Eagles Draft Talk
Posted: January 21st, 2012 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 52 Comments »We have 3 all star games today.
The East-West Shrine Game is the biggest of the trio…by far. There aren’t any top shelf players there, but there could be some guys who will go in the 3rd round. Mostly it is guys in the 5th-7th and UDFAs, but the Eagles have plucked some good players from the Shrine Game over the years. Brent Celek and Clay Harbor both helped their draft status with good showings.
Here are some possible Eagles targets:
LB Tank Carder – 6’2, 236 — Very good tackler. Can cover. At his best playing off the ball and then flying to it. Could be an interesting SAM or WLB in our system.
WR Greg Childs – 6’3, 215 — Got hurt in 2010 and wasn’t all the way recovered this year. Good combination of size and speed. Could be late rounder or even UDFA because of the injury.
LB Josh Kaddu – 6’3, 235 — Good athlete. If we want a mid-round athlete to add to the mix at SAM, Kaddu could be of interest.
DE Kentrell Lockett – 6’5, 243 — A sleek pass rusher, just like Jim Washburn likes. Tore his ACL in 2010 and struggled this year. Not all the way back. Played in 12 games, but didn’t have his speed/quickness. No sacks. In his Sophomore and Junior years, combined for 22 TFLs.
WR Jarius Wright – 5’10, 176 — Has DeSean’s build. Doesn’t have his speed. Wright was a very good player at Arkansas, but projects to being a #3 or #4 WR in the NFL.
OT Markus Zusevics – 6’5, 296 — Iowa’s RT. Could play OT or OG in our system.
DT Akiem Hicks – 6’5, 324 — Played up in Canada. Huge guy. Has an 84 inch wingspan (could actually wrap his arms around Andy Reid!). No idea what kind of player he is, but that build is absolutely intriguing.
CB Josh Norman – 6’0, 203 — Norman has been the talk of the week. He’s from Coastal Carolina, but has played lights out and moved from late round guy to maybe a Top 100 pick. The Eagles now like big CBs so he could be a target.
?? Evan Rodriguez – 6’2, 245 — He was a TE/H-back at Temple, but I think the Eagles would only be interested if they thought he could make the move to FB.
OL Quenton Saulsberry – 6’3, 303 — Played G and C at Mississippi State. Athletic type with good lateral agility. Could fit well in the Mudd System.
There are some small school and mid-major guys that I’m not real familiar with who could end up being targets. We have to watch the game and see which players stand out.
http://www.shrinegame.com/en/Teams/2012Roster.aspx
The game is today at 4pm on the NFL Network.
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The NFLPA’s game is really lacking in talent. This is more like a group of UDFA types. I’ll only list a couple of guys of interest.
S Johnny Fobbs – 6’0, 204 — Good tackler. Big hitter. Had 3 FFs this year. Could be good STer.
CB Jonte Green – 6’0, 184 — Had 14 pass break-ups and 50 solo tackles this year. Interesting guy.
OT Dan Hoch – 6’7, 321 — Played RT at Mizzou. Used to doing a lot of pass blocking. Might be worth a look.
DE Jerome Raymond – 6’4, 233 — Sleek pass rusher from Morehead State. Had 27 career sacks and 5 FFs.
ILB J.K. Schaffer – 6’2, 227 — I’m shocked he’s in this game. Deserves better. Very good college player.
LB Kadarron Anderson – 6’3, 235 — Highly productive small school guy. Good size, build.
OT Kelvin Beachum – 6’4, 307 — 4 year starter at LT for SMU. Could be G or T in Mudd’s system.
DE Marcus Robinson – 6’2, 247 — Had 14.5 career sacks at Miami. Small, so only a situational rusher, but could be developmental guy.
https://www.nflplayers.com/Articles/Public-News/AstroTurf-NFLPA-Collegiate-Bowl-Measurements/
The game is at 6pm. On NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus Network)
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The final game is the Battle of Florida. This truly is the land of UDFAs. I don’t know how compelling any of these guys are.
http://thebattleofflorida.com/pages/roster/
This game is at 8pm. It is on FOXSports Florida (channel 654 on DirecTV).
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For my SB Nation Philly column, I wrote about the young players and the offseason. Critical for some guys.
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Paul Domowitch has a good piece up today in regard to the Wide-9 and blitzing.
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The Dolphins chose Joe Philbin to be their HC yesterday. Per Jason LaCanfora, DBs coach Todd Bowles was going to explore his options. He had an offer to stay in Miami, but is looking around. The Eagles wanted to interview him last year for DC, but the Dolphins denied us permission. He could be of interest as our CBs coach this year. I don’t think we’d fire Juan to hire him as DC.
