive of the group.

Hill is a big, powerful DT. He had 23.5 career TFLs so he knows how to be disruptive and make plays.

I wrote about Tuesday’s South practice here.

And the North practice here.

I have not seen Howie Roseman or Joe Douglas down here. There are multiple scouts. Everything is video-taped for teams so the coaches and personnel people who didn’t make it down will be able to see all the practices. It is always better to see them in person, but having to focus more on the Super Bowl is a good problem to have.

184 Comments on “A Special Team”

1 Tumtum said at 11:20 AM on January 24th, 2018:
This is by far the most physically imposing team I personally remember as an Eagles fan. Sure people will make a case for Buddy’s team, but I was too young to really comprehend it at that time.
2 James Skip Carl said at 12:25 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Grown men feared that defense
3 ACViking said at 2:46 PM on January 24th, 2018:
That includes the Giants of that era.
But not, in my humble view, the Cowboys under Jimmy Johnson or Washington under Gibbs.
Both teams were built to deal with the Eagles front 7.
Particularly the Cowboys . . . about whom Johnson once said he built the O-line especially to deal with White and Brown. And added Novacek at TE to deal with Joyner.
4 Tumtum said at 5:05 PM on January 25th, 2018:
I wonder how grown men would feel about this defense if the rules were to revert today.
5 RobNE said at 12:57 PM on January 24th, 2018:
then you don’t personally remember 1991. Go watch the House of Pain highlights on youtube. That game made me uncomfortable, and I was watching on TV rooting for the team inflicting the pain. It was brutal.
6 EagleOne1983 said at 1:01 PM on January 24th, 2018:
And the Body Bag Game… 91 was a brutal defense.
They didn’t want to tackle you. They didn’t want to hit you. They didn’t want to hurt you. They wanted to kill you, every time you touched the ball.
7 RobNE said at 1:03 PM on January 24th, 2018:
It’s hard to choose just one. I remember for whatever reason the House of Pain game as worse. Wr’s started to just be like, ah never mind…..not going to cut toward the inside of the field on my route.
8 EagleOne1983 said at 1:06 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Both were tremendous punishment games. It wasn’t me saying one was better than the other. Just that both games are great representations of that 91 team.
9 ACViking said at 2:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
The ’91 HOP game was by far the best performance — in any game — of that great defense.
Held the Oilers to 6 pts in the ‘dome. . . where they avg 32 pts in their other 7 games.
That’s domination.
__________________
What’s maybe most remarkable about the ’91 defense is how — having lost Randall and relying on Jeff Kemp by that point in the season — the defense persisted in being historically great.
White, Brown, Simmons, Joyner, Allen, Waters et al . . .
C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R.
__________________
Same kind of character the 2017 team has shows post-CW . . . proud to be a fan.
10 xeynon said at 6:42 PM on January 24th, 2018:
The 1991 team had a more dominant defense, but their offense wasn’t any great shakes. This team has an overpowering offensive line and running backs who can truck defenders as well as a pretty damn good D. I think given that you can make a case for them.
11 Tumtum said at 5:04 PM on January 25th, 2018:
No, I don’t. I was starting elementary school that year. Was sure to qualify it. I don’t think I even decided I was an Eagles fan until 93′ or 94′.
12 Brian said at 1:11 PM on January 24th, 2018:
You’re probably better off not paying attention to the Orioles’ offseason. And probably the next few years as well.
13 Tumtum said at 5:02 PM on January 25th, 2018:
🙁
14 Dragon_Eagle said at 8:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Adding on to what others said below and extending.
The ’91 defense would not be allowed under today’s rules. Many of their hits would now draw personal fouls and how the DBs harassed WRs would just draw flags on every play. They were amazing to watch. I remember one game in particular, not even sure it was ’91 – might’ve been ’92, but it was that group. 30-0 vs. the Broncos. Between the defense demolishing players and the boisterous, aggressive, scary-looking Vet crowd, all Denver wanted to do was escape alive. Elway looked absolutely terrified.
The 2017 team, however, is tough, gritty on both sides of the ball.
In any event, I fully concur with Tommy. The 2017 is the best Eagles team in the Super Bowl era. To me, they’ve accomplished more than the 2004 team given what they’ve faced. That team has 3 runs at the NFCCG before finally getting over the hump, then imploding the following season. Today’s team? The future is as bright as can be.
15 RobNE said at 11:24 AM on January 24th, 2018:
this team seems like a bunch of mudders compared to 2004. I say that as a compliment.
On the flip side, that year the Pats were much more dominant than this year.
16 Tumtum said at 11:45 AM on January 24th, 2018:
They sure don’t have a Corey Dillon in the backfield, do they?
17 RobNE said at 12:56 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Wilfork, Vrabel, Asante Samuel, Bruschi, Ty Law., Rodney Harrison. Corey Dillon had a really good year.
18 bdbd20 said at 11:54 AM on January 24th, 2018:
I remember thinking how that 2004 team looked in the Super Bowl.
This team definitely gives a different vibe. Way more confident.
May be due to the studs on D. That team had Dawk, Brown, and Shep.
This group does seem to be more talented, better overall offense too.
19 KP said at 12:09 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Tommy, I thought we had Chris Long under contract next year. Is he actually up after this year?
20 ACViking said at 12:22 PM on January 24th, 2018:
2-year deal, at least as reported at the time (3/28/17)
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000795717/article/philadelphia-eagles-to-pad-dline-with-chris-long
21 kajomo said at 12:41 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Thoughtbthe same thing.
22 RC5000 said at 2:56 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I also had that reaction. He’s under contract. He has a roster bonus of 500k due if he is on the roster on the 5th day of the 2018 league year. I think they’ll pay it!
https://overthecap.com/player/chris-long/1315/
23 ACViking said at 12:19 PM on January 24th, 2018:
A couple of observations . . .
