LT Drama

Posted: February 28th, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on LT Drama

Doug Pederson and Howie Roseman both said good things about Jason Peters earlier in the week. It felt like that was more about them praising a player they love than anything else.

Or…

One of the tricks to this time of the year is knowing who said what and understanding exactly what they said.

Howard Eskin is not a football guru, let alone an OL guru. But he does have good Eagles sources. This might be trash, but we can’t fully dismiss it. There could be merit to this report.

As for what he said, that’s more complicated. “The Eagles might not be confident that Dillard is ready to be the full-time LT.”

Might not be confident. Might not…

Ready to be the full-time LT. That could mean any number of things. Dillard might not be big or strong enough. He might need technique work. He might need to play with more confidence/aggression. He might not be mentally/emotionally ready for the grind of starting in the NFL. Who knows?

We can’t dismiss this comment, but we’ll find out if there is any merit in the next month. If the Eagles let Jason Peters walk in free agency, this report loses credibility. If the Eagles re-sign Peters, this report gains credibility.

We’ll know a lot more in a few weeks.

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Thursday was the first day of Combine workouts. We saw the WRs and QBs in action. Some Eagles related thoughts.

The Eagles need every advantage they can get when it comes to evaluating receiver prospects. Let’s hope Moorehead came away with some definitive thoughts after working with the players. He got to see their workouts, but also some intangibles. How did the players interact? Who was confident? Who was easily distracted?

Drafting is about finding the players/people.

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Henry Ruggs ran 4.27. We knew he could fly so that time just put a quantifiable number on his speed. He might not make it to pick 21. He was expected to be a blazer so the fast 40-time might not change much.

Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb ran more in the 4.5 range. Doesn’t matter. They are the two best receiver prospects. Lamb was especially impressive. I guess it is possible Ruggs could go ahead of Jeudy and then Jeudy could be on the board at 21. Not likely, but possible. NFL teams can fall in love with elite speed.

Notre Dame star Chase Claypool measured in at 6-4, 238. I thought that would push him toward TE for sure. Then he ran a 4.38 and jumped well. He will now go in the 2nd or 3rd round. That’s a rare-size speed combo. And he has good game tape. Claypool isn’t just a workout warrior.

Justin Jefferson had a strong day. He could be in the mix for pick 21. Jefferson had an amazing year in 2019 and ran better than expected in Indy. Terrific NFL prospect.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1233176490600280065

Denzel Mims of Baylor had a good season. He was then terrific at the Senior Bowl. Mims ran a 4.38 at 207 pounds on Thursday. He might remind you of a young, healthy and fast Alshon Jeffery. Mims is likely to go in the 2nd round.

There were plenty of other guys who were impressive.

We didn’t get to see K.J. Hamler or Tee Higgins workout. Hamler is the small, speedy receiver. Higgins has average speed, but good hands and can make some really impressive catches.

The Eagles are going to have some good options when the draft rolls around.

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The Eagles might be looking for a QB in the draft.

James Morgan from FIU had a good day and certainly could be of interest. He’s big and has a good arm. He’s nothing special athletically, but is good enough.

Steven Montez from Colorado had a good workout. He’s got the size and athleticism the Eagles like. I’ve got mixed feelings on him.

I thought Nate Stanley might be of interest, but he had a down day. He was inconsistent this year, but does have a strong arm and good potential.

After watching Clayton Thorson struggle, part of me wants the Eagles to forget about size/mobility. Go get an instinctive passer like Anthony Gordon. He’s not special physically, but he is a natural passer and has a great feel for the passing game.

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