Juan and the players spent 2011 figuring things out and played much better after the first month of the season. Moving to a new DC would wipe out that progress and put the team back to square one. That’d be okay if there was a veteran DC who was a master at teaching his system, but Bowles has never been a DC. 2012 isn’t the time for more learning on the job. I would love to add him as the CBs coach.
T-LAW:
Would you mind adding the colleges to the bios of the first 4 (or 5) guys you listed — sort of gives a better feel for the competition
Players I think will step up:
Deion Lewis – just needs strength, but he’s young so that shouldn’t be a problem
Chad Hall – he has the body and quickness for the slot role, and he actually goes north south on PRs
Cooper – should be 100% off that ACL, could surprise
Havili – they need to focus him on RB, if you bulk him to FB think he’ll be too slow
Cooper – didn’t focus on football until his senior season (former Phillies draft pick), the lockout really hurt his development, but he made some catches that showed off his athleticism
Harbor – he has to finish off his NFL body, like a lot of small college guys, can be helped a lot by a real off season with a NFL strength coach
Brackett ran 4.61/1.59 at 248 lbs, 6.74 cone, 6’6, needs a lot of work in the weight room, but receiver skills, if he can bulk up and learn to block, could be a serious sleeper
Kelce – milkshakes and malts, dude, and a lot of weights
Watkins – you’re an inside mucker now, don’t think, just hit somebody (Warren Zevon)
Vandervelde – he’s a Mudd type, a full offseason will have him prepared
Dixon – really needs to get into shape, was too slow last year
Thorton – needs to get into better shape, and keep working on his technique
Graham – problem isn’t the ACL, microfracture is for cartilage, that implies a more serious injury
Lloyd – the dreaded ACL/MCL, maybe he can bounce back in 2012, but don’t bet real money
Matthews – just ask your brother for whatever he’s taking
Marsh – could add strength, but mostly needs reps
Jarrett – he ain’t getting faster, he needs to get bigger, his hope will be instincts and power at SS compensating for lack of range
One problem is there are a lot of 26-27 year old guys on the fringe who are unlikely to make a jump physically, and who have enough experience that they should have a clue. Guy like Lindley is probably what you see is what you get.
I’d like to think there’s a better 4th rounder out there better than Chad Hall. I think he fits the description in your final paragraph. Too bad he doesn’t have the talent to match his effort – he’d be awesome. Riley Cooper saved his best catch for the end of the season when he won that jump ball with 3 defenders around him. But he lacks fluidity to turn and catch on a go route – or, at least, I’ve never seen him do it. I’d love to see a big jump up in production from him next season.
I saw one website that indicated that there were three first round ILB prospects but that after that the prospects are worthy of only third or fourth round picks. That might mean that if the Eagles don’t get a guy in free agency or in the first round they could be in trouble. Or if Keuchly goes at #10 or #11 the Eagles might have to reach for one of the other first round ILBs. Do you agree with the assessment that there are likely to be no ILB prospects for the second round?
I’m still figuring out values. Also trying to figure out who fits best at which spot. Is Audie Cole a MLB or SAM? That type of thing. Seeing the guys in the all star games will help.
I really think the Eagles need to be aggressive with MLB, whether in FA or the draft. Don’t hope to land a guy in the 2nd round.
I think Audie Cole is a SAM. Not a sure enough open field tackler yet–and maybe never will be, but definitely times the snap count well, and has a good feel for rushing the passer. He’s also seemed to have very good coverage instincts.
I’d like to see the Eagles draft Cole, but you’re right, they need to do something else that will have a more immediate impact, like signing a guy in FA.
DE Kentrell Lockett – 6’5, 243 — A sleek pass rusher, just like Jim Washburn likes. Tore his ACL in 2010 and struggled this year. …..tore his ACL!!!! He’s going to be a second round pick for the eagles then!!!
The smartest thing the Eagles could do this year is to sign a MLB in free agency. There is an excellent crop of MLB targets available this year in free agency.
The MLB crop in the draft is underwhelming. There are no sure things such as a Brian Urlacher or a Patrick Willis. Either this year’s MLBs are productive but physically limited (Kuechly) or physically gifted but mentally unstable (Burfict) or better suited for 3-4 defenses (Hightower).
If they sign a competent MLB in free agency, it gives them the liberty to go BPA with their first round draft pick, whether that’s one of the stud CBs (Kirkpatrick might fall), or stud DTs (Brockers or Still might still be there), a stud DE (Coples might fall and Nick Perry might be a target), or even a stud OG that falls (DeCastro or Konz) or a one of the stud WRs (Kendall Wright or Michael Floyd could be available at #15 and project as elite WRs in the NFL).
If they reach for a MLB prospect with pick #15, they will simply be chasing good money after bad. They should have fixed this either in the 2010 draft (Bowman or Lee), or in free agency in 2011 (Tulloch). Overcompensating for two big missed opportunities now would be incredibly foolish. If they’re smart, they can still come out of this with everything patched up and still avoid reaching in the first round.