_______________
First, this year’s SB run shares nothing in common with the 1980 and 2004 appearances — at least from my point of view as a long-time fan.
The 1980 team’s NFC title game win over the Cowboys put to rest 20 years of football purgatory. Beating Dallas was like climbing a mountain. The elation that day was greater than any other I’ve experienced from an Eagles’ win. (In the SB, the Birds were plain-out flat . . . more flat, I think, than in any Vermeil-coached game — regular season or postseason — during the Birds’ ’78-’81 playoff years.)
In 2004, the NFC title was getting the monkey off your back after going 0 or the past 3 years. Just a huge relief. F-I-N-A-L-L-Y . . . I said to myself when Chad Lewis caught the TD.
This year’s team . . . for me, after winning on the road in Carolina to go to 5-1 on a Thursday night, I thought Carson Wentz is for real, this defense is for real, and this team is for real. Every game validated those thoughts — even in Seattle. By the Rams game, I thought the road to the NFC title was clear. And I’d have been hugely disappointed not to be going to the SB.
So I don’t have the elation of 1980. Or the relief of 2004.
This year, the emotional gas tank is still pretty full.
________________
The other item is this: This 2017 team is so much like the 1980 Eagles in terms of the locker room, the mutual respect, and the genuine love these guys feel.
What’s different is the 2017’s talent level (relative to their times) is way, way better. And I think the coaching may be better, as well.
24 P_P_K said at 4:16 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I think Doug and his staff are better, and this will put the eagles over the top next Sunday.
25 Dragon_Eagle said at 8:43 PM on January 24th, 2018:
This.
I should’ve scrolled up before responding to Tumtum below.
26 ACViking said at 12:30 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Forgotten fact from the 1960 Eagles Championship season:
Birds’ QBs were:
#11 – Norm Van Brocklin
# 9 – Sonny Jurgenson
________________
Pats have no chance against this kind of history.
27 A_T_G said at 1:11 PM on January 24th, 2018:
That is the kind of statistical analysis that you just can’t get anywhere else.
28 P_P_K said at 4:15 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Hall of Fame post.
29 Dragon_Eagle said at 8:45 PM on January 24th, 2018:
And don’t forget they put a William Penn statue up on the Comcast 2 tower that in nearly done now, just like they did back in 2008 for the Phillies.
30 Buge Halls said at 12:35 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I am pretty convinced that one of the main differences in this team than the 2004 team is we won’t see a completely exhausted QB (McNabb) barely able to get himself to the line during the final drive of the game. You know it’s sad when your center has more energy than your QB and he’s waving him to hurry up!
And Pederson has shown two things over the last two seasons that Reid never had 1) clock management skills (no wasted time outs!) and 2) the ability to make adjustments to the game plan on the fly!
31 daveH said at 10:26 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I blame the O Line (schit job provided ZERO protection for DMac) and Andy (50 + pass as his lame game plans) for DMac being so wiped out by half time in 04
32 Masked Man said at 12:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
“Jerry Jones: No hot seat for Jason Garrett”
Posted by Josh Alper on January 24, 2018, 6:53 AM EST
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/01/24/jerry-jones-no-hot-seat-for-jason-garrett/
Yayyyyyy! Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
33 Ark87 said at 1:01 PM on January 24th, 2018:
how!?
34 CrackSammich said at 11:17 PM on January 24th, 2018:
It’s never a good idea to announce such a thing even if it’s true. This statement won’t save Garrett when the firings become necessary.
35 EagleOne1983 said at 1:05 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Jerry Jones wants the credit for the team. Jason Garrett would never get the credit for anything the Cowboys do. He’s the perfect fit for Jerry Jones.
That and he is the only Clapper HoF inductee still coaching.
36 Mac said at 12:48 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Plenty of things in this are a stretch, but it’s football history done as comedy at it’s best. (edit: i’m not good at making twitter links)
The Eagles are the 1990 New York Giants, @AdamLefkoe has a theory that you need to hear (via @SimmsandLefkoe) pic.twitter.com/XT0ljdt7b8— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2018
ttps://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/955809497221513216
37 ACViking said at 12:58 PM on January 24th, 2018:
On the Draft . . . since we’re savoring the pre-SB week!!! . . .
Great twitter thread breaking down QB Josh Allen — who some (non-scouts, like Mel Kiper) are projecting first to Cleveland:
https://twitter.com/Ryan_McCrystal/status/954169670839382016
38 CrackSammich said at 11:11 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Good stuff. I’m not a draft junkie, but I feel like you could dig plays up like this for every college QB, including both successful and massive busts alike. You’re not exactly Nostradamus for preemptively declaring a QB a bust when even most 1st rounders fail.
That said, it gives me hope that NYG will waste their best chance at getting a replacement for Eli.
39 kajomo said at 1:06 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Chad Thomas is a guy I could see them really liking. He apparently had a good week last week at the shrine game and did well again yesterday.
40 A_T_G said at 1:07 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Here is an article from the Boston Globe. They have a bit of an entitlement issue up there it seems. Some quotes…
…..
The Eagles can’t roll a traditional NFL offense with Foles. He’s just not a comfortable pocket passer who can go through multiple progressions. He doesn’t have a strong arm, and he isn’t very accurate when you force him to move off his spot.
…..
Credit the Eagles for executing them, but they can’t count on such plays succeeding vs. the Patriots.
…..
The Patriots just have to withstand the early barrage, and force Foles to piece together 12-play drives.
…..
Once the switch to the other side of the ball, the article is a little more respectful.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/patriots/2018/01/23/eagles-haven-fizzled-despite-loss-carson-wentz/yafve0KpyplAOKyFXXb6XO/story.html
41 Ark87 said at 1:13 PM on January 24th, 2018:
yeah they have no idea what’s coming.
