Saturday Notebook

There isn’t a huge topic for today so let’s talk about a few different things. There was some speculation on Friday that the Eagles might be a suitor for Deshaun Watson, once his legal situation is under control.

This was purely speculation. I get it. The Eagles love star QBs and Watson is one of the Top 5 QBs in the league. If he became available, looking into the situation would make a ton of sense.

Watson’s situation is complicated, to put it mildly. I’m not going to talk much about it because I hate legal issues and I haven’t spent time trying to fully understand it. The last time I checked, there were 21 massage therapists making complaints about him. There were also 18 massage therapists supporting him. No matter who you believe, that’s a lot of massage therapists. That is a red flag in and of itself.

Watson’s attorney came out and said there were some consensual sexual relationships between Watson and therapists. That makes things even more complicated.

The big question now is if there will be criminal charges. Until that side of things is cleared up, everything else is meaningless.

Never say never in the NFL, but I don’t think Watson to Philly is going to be happening any time soon.

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Should the Eagles have interest in free agent CB Steven Nelson?

Sure, at the right price. Nelson was due to make $8M when the Steelers released him. They had cap issues and simply couldn’t afford that price. Nelson thought he would hit the market and get signed quickly. He was cut more than two weeks ago and is still on the market.

My guess is that Nelson is asking for more than teams want to pay.

Nelson is a solid player. He’s been a starter for the past five years, playing for the Chiefs and Steelers. Nelson breaks up a lot of passes, in part because a good amount of passes come his way. He isn’t anything special, but Nelson is an effective starter. He will hit and tackle. Nelson lacks ideal size or speed, but he is highly competitve. He’s 28-years old and should be a solid starter for multiple years.

The Eagles don’t have a lot of cap space right now. They need some for signing the rookie class so deals have to make sense and be structured just the right way. We’ll see if Nelson lowers his asking price.

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What about current Eagles CBs?

Michael Jacquet and Craig James have shown potential, but have also struggled when playing on defense. They’ll be given a chance to earn roles, but you cannot count on them for anything more than competing for roles.

You never want to give up on a guy too early (like Chandon Sullivan), but I think these guys played enough that we know they aren’t CBs to develop for future starting roles.

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What will happen with Caleb Farley?

He is the most talented CB in the draft. Farley is a terrific prospect. Unfortunately, he’s got a back issue.

CB Caleb Farley was once a possible top-10 pick

Then he underwent his 2nd back procedure …

The tape shows a textbook press CB. The medical report is a bit scary.https://t.co/KGo4oQPrus

— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) April 10, 2021

The agent for Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley, @DrewJRosenhaus, said a “bunch of team doctors and trainers” told him after today’s medical recheck in Indianapolis that Farley “did well with his physical regarding his back and is still expected to go in the first round.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 9, 2021

If healthy, Farley might be my ideal target at 12.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus says he’s fine, but take that with a grain of salt. Team medical reports are the key here. Some teams will be fine with the risk. Others won’t. I have no idea how to value Farley. Maybe the Eagles take him at 12. If he falls, I’d have interest in the Eagles trying to trade back into the 1st round to get him.

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Could the Eagles take a LB early in the draft?

The Eagles have not focused on the LB position in a long time. New DC Jonathan Gannon came from teams (MIN, IND) that did put more emphasis on LBs. That could force a change with the Eagles.

I could see the Eagles looking at 2020 as a year of evaluation. With Alex Singleton, Eric Wilson and T.J. Edwards, there is a solid trio to work with. You have Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley and Genard Avery behind them. You also have Joe Bachie and Rashad Smith.

The coaches might want to find out what they think of this group instead of spending key resources.

If the team does decide to go for a LB, they will have good options. There are some terrific players in the first few rounds. I don’t anticipate a LB going early now that Wilson has been signed, but you certainly can’t completely rule it out. If there is a prospect the team loves, go get him.

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