Exploring Some Options

The Eagles are normally an active team in free agency. That will not be the case this year. Due to the worst cap situation in the league, the Eagles will have to be bargain hunters and they won’t even be able to do a lot of that.

This means Eagles fans are already focused on the draft. What will the team do at pick 6?

Too many people get into the mode of “They must do this” and act indignant if you suggest anything different. There isn’t any one move the Eagles must make. They need to explore their options make a smart decision.

TAKE A QB

The first point of discussion should be QBs. We know Trevor Lawrence will be off the board. That leaves the Eagles looking at Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance.

If the Eagles love any of them, Howie Roseman must talk to the teams ahead of him to see what it would cost to move up. This is only if the Eagles truly love a QB. We can debate the position of QB and how to address it, but it still remains the most important position in football. If you have a good QB, you’ve got a chance to compete every year. If you don’t, you better have one heck of a team.

The Eagles might not feel so compelled by the signal-callers that they are willing to move up for them. The team could sit at 6 and still take one. Sometimes you can let the board come to you and your QB might still be there.

FIND AN ELITE PLAYER

When you are coming off a 4-win season and you lack top talent, you might think the focus should be simple…take the best player on the board. That would be a WR or QB or CB or OL or whatever. Figure out who the elite player is and take him.

The problem is that not all drafts are loaded with elite talent. You could make a case that Trevor Lawrence, WR Ja’Marr Chase and TE Kyle Pitts are the only elite prospects in this class. That doesn’t mean other players can’t develop into elite NFL players, but they all have questions. Who are the truly special prospects?

The Eagles might think there are several more elite players. You never know who a team will fall in love with.

TRADE BACK

If the Eagles don’t love any of the QBs and aren’t enamored with the position players at the top of the draft, they could simply move back. This could just be a few spots or they could move back 8 to 10.

If the Eagles dropped back a few spots, there is a good chance they would still have good WR and CB options. Those are positions of need so moving back and still being able to address them would make a lot of sense.

It is possible the Eagles will decide they want a lot of picks…quantity over quality. They could move back to the middle of the first round. At that point, they would have a handful of options.

Think of it this way…if 1990 Reggie White was on the team last year, how many games do they win? Does it go up to 5 or 6? Wouldn’t be much more than that most likely. This team was/is more than a player away. There is a strong case to be made for moving down to add picks so you can try to fill a lot of holes.

Volume drafting doesn’t always work. The Browns loaded up on picks in the Wentz deal and wasted many of them. Jimmy Johnson did a lot of trading and used volume drafting to build Dallas into a dynasty. Those are extreme examples, but it can work. You know a certain amount of picks aren’t going to work out just based on drafting history. Guys get hurt. Guys don’t pan out. All kinds of reasons. The more picks you make, the more likely you should be to find players.

THE TOP GUYS

So who are the top players?

QB Trevor Lawrence – He’ll be long gone.
QB Zach Wilson – Could go number two. Has an odd style that at times will remind you of Mahomes, but he’s not as physically gifted.
QB Justin Fields – Has outstanding raw talent, but must develop as a passer. Lots of potential.
QB Trey Lance – Physically gifted runner and passer. Played lower level of competition and only had 1 game in 2020.

WR Ja’Marr Chase – Elite player. Not explosive, but a dominant receiver. Tough, physical, talented.
WR DeVonta Smith – Coming off amazing year, but size is a legit concern. Might be 6-0, 165. Can you take him Top 10?
WR Jaylen Waddle – Might be the #2 receiver. Most explosive player in the draft. Reminds me of Tyreek Hill, but not as physical.

TE Kyle Pitts – Elite player. Not a true TE. An offensive weapon. Beat SEC CBs out in space. Gifted athlete and pass-catcher.

OT Rashawn Slater – LT with size issues. Might be 6-4. Good player and technically sound, but can he play LT in NFL at that size?
OT Penei Sewell – Big LT with lots of potential, but also some issues. Gifted athlete, but has technical issues (hands, balance).

LB Micah Parsons – Big, athletic LB who can do it all (rush, cover, stuff the run). Character issues. Eagles don’t value LBs high.

CB Caley Farley – Big at 6-2, 205. Press corner with terrific movement skills. Outstanding cover corner.
CB Patrick Surtain – Another big CB. Very physical. Doesn’t give clean releases. Runs well and has quick feet. Very talented.

Those are the guys the Eagles will be focusing on at 6 or if they drop back a few spots.

Good players with a few great ones sprinkled in.

There is no “The Eagles must do this scenario” to me. You can make a strong argument for QB, WR or CB. You can argue for different guys within those positions. Do you want the physical receiver or the explosive receiver? There is no definitive right answer.

It will be interesting to see what choices the Eagles make. We don’t know what Sirianni wants. Maybe he and Howie can get on the same page, nail some picks and get this team headed back in the right direction.

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