Sure the Eagles ran roughshod over the statistical best defense in the league, but we’re the patriots. Sure the Eagles have done long methodical drives all season, but we’re the patriots.
Come now, Pat Chung isn’t going to stop us.
Now if they wanted to say the Eagles defense was really good all year, but we have Tom Brady. That’s acceptable. But no body is scared of the Pats defense.
42 A_T_G said at 1:21 PM on January 24th, 2018:
That does set up an interesting dynamic: no one fears their defense and no one fears our offense, apparently.
43 daveH said at 10:42 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Their offense is kind of insane. .
44 Green Goblin Swag said at 3:14 PM on January 25th, 2018:
They lost to the Dolphins bro.
45 daveH said at 7:04 PM on January 25th, 2018:
A Giants fan bud just said that if wentz was plaiying it cud be a blowout .. i don’t belive that but maybe Folesy just has us hopeful but cautious .. i certainly have my hopes dangerously elevated
46 Green Goblin Swag said at 8:21 PM on January 25th, 2018:
I feel good about it. I hate the Patriots almost as much as I love the Eagles. I lived in NE for a long time
47 RobNE said at 5:25 PM on January 24th, 2018:
the Vikings could have way better talent, but don’t you know the Patriots play as a team?
48 Ark87 said at 5:34 PM on January 24th, 2018:
The Patriot way! The vikings defenders may have been more talented and every one of their starters have played side by side for 4 straight seasons, but the Patriot way!
49 RobNE said at 9:26 PM on January 24th, 2018:
this is actually what people tell me.
50 sonofdman said at 6:13 PM on January 24th, 2018:
The reporting on the Patriots always cracked me. “The Patriots are truly a team and get contributions from so many players on their roster.” Like this is the first team in history to have different players step up in big games.
51 xeynon said at 3:37 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Credit the Eagles for executing them, but they can’t count on such plays succeeding vs. the Patriots.
A Foles-led offense just dusted a defense that is much more talented and accomplished than the Patriots’ in almost every way. Give me a break.
We made Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes (two All-Pros) look like Patrick Chung and Eric Rowe. They should at least worry a little about what we might be able to do to the actual Chung and Rowe.
52 Brian said at 1:09 PM on January 24th, 2018:
This team has certainly been a lot more fun to be a fan of than the 2004 team. I don’t mean that that team was not likeable, although the TO-McNabb feud that followed has dimmed my memory of them, but that season was so burdened by the baggage of what had gone before that it was, for me at least, until the win over Atlanta, kind of a joyless march through the NFC. Anything less than getting to the Superbowl would have been a complete failure, and Chad Lewis’ second TD in the win over Atlanta was, until Sunday night, my happiest moment as an Eagles fan.
I thought 9-7, contending for the division title, were all realistic goals for the Eagles this year. It was the Carolina game, and then the Wentzian magic against a Washington team that still had some fight left at that point in the season, that made me realize this team had the potential for so much more. And then, who really thought they’d win an NFC Championship, in the way that they did, with Foles at the helm. This team has been one surprise after another. Let’s hope there’s one more.
53 EagleOne1983 said at 1:17 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I had them at 12-4 when I looked at their schedule. I had them with loses to KC, SEA, NYG, & DAL. Finishing 2nd in the NFC to Aaron Rodgers (not GB, GB is trash by themsleves). Losing in the NFC title game to GB. I’m happy I was wrong in a bunch of categories and correct in others. And so glad this team has so much fight in them.
E! A! G! L! E! S!
EAGLES!!!!
54 Dr. Claw said at 5:00 PM on January 24th, 2018:
That’s a dang good prediction. Except the Giants, you nailed every loss.
55 EagleOne1983 said at 7:56 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I thought NYG would be 11-5. Oops… I was way off! Bwahahahaha!!!
56 EagleOne1983 said at 1:12 PM on January 24th, 2018:
2004 vs the Eagles: The Patriots cemented their legacy as a Dynasty team.
2017 vs the Eagles: Their dark reign comes to an end.
57 Eagles4life said at 8:30 PM on January 24th, 2018:
2017: Eagles dynasty starts!
58 EagleOne1983 said at 1:21 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I keep thinking: When the Eagles win, my one wish is that my grandfather (who passed in ’98), would have been able to watch it with me. He lived and breathed Philly sports. When the Eagles won, he was happy. When they lost, don’t bother the man. He taught me how to love these Birds.
Go Eagles! Win this for our lost brothers who never got to see the Lombardi Trophy on Broad Street!
59 Philadelphian said at 3:00 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I refuse to concede that Dak Prescott is better than Nate Sudfeld.
60 ACViking said at 3:02 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Win the day . . . says Doug.
You just did!!!
61 knighn said at 3:03 PM on January 24th, 2018:
He’s probably not. Dak was playing with all starters. Eagles were resting most of theirs.
62 Donald Kalinowski said at 3:22 PM on January 24th, 2018:
…
63 Sean E said at 4:50 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Has he ever even thrown a TD in a game where all of his starters weren’t playing?
64 unhinged said at 4:52 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Do you concede that at this point in time he has been more tested and is more accomplished? I think TR is right in his phraseology, but I would not give up Sudfeld in a trade for Prescott and a 2nd.
65 sonofdman said at 4:56 PM on January 24th, 2018:
You wouldn’t give up Sudfeld in a trade for Prescott and a 2nd round pick? What? If someone offered a second round pick for Sudfeld, I would take that is a second. Who cares who else is part of the deal.