And the Eagles just might target MLB in free agency. That would be fine with me. There are good choices.
I tend to agree with part of this. Our number 1 pick should be used on someone we think will be an impact player, not just a decent, solid starter. If the Eagles think Kuechly or one of the other highly-ranked LBs will be that impact player, then they should take him. If not, they should do as you suggest and get a competent free agent LB. If they do that, I’d like to see them draft a WR with elite potential, or a QB if they can somehow get RGIII.
Having said that, if they do not plan to address the MLB position in free agency, I think you almost have to use the top pick there if you are using it on defense, since that’s the area of greatest need.
I’ll be stunned if RG3 isn’t gone in the first 5, and fully expect someone to trade up for the Rams’ #2 overall pick to select him.
Yes, addressing MLB in FA is definitely safer. It’s also cheaper, in theory, than addressing WR.
Watching Tank Carder can be dangerous. You can fall in love with him fairly quickly and become jaded about his real potential… last year’s Rose Bowl being a great example. Unfortunately, I think he’s more of a situational player or a “project,” which isn’t really ideal for us at LB. Still, I certainly wouldn’t be upset if we added him.
I’ve been hearing all week about Josh Norman and how he has been lighting up practice. Standing out in 7-on-7s is great, but it will be interesting to watch him going up against some pretty good wideouts like Childs, Wright and Hemingway.
Another guy I want to keep an eye on is WVU CB Keith Tandy. He’s quietly been one of the better CBs in the Big East the last two years, and I came away really impressed with him against Clemson in the Orange Bowl. I don’t think he winds up going any higher than the 5th round, but I like him as a potential developmental DB.
And, hey… the kicking units should be fun to watch. Blair Walsh and Bryan Anger, hehe.
Hey Tommy,
Was wondering what your thoughts are on a couple players in East/West game.
DE Brandon Lindsey 6-2/255 I heard is suited for the “wide nine”.
CB Shaun Prater and/or FS/CB Aaron Henry – Could they be good Slot CB’s?
Was wondering what you think of G Derek Dennis & T/G Matt Reynolds 4 Mudd’s OL.
Also DT’s Dominique Hamilton & Micanor Regis 4 Wash’s DL.
Thanks
[Deleted and re-posted]
Lindsey is very inconsistent. Talented, but doesn’t play like a stud often enough.
Prater had a down year. Hate when that happens to Seniors.
Henry is a big time hitter. Not sure about his cover skills. Very physical player.
Reynolds isn’t the kind of athlete Mudd likes. Not sure about Dennis.
Regis … doesn’t stand out. Hamilton I’m looking forward to watching. For some reason, I saw very little of Mizzou this year. They’ve had some interesting DL in recent years.
RE: Michael Floyd as Eagles’ 1st-round pick
There’s a post up on PFT.com (?) explaining that the Patriots’ offensive has been so explosive — without a long-ball threat — because they have 3 guys who can work the middle of the field: Gronk, Hernandez, and Welker . . . because NFL rules have made the middle of the field a “hit-free zone”.
So, the theory goes, given the new rules, deep threats — like D-Jax — are not as valuable. And in D-Jax’s case, that may be even more true since his 2nd concussion.
That makes a big, physical WR, even if not the deep threat of D-Jax, more valuable — assuming the offensive scheme is appropriately adjusted.
Look at the Giants two starting WRs: Nicks and Cruz. Neither is a burner. But both work the middle zones well. (Hit-Free!!!)
Michael Floyd is not a 4.25 WR. Probably not a 4.4 guy.
But he’s at least as fast as Marques Colston. Just as big. Much cheaper. Healthier.
And Colston’s an example of a guy who — maybe thanks to Brees — just works the deep middle of the field over and over.
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Maybe Floyd’s the way to go.
Take the money saved from D-Jax and pay McCoy. ‘Cause next year (I think), Maclin’s in line for a big raise.
For those who think Cooper’s the guy to replace D-Jax, that may be the case. If the Eagles’ hierarchy think so, then . . . as Morton says: BPA.
I’m all in favor of adding a big WR (or two) to the mix. We need bigger, more physical skill players.
I am glad to see someone giving credit where credit is due. A lot of people were complaining about our defense and Juan this year, but, in reality, we were on the cutting edge of where this league is headed with our hit-free defense.
Hey Tommy, what are your thoughts on Jake Bequette. Cole ain’t getting any younger and he could be great in teh 3rd/4th. Then again, our 3rd round picks usually are wasted…
I’ve written about Jake a few times. Like him a lot.
http://scoutsnotebook.com/2012/01/bowl-games-draft-talk/
Could be Eagles target.
