Posted: April 25th, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | No Comments »The Eagles are coming off a bizarre season. They went 10-1 and looked like a Super Bowl team. Then the wheels came off and they limped into the playoffs, where they got shredded by Baker Mayfield and the Bucs. Ugh.
Howie Roseman made aggressive moves this offseason to improve the talent and also to get improved chemistry. At the same time, the Eagles lost Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox. This draft is important because the Eagles need talent at some positions for both now and the future. Does Howie draft the RT of the future? Does he go get a CB who can play right away? You have to be careful when it comes to the draft. Decisions need to cover the next five years, not just the next 10 months. It will be interesting to see how Roseman and the front office approach this draft.
Before talking about prospects and scenarios, let’s take a look at where the roster stands as of today.
WR DeVonta Smith … DeVante Parker
WR AJ Brown …… Joseph Ngata
WR Parris Campbell ….. Britain Covey
QB Jalen Hurts …….. Kenny Pickett ….. Tanner McKee
RB Saquon Barkley ..… Kenneth Gainwell …….
TE Dallas Goedert …… CJ Uzomah ……..… Grant Calcaterra
LT Jordan Mailata …… Fred Johnson
LG Landon Dickerson…..
OC Cam Jurgens ……… Matt Hennessy
RG Tyler Steen ….… Brett Toth
RT Lane Johnson …….
ED Josh Sweat …… Nolan Smith …. Patrick Johnson
DL Milton Williams …. Moro Ojomo
NT Jordan Davis …… PJ Mustipher ……. Noah Ellis
DL Jalen Carter ………… Marlon Tuipulotu
ED Bryce Huff ….. Brandon Graham … Zack Baun
MB Devin White ………. Oren Burks …… Brandon Smith
WB Nakobe Dean ……… Ben VanSumeren
SS CJ Gardner-Johnson … Tristan McCollum
FS Reed Blankenship …… Sydney Brown … Mekhi Garner
CB Darius Slay ……… Eli Ricks …………… Zech McPhearson
CB Kelee Ringo ……. Isaiah Rodgers ………. James Bradberry
NB Avonte Maddox …… Tyler Hall
P Braden Mann
K Jake Elliott
LS Rick Lovato
NEEDS
CB is a key need. Outside of Darius Slay, there are lots of questions. Can James Bradberry bounce back? Is Kelee Ringo ready to start? Is Isaiah Rodgers any good? Can Avonte Maddox stay healthy? The Eagles will draft a CB. It could be someone for the outside or the slot. They have checked out both spots thoroughly. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 23rd, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »The Eagles have one sure thing at CB right now, Darius Slay. Beyond him there are question marks. Young question marks. Old question marks. Inside question marks. Outside question marks. I think you get the picture.
Because of that uncertainty the Eagles wanted to find as many possible answers as they could. CB has been a focal point in the pre-draft process, with the Eagles meeting with and studying as many guys as they can. They made some pro moves as well. The team re-signed Avonte Maddox and signed Tyler Hall to give them depth and competition at the nickel spot. They also added Isaiah Rodgers, who was suspended for gambling.
Cool.
Rodgers is an interesting player. It is easy to lump him in with guys like Greedy Williams or Jimmy Moreland. The Eagles took fliers on them and both players did nothing in Philly. But those guys came over after a down season, where their old team had given up on them. Rodgers situation was heavily affected by his gambling suspension. When he played in 2022, Rodgers started 9 games and picked off 2 passes. He also has STs value. Rodgers averages 27 yards per KOR for his career and has one TD. He may not be Deion Sanders, but I think he’s more than just a lottery ticket.
The Eagles will look at Rodgers as someone to compete for a job. They won’t pencil him in as a starter. He won’t affect draft plans. But I do think he’s got a legitimate chance to make the team and carve out a role. I get the feeling he’s going to have a chip on his shoulder and wants to get his career back on track. We’ll see how this plays out.
Speaking of the draft…my buddy Tony Pauline (America’s leading Led Zeppelin fan) says the Eagles are interested in trading up for CB Quinyon Mitchell. He says they could trade a second round pick to Denver to move up to 12, with the idea of taking Mitchell. There is no guarantee Mitchell will make it that far, but he should be on the board at that point. The Steelers are also talking about moving up.
I’m not a huge fan of moving up, but I am definitely a big fan of Mitchell. He is the best CB in the draft. Mitchell had a great career at Toledo. He was a two-time All-American. He had 52 PDs and 6 INTs. Mitchell then had a great showing at the Senior Bowl. He topped that off with a great Combine performance. Mitchell has checked every box.
His game tape is impressive.
You always wonder how guys from smaller schools will do against elite competition. Seeing Mitchell dominate in the practices in Mobile really sold me on how good this guy is.
Mitchell has the potential to be a Top 10 CB in the NFL. He’s big and fast. He has good instincts. He has good ball skills.
There is also a connection with the Eagles. Mitchell went to Toledo and played for coach Jason Candle. Does that name sound familiar? Nick Sirianni has mentioned Candle a few times because they were teammates at Mount Union. If Sirianni has any questions, he’ll get straight answers from his old college buddy.
Enough CB talk for now. Make Tony happy and enjoy some Zeppelin.
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