66 unhinged said at 6:54 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I think if Sudfeld was in the next draft class that he’d possibly be gone by the 2nd. A bird in hand…
67 CrackSammich said at 10:55 PM on January 24th, 2018:
That’s absurd. I don’t think Prescott is a world-beater, but he is a competent QB with starting experience vs a guy that is years away from being able to start. Plus a 2nd.
68 RC5000 said at 3:03 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Concerns on Rosen still though you never know if these stories are accurate. Charlie at walterfootball has been pretty good with these type things imo.
Excerpt:
They feel because of his silver spoon upbringing, he doesn’t relate well to all segments of an NFL locker room, and they think the desired leadership traits could be lacking with Rosen. Former teammates of Rosen who are in the NFL have been asked by teams about him, and they say he is atypical and a different kind of guy. Team sources also say that Rosen has a reputation for being a partier. He had a hot tub in his room and some team sources are worried about party substances.
Read more: http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2018rumors.php#ixzz558N3nus4
69 xeynon said at 3:22 PM on January 24th, 2018:
A highly touted LA school QB who’s too into the celebrity lifestyle…. hmmm, where have I heard that before?
The question is, is he Matt Leinart 2.0, or Todd Marinovich 3.0?
70 RC5000 said at 3:27 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Yeah that’s what I said and they aren’t guys who are gonna spend a lot of time in the film room…
71 xeynon said at 3:34 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Sounds like a guy we might want the Giants to take. Guys with this personality type/behavioral profile have a long history of flaming out spectacularly in the NFL (Leaf, Manziel, the aforementioned Leinart and Marinovich, etc.).
You want a guy with a Manning/Brady/Brees type personality – a gym rat who eats, sleeps, and breathes football. Carson is that, Rosen sounds like he isn’t.
72 RC5000 said at 3:09 PM on January 24th, 2018:
This is great news for us. Nothing like lots of good QBs who aren’t quite at Carson’s level imo to help us out. This would be about 1/6 of the picks before our pick. There are tons of teams who could be in the market for a QB including teams with aging QBs and teams whose veteran QBs have shaky futures.
Those three signal-callers are UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. After that trio, they thought two more quarterbacks would go in the first round, with those being Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. They expect Jackson and Mayfield to be mid-to-late first-rounders.
Read more: http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2018rumors3.php#ixzz558OcO2QT
73 Ryan Rambo said at 4:52 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Pick 32 is gonna be well worth the wait huh?
74 teltschikfakeout88 said at 3:16 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I am really surprised that the eagles were talking to Andrew brown… and also surprised that Lewis is more explosive than Hand….interesting draft this year at the end of the rounds…
75 Donald Kalinowski said at 3:20 PM on January 24th, 2018:
The 2004 Patriots had a stud defense with Rodney Harrison, Bruschi, Wilfork, Asante, Vrabel, and etc.
What killed the Eagles was McNabb’s interception at the 19, LJ Smith’s fumble, Vince Wilfork owning Hank Fraley, and the offense scoring on their last possession in the first half and their first possession in tbe 2nd half. It went from a game the Eagles were controlling to one where the Eagles were playing from behind in a span of just 2 possessions.
Oddly Chad Lewis’ injury might have been huger than we think. McNabb’s two interceptions were targeting LJ Smith.
76 Dragon_Eagle said at 8:57 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Was also a game where the Patriots just always seemed to make the right offensive play call in the second half. Like they knew what the defense was doing.
77 RobNE said at 9:25 PM on January 24th, 2018:
so weird.
78 RC5000 said at 3:25 PM on January 24th, 2018:
This is an intriguing potential toy I was watching the other day on youtube for Doug and Carson in the draft. Hybrid hback/RB/FB/TE …
http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2018jaylensamuels.php
https://youtu.be/wL5EIUFQ5E8
79 xeynon said at 3:30 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Looks like a guy who could be Trey Burton’s replacement.
80 RC5000 said at 3:37 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Yeah he could be a Spencer Ware type too so offer even more value but might need work as a blocking TE. Here’s a spectacular catch:
https://youtu.be/58KXly1PdBM?t=46s
81 RC5000 said at 3:52 PM on January 24th, 2018:
This is a good draft for TEs though Samuels is maybe a hybrid player. I could see Pederson using him in many ways.
I love Mike Gesicki, Hayden Hurst, Troy Fumagalli and some are high on Dallas Goedert (South Dakota State). We’d have to get an extra pick (trade down) because they’ll probably all be gone by the late 4th.
82 ACViking said at 4:13 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Who replaces Celek?
83 Insomniac said at 5:48 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I’d like Virgil Green if Celek has to go.
84 D3FB said at 6:10 PM on January 24th, 2018:
You could probably get Crockett Gillmore on vet min for a year. Otherwise you’re probably looking for an in-line primarily blocking TE, those guys don’t go super high in the draft.
You’ve got Billy Brown to hopefully fill the Burton departure.
85 RC5000 said at 4:58 PM on January 24th, 2018:
On second thought, he only weighed in at 5-11, 223 and I’d worry he’d lose speed adding weight so he is probably more of a FB/RB and 3rd down back/receiver.
86 kajomo said at 5:56 PM on January 24th, 2018:
He’s been productive the last 3 seasons. He is more of a true RB than the Trey Burton has played for us. Not sure that he would be very effective as a lead blocker, but seems to lack any real explosive trait. His greatest strength is obviously his versatility and he’s a pretty physical guy.
NC state has another intriguing back in Nyheim Hines.
This draft class is loaded with good RBs.
87 xeynon said at 3:30 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Biggest difference for me between this year’s team and the ’04 team is where they are in the developmental cycle.
The ’04 team had already been a contender for five years, and had been unable to get over the hump. The team had twice failed to win home NFC title games in which it was favored, Reid’s flaws as a big game coach had been exposed, and there was a lot of pressure to get over the hump because there was a growing fear (which turned out to be correct) that the team was squandering its championship window.