Tommy,
This isn’t a draft question but free agency instead. If Desean is gone — and I think he should be — what do you think about attempting to get Reggie Wayne? I haven’t heard mention of his name as a possible target. I know he’s on the downside of his career, but he’s still a very good receiver. His stats in 2011 with third-rate qbs and a terrible team:
16 games started, 75 rec, 960yds, 4 tds.
Adam Caplan has speculated about him as a target. I could live with it, but would prefer a bigger, more physical player. Not sure Wayne and Vick would be an ideal match.
That Joe Theismann prostate commercial they just played on NFL Network will undoubtedly be the most interesting thing I see all day. My mind is fucking blown.
Needed the laugh. Thanks.
T-LAW:
In terms of raw athletic ability, Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw looks better on paper than L-Kluech.
Four questions:
1) Does Upshaw have the football instincts Kluech seems to have?
2) Has Upshaw shown the ability to play in space and to cover? [He sure looked good shutting down LSU’s read-option on the edge.]
3) Generally speaking, would adding a OLB with the ability and skills of a Derrick Johnson, for example, elevate the play of a lesser MLB?
4) HISTORICAL QUESTION: Can you think of any OLBs who were moved inside to MLB in a 4-3 and flourished for 6-7 years. [Ehrlacher, obviously, played safety in college and moved to MLB.] A Stew Bradley-type, w/out injuries.
Upshaw is an attacking OLB made for the 3-4. Instincts are okay, but not as good as Luke’s. Attacking players don’t need to be as instinctive. They don’t read. They attack.
Having an impact LB would help the MLB situation, just as having a stud MLB would help the OLBs. It is nice to have one player who can make up for the mistakes of others. Also gives them confidence.
Lawrence Timmons was OLB at FSU, now is good ILB.
I’m not sure if Antonio Pierce played MLB in college.
AJ Hawk was OLB in college, ILB now.
There’s more than that. I’m just drawing a blank now. Don’t have time to do any research.
They should sign MLB Curtis Lofton, Stephen Tulloch, Dan Connor, David Hawthorne or London Fletcher. It’s cheaper and safer doing that and drafting WR Michael Floyd who can start immediately. It would also be a big improvement in both those positions. If they traded their 2nd rd pick along with Asante and move to the end of the 1st rd they could draft TE Coby Fleener who’s 6-6/245 and led all TE’s with 10 TD’s 20.2 YPC. Have 3 TE’s, 4 WR’s and 4 Backs. The red zone won’t be a problem again. Draft SAM/MLB Audie Cole in 3rd rd and RB/FB Terrance Ganaway from Baylor in the 4th. We’ll never lose a lead with Ganaway(5-11/240; all muscle) running the ball in the 4th. He had something like 20 carry’s for 200 yds in there Bowl game.
Don’t forget the Eags have 2 2nd-round picks this year.
Hopefully they get a great RT or DT that’s light on their feet with the 47th pick. Maybe T Sanders from FSU or one of those DT that are supposed to go around there; unless there’s a QB Andy likes. I think Floyd, who they compare to Fitzgerald, shouldn’t get into much if any trouble if he came to Philly since they have such high character WR’s in Avant, Maclin and Tebow’s college roommate(Cooper); and should be one of the best WR’s.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d824dcc62/article/top-10-wrtes-osus-blackmon-headlines-explosive-group
Info on WR Michael Floyd & TE Coby Fleener from NFL.com website and just how good they are.
Gratuitous shot of hot girls in bikinis! Well played, NFL Network. Well played.
That was nice.
I’m liking the look of both of QBs Chandler Harnish and Tyler Hansen so far; not sure what their potential is, but they may be worth a look as a late-round project. I also think that SS Matt Daniels has looked good this evening – could be another one to bring in later in the draft.
Daniels has been bringing the wood, but doing so while form tackling. He has looked good. Surprising, because going into this game the only “Duke” safety I was familiar with was SJSU’s Duke Ihenacho, lol.
Just looked up his numbers, and it looks like he’s been doing pretty much that his whole career at Duke: 198 tackles, 9 TFLs, 13PBUs, 6FFs, 2 INTs in 34 games.
Could definitely be one to watch (nfldraftscout has him projected as a 5th-6th rounder)
RE: DeSean
We might get luck this off-season and be able to re-sign DJax at a reasonable price. I’m thinking the Eagles anticipated this market when they chose not to offer a new contract last off-season.
I don’t want to lose DeSean’s ability to stretch the field. That’s something too special to our offense to let walk out the door. Replacing him with a 1st rounder doesn’t do it for me, unless it’s Justin Blackmon.
100 % agree dude!
I think people tend to underestimate Desean’s value to the Eagles. Especially when they think that any Rookie WR can simply replace him. Unless it’s Blackmon…!
I’m kind of intrigued by