This is a younger team which, if not coming totally out of nowhere, has ascended to elite status far more quickly than any of us anticipated, and which has already won multiple big time, high stakes games against elite competition. Even if they don’t win the SB this year, this feels like the beginning of something, not a long-awaited breakthrough, and the predominant emotions I felt when they won the NFC title were optimism, hope, and confidence about the future, rather than relief.
88 anon said at 4:31 PM on January 24th, 2018:
team feels young, it’s not young though
89 xeynon said at 7:01 PM on January 24th, 2018:
The mean age of the opening day roster was 26.6, which is 23rd in the league. That is skewed upwards by the presence of several much older guys like Peters, Sproles, Long, and Celek however. You have a few other key players like Jenkins, Graham, and Kelce who are around 30.
However, many of the team’s best players are 27 or under, including what I would argue are their three most indispensable cornerstone players (Wentz, Johnson, and Cox). There are also plenty of guys on the roster who are already contributors at a young age and may very well continue to get better (Barnett, Mills, Jones, Hollins, Clement, Vaitai, etc.). They’re not young in an absolute sense, but they’re well-positioned to be good for a long time.
90 Jernst said at 7:01 PM on January 24th, 2018:
They’re also not old. There’s a really good mix of veterans, players in their prime and young guys just entering their prime with a few short term vets at the end of their career. Wentz, Jeffery, LJ, Ertz, Ajayi are all younger mid 20’s guys on offense. Barnett, Cox, Jernigan, Darby, Hicks, Mills, Jones and Mcleod are all mid twenties guys on defense.
91 Green Goblin Swag said at 3:31 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Cracksammich:
Still think Foles is Hoyer or Tom savage?
I think it’s time u give him his due. When he has a supportive cast he can play great
92 Bert's Bells said at 3:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
That is true of just about any QB who makes it to the NFL. Except maybe Mike McMahon.
93 xeynon said at 3:43 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I don’t know if that’s true… Hoyer and Savage are two of the many, many NFL QBs who’ve never looked remotely as good as Foles has at his best.
94 Bert's Bells said at 3:45 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Foles is probably better than them.
They’re probably better than McMahon.
95 ACViking said at 3:59 PM on January 24th, 2018:
BB . . .
There’s no “probably” about it.
(Your first comment was dead on.)
Mike McMahon — at least v.2005 — was the worst looking Eagles QB since Pat Ryan.
And that was with Andy Reid as the HC — when, as he still does, turned back-up QBs into very tradable commodities.
96 Dragon_Eagle said at 9:08 PM on January 24th, 2018:
They were talking about Mike? I thought they were at least bringing up Jim.
Mike McMahon was atrocious. Gimme Nate Sudfeld. Gimme Koy Detmer. Gimme GJ Kinney, I’ll take my chances.
97 CrackSammich said at 10:42 PM on January 24th, 2018:
No. I did not bring up any McMahon.
98 Green Goblin Swag said at 7:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Hoyer or Savage were throwing to a legit top 4 WR. They had support. Folks isn’t great but he can play great.
Crack was calling him akin to Hoyer and Savage and probably Mike freakin McMahon. Foles deserves respect for what he did to the #1 defense
99 Bert's Bells said at 7:45 PM on January 24th, 2018:
He absolutely does.
100 CrackSammich said at 10:49 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I don’t think I compared him to Savage. I definitely didn’t compare him to McMahon. And I’ve made it clear the whole time that I like Hoyer, and I like Foles. I think the only times I’ve ever seen Cleveland play competently in the last 5 years was when Hoyer was the QB.
So sure. Foles is Flacco now. But even if we never get to the Super Bowl again with Wentz, I don’t think it’s a controversial statement to say that Wentz is absolutely the better QB going forward, and that there is no QB controversy here. And beyond that, this is some daytime sports radio show bullshit about who’s better when nobody will ever know. I am really not invested in the outcome of this argument, so if it makes you feel better, here: I’m wrong and you’re right.
101 Green Goblin Swag said at 3:11 PM on January 25th, 2018:
Upgraded to flacco where he should be. Just bustin ur chops we’re all happy and should be. I was pulling heavy for Foles but nobody saw that coming like that!
102 bobeph said at 3:42 PM on January 24th, 2018:
here’s why the eagles will lose, the patriots are cheaters, in bed with the nfl, have you seen the videos of brady restarting the playclock when he pumps his fist, man I hate them, if the eagles lose fair and square then so be it, but if there’s a hint of cheating, I’ll be hard pressed to watch the nfl anymore, there should be an asterisk beside every SB win they had
103 Sean E said at 4:34 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Yes, the Patriots are cheaters. That is objectively true and simply cannot be argued against. However, they are definitely not in bed with the league after deflategate. No way.
104 Duracell said at 7:04 PM on January 24th, 2018:
That’s exactly what they want you to think.
105 daveH said at 3:58 PM on January 24th, 2018:
COX Is a HUGE reggie white type of difference maker
106 ACViking said at 4:03 PM on January 24th, 2018:
All due respect, cannot agree.
Reggie White could play 4 positions at an All-World level . . .
34 DE, 43 DE, DT, NT.
He was a game-wrecker from all of them.
Fletcher Cox doesn’t have nearly that versatility.
But he’s still great. And a difference-maker.
107 Bert's Bells said at 4:19 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Cox is potentially a Hall of Famer if he plays the second half of his career at the same rate he’s been on. Even so, he’s no Reggie.
108 daveH said at 8:52 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Well maybe i got all excited .. i love seeing him get to the qb but getting 8 tackles a game , well i am LOVING that stuff ..
…
Btw tackles, pressures, sacks, . He must be operating at a 90% disruption rate
109 Sean E said at 4:31 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I’m pretty confident Cox could play the 9 if he wanted to.
110 Insomniac said at 5:41 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Comparing Cox to the GOAT is just plain wrong.
111 daveH said at 10:22 PM on January 24th, 2018:
At least i said RW ‘type’ .. like he is above his peers .. not sayang that FC is an alltime great … but let’s give him time to prove it and prove it in green yeayah !!
112 daveH said at 8:07 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Ok, i ain’t arrrrrrgh-you ing with that.
Actually mad all over again that he got Andy his ring !!
113 Someguy77 said at 10:09 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Sorry but no way. White’s absolute best too was arguably in the USFL too his two years there with Memphis.
Still the best FA signing by far in Eagles’ history. 4 years/$1.85M because NFL teams were unsure of just how much his dominance in the USFL would translate to the NFL.
114 xeynon said at 11:09 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Gotta agree with everyone else here.. Reggie White was the most dominant DE I ever saw, and one of the most dominant defenders period. The guy had 20 sacks as a 4-3 defensive end. I love Fletcher Cox but he’s not on that level.
115 daveH said at 11:31 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Yep AC V stfd’d my mere suggestion very nicely .. Jenkins ain’t as good as Dawk and Ox ain’t as good as Reggie and Folesy ain’t as good as Jaws, Randall or DMac and Howie ain’t as good as Joe Nickles and Peterson as good as dear ol Andy … but
They all can have their memorabilia in a different window !
Go Birds, Make American Eagles Great Again !
116 anon said at 4:32 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Do we need to get another middle linebacker, Hicks = Sean Lee?
117 Sean E said at 4:33 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I think it’s more likely that Hicks’ injury is simply a cluster of bad luck than to say that his body is more likely to be injured than others.
118 anon said at 4:35 PM on January 24th, 2018:
every year though?
119 Sean E said at 4:36 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Everyone gets injured every year though, it’s just a matter of how severe.
120 kajomo said at 7:36 PM on January 24th, 2018:
So you are claiming that Sean Lee is not more prone to injuries than Nigel Bradham?
121 Sean E said at 8:04 PM on January 24th, 2018:
If you’re restricting injuries to specific types of injury, you’re making a completely different argument (the ‘so you’re saying’ tell for cognitive dissonance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmYvjt5lGX0 ). There are definitely people more prone to concussions than others, there are obviously people with skinnier legs or weaker ACLs more likely to tear them. I’d even concede that Hicks is more likely than average to tear an Achilles. But just painting him as injury prone because he has had a large variety of injuries doesn’t make sense.
122 sonofdman said at 4:44 PM on January 24th, 2018:
He started all 16 games last year. He had a pectoral injury his rookie year and an achilles injury this year. Those aren’t related or a reoccurring injury on the same body part. It seems like bad luck.
123 Jernst said at 5:16 PM on January 24th, 2018:
He also missed his entire Junior year in college with a hip injury, then earned a medical redshirt to preserve a year of eligibility, but missed the following year with a left achilles rupture, then played in all 13 games his senior year, then tore his pec his rookie year, made it through all of last year, broke his hand in the offseason getting out of a pool and then ruptured his right achilles midway through this season.
That’s a lot of injuries in a short amount of time. He’s had a season ending injury in 4 out of the last 6 seasons he’s played football and broke his hand and missed training camp in one off season.
124 Sean E said at 5:58 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Your argument implies that Jordan has weaker muscles, weaker tendons, and weaker ligaments than other NFL players. I don’t buy it.
125 Jernst said at 7:07 PM on January 24th, 2018:
that’s 1) exactly what injury prone means and 2) completely and entirely not only medically possible, but pretty much an absolute fact of human physiology. Not everyone’s muscles, ligaments and tendons could possibly be the same exact strength. In fact, you’d expect there to be a bell curve. A curve on which some professional athletes might be on the bottom end of.
126 Sean E said at 7:58 PM on January 24th, 2018:
But you’re conflating things that have nothing to do with each other. A torn pec is a torn muscle. Beau Allen also tore his pec. A ruptured achilles is a tendon tear. A broken hand is a broken bone. I don’t know enough about the hip injury in college but that sounds like another bone or maybe cartilage issue.
It doesn’t make logical sense, especially based on an incredibly small sample size, to conclude he simply has weaker bones, worse cartilage, weaker tendons than average. You don’t have any stats to back it up, and you definitely don’t have a sample size large enough to claim statistical significance. You’re drawing circles around random clusters and claiming that the clusters were predetermined.
127 anon said at 11:09 PM on January 24th, 2018:
maybe he’s the villain in unbreakable
128 Jernst said at 3:17 PM on January 25th, 2018:
No that is not at all what I’m doing. I’m a physician using my medical knowledge to tell you that certain people can be injury prone (meaning more likely to break bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles not “or”…”AND”) than other people. When you’re injury prone you are more likely to injure any and all parts of your body not just one. It’s a real medical phenomenon with a basis in DNA variants.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-genetics-of-being-injury-prone/385257/
I don’t have Jordan Hick’s DNA in front of me so I can’t tell you for sure if he’s genetically predisposed to injury. However, 2 Achilles’ tendon ruptures, one hip ligament tear, one pectoral tendon tear and a broken bone in 6 years certainly doesn’t dispel the notion that he is in fact injury prone. He could play the rest of his career without so much as a sprained ankle for all we know, but accounting for his prior injury as a statistically significant predictor of future injury (which it is as a matter of fact) would be prudent.
129 Jernst said at 3:29 PM on January 25th, 2018:
Oh and there’s plenty of data to draw statistically significant conclusions from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4196323/
http://sportsinjurypredictor.com/nfl-injury-news/do-injury-prone-players-really-exist/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953296/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4183252/
130 ChoTime said at 7:07 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Why not? Not everyone is put together the same way.
131 daveH said at 8:15 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I’m injured just reading that … imagine how good he could be with all that extra play experience
132 kajomo said at 5:46 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I said it above, but he’s had injury issues going back to college. He’s played a full season twice in 5-6 years. I agree that it’s not just one recurring issue, but I’m not sure how dependable he really is.
133 Dave said at 5:53 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Injured guys get injured.
134 daveH said at 8:14 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Every nfl player gets injured
..
Name the 4 exceptions
135 Bert's Bells said at 4:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
It does show that the team needs LB depth. I’d expect a 4th or 5th on a versatile LB, even if the staff like Gerry and Walker.
136 kajomo said at 5:45 PM on January 24th, 2018:
He’s had injury issues going back to college. I’m not sure how much you can trust someone with his injury history.
137 CrackSammich said at 10:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Agreed. Everyone playing pro football is injury prone.
138 Donald Kalinowski said at 4:47 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Hicks is on a tier below Lee
139 xeynon said at 9:58 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I don’t know about that.. Hicks has had a pretty good career despite missing Sean Lee the entire time.
140 Insomniac said at 5:52 PM on January 24th, 2018:
At least a decent backup. I wouldn’t be surprised if Howie starts to shop Hicks this offseason.
141 D3FB said at 6:04 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Expiring rookie deal, not a ton of value.
142 Insomniac said at 6:18 PM on January 24th, 2018:
True but it might be worth while to see what other teams value him at.
143 D3FB said at 6:39 PM on January 24th, 2018:
It would be far less than his value to the Eagles. Probably a 5.
What’s probably going to happen is Bradham gets paid, you bring back Kendricks and Hicks, bring in a low money vet, take a guy on day 3 and throw some cash around in UDFA.
Kendricks/Hicks/Vet
Gerry/Pick/UDFA
Is a solid enough group.
It’s not the position that makes the defense tick.
144 daveH said at 8:12 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Hicks still young and think he might still be growing. .if he doesn’t get wrecked o think he’ll be stronger in at 28, 29, 30
145 D3FB said at 8:22 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Sure but I would contend a lack of functional strength is not a problem with Hicks
146 daveH said at 10:35 PM on January 24th, 2018:
And i love holding onto good guys we’ve drafted. . Keep Eagles
147 anon said at 11:07 PM on January 24th, 2018:
funny he’s such a difference maker on the field, but its not like the defense falls apart with najee good back there.
remember the knock on hicks was injury history in college
148 BlindChow said at 11:57 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Well, I mean, the Vikings scored their only points against Najee Goode this week…
149 Insomniac said at 6:44 AM on January 25th, 2018:
Arguable, considering that he’s injury prone and had 1.5 good seasons. Just saying that he’s not as untouchable as homers want him to be.
It’s not but it sure doesn’t make it worse by not having Goode/Walker in there.
150 D3FB said at 6:40 PM on January 24th, 2018:
If Hicks plays well next year, you extend him but protect yourself. If he gets hurt again, then you reconsider options.
151 Fufina said at 6:35 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Think Howie will do the exact opposite and go for the extension, and get it at a lower $$$ value. Hicks is a top 5 MLB in the league but the market hasn’t got there for him yet.
152 Insomniac said at 6:37 AM on January 25th, 2018:
I wouldn’t put him in the top 5. Top 10 for sure if he’s healthy.
153 Someguy77 said at 10:04 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Selling pretty low though.
154 kajomo said at 6:03 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I’m a big fan of Jerome Baker out of OSU.
Probably more of a WLB, but I really like Dorian O’Daniel at the Senior Bowl if you want to check him out.
Both guys are very athletic guys that excel in pass coverage.
155 GENETiC-FREAK said at 6:22 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I like the Alabama LB Shaun Dion Hamilton. Hicks is to unreliable to stay on the field.
156 daveH said at 8:10 PM on January 24th, 2018:
=kuechly
157 GermanEagle said at 6:26 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Did the Eagles reach the Super Bowl yet?!
158 daveH said at 8:09 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Yout been checking flights? Maybe a cheapo flight to Chi cago . And ill drive up to Minneapolis with
159 Green Goblin Swag said at 7:52 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I just can’t wait until we are made fun of for only having one ring by people who root for a team that hasn’t done anything in the NFL since Blockbuster was still in business.
160 DJH said at 8:57 PM on January 24th, 2018:
We actually have 3 rings already, albeit pre-super bowl era. A championship’s a championship however. It’s not like we’re going to forget about them when we win a super bowl.
If we can defeat the evil empire in two weeks, we will technically have 4 rings.
How many teams have pre-SB championships and SB championships? There’s several I believe, but the history is a bit tricky to navigate. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/21e667852626a9ad4e784f4dddf7423539e3b7d52e0d1e87fe1144332c57a599.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/185f51d7a938a446c1569c4dc3c492fa79dea72c941a1af7462095ff02b16b9f.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/97d913563f360c394562c6284b0b5c554d3f74df1a897e8757d1a502c86b6f2e.jpg
161 DustyRyder71 said at 10:08 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Funnest fact ever: Nate Sudfeld has more NFC Championship Game snaps than any Cowboys QB in over 20 years.
162 scratcherk said at 9:38 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Donate to Carson’s foundation and win tickets to the superbowl!
https://www.prizeo.com/campaigns/carson-wentz/a-trip-to-the-super-bowl
163 ACViking said at 10:08 PM on January 24th, 2018:
With respect —
If anyone inclined to contribute to CW’s foundation has *not* yet sent money to Tommy to defray his Sr Bowl expenses . . .
Please bet on T-Law — a sure thing every year on the draft.
Then try the CW Foundation $10 lottery, if you want.
164 SteveH said at 10:16 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Kawhi Leonard to philly, make it happen!!!
I can’t believe Kawhi wants out, Poppovich basically built him into a superstar and now he wants to leave the org, that’s pretty wild.
165 Someguy77 said at 10:19 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Depends on what they need to give up and how bad Leonard’s quad injury actually is.
There are conflicting reports about how serious it is.
166 xeynon said at 11:06 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Nah, as good as Kawhi is, I don’t know that he’s what the team needs. He’s basically a better version of Covington, who’s a solid player signed long-term to a team friendly deal.
What they really need is more experience (Simmons and Saric need to improve their outside shots, Embiid needs to improve his tendency to try to make too much happen and turn the ball over, everybody needs to improve their team defense) and more depth (I’d love to see another wing who can score and a backup big who’s more reliable defensively than Holmes).
167 Someguy77 said at 11:18 PM on January 24th, 2018:
They need a versatile swing man who can run and is a quality 3 & D guy.
It really comes down to Fultz. If he is as big a disaster as Okafor was, this team is going to be hard pressed to overcome it especially given that they likely gave up a Top 3-4 pick year to draft him.
168 xeynon said at 12:55 AM on January 25th, 2018:
I honestly think that as long as they stay healthy they’ll be fine even if Fultz is a bust (which is something it’s way too early to speculate about).
Embiid is a franchise center as long as he stays on the court, and Simmons is one summer in the gym polishing his jumpshot away from being one of the best offensive players in the league.
Covington, Saric, and McConnell have the ability to be above average-to-elite role players. I’m not ready to give up on TLC or Korkmaz yet. They have a couple of highly regarded draft-and-stash guys waiting to come over in Pasceniks and Bolden.
They need more, but the biggest pieces are already in place, and even with the pick they gave up to get Fultz, they still have more coming.
169 RobNE said at 11:33 PM on January 24th, 2018:
and that Fultz guy from college
170 Someguy77 said at 10:16 PM on January 24th, 2018:
If that errant pass doesn’t bounce off Neal’s knee and fortuously end up in Smith’s hands before half, I doubt the Eagles beat the Falcons.
Kind of funny how a season can radically swing based upon a single moment or decision.
Pats had the ‘Tuck Rule’ in their first Super Bowl run or they don’t beat a solid veteran Raiders at Foxboro in the Divisional Round.
171 FairOaks said at 12:24 AM on January 25th, 2018:
And if that punt doesn’t get whipped around in the wind and hit Eagles players on the way down, Falcons don’t get their TD, and the game is probably a comfortable win.
Those turnovers made that game a coin flip, where something like the knee play or any of a bunch of others could have changed the outcome.
Eagles outplayed the Vikings similarly, but the turnovers changed it into a blowout. Without that pick six and strip sack, the Eagles have a 7 point lead max at halftime probably, and maybe less. Instead, the game was virtually over.
172 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 10:28 PM on January 24th, 2018:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/575f2fa927048f98e879294bf2bfd2ca3babb54a54f8bd303fe64f1a137d6bbf.jpg
173 SteveH said at 10:31 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Detmer could have been a hero in that NFC championship game against the Panthers.
174 Tdoteaglefan said at 10:44 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Your score is: 19819 (GRADE: B+)
Your Picks:
Round 2 Pick 6 (T.B.): Tremaine Edmunds, OLB, Virginia Tech (A-)
Round 3 Pick 5 (T.B.): Will Hernandez, OG, Texas-El Paso (A+)
Round 4 Pick 32: Jaylen Samuels, RB/WR, North Carolina State (A+)
Round 5 Pick 19: Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech (A+)
Round 5 Pick 31: Azeem Victor, ILB, Washington (A+)
Round 6 Pick 31: Breeland Speaks, DT, Ole Miss (A+)
175 kajomo said at 10:54 PM on January 24th, 2018:
These are so useless.
Edmunds is probably a top 10-15 player in this draft.
176 BlindChow said at 11:49 PM on January 24th, 2018:
when the masturbatory mock draft posts start two weeks too early
http://replygif.net/i/1166.gif
177 Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard said at 12:05 AM on January 25th, 2018:
My favorite is when they trade down 5 times and end up with 30 2nd round picks
178 Someguy77 said at 11:14 PM on January 24th, 2018:
Was Smallwood last seen on the side of a milk carton?
179 ColorSgt said at 12:35 AM on January 25th, 2018:
There was a place for his photo, but that was missing too.
180 Someguy77 said at 11:19 PM on January 24th, 2018:
I want an OL in a bad way next year in the 1st round and even if it is a G at No. 32.
181 xeynon said at 12:51 AM on January 25th, 2018:
BPA, BPA, BPA.
If that’s an OL, I’m all for it as I do think that’s a position where more depth is needed even if Peters comes back/Vaitai continues to improve. But I’m not passing up an outstanding prospect at LB, S, WR, etc. if that’s the best guy on the board.
182 sonofdman said at 2:15 AM on January 25th, 2018:
This why I don’t usually have much to say in draft discussions. My answer is always BPA and I don’t pay enough attention to college players have any strong opinion who the best player available is.
183 Someguy77 said at 3:04 PM on January 25th, 2018:
I could see that too.
Just see a bigger need at OL unless they don’t resign Bradham. S will be a need sooner than later too with McLeod (28 next year) and Jenkins (31) starting to get up there a bit.
Doubt Wiz is back Seumalo was terrible this year, and I don’t know how much Peters and even Kelce have in the tank.
I know teams don’t like to take a G or C in the first round but I want to ensure Wentz is protected.
184 D3FB said at 8:01 PM on January 25th, 2018:
Why would Wiz who is under contract for two more years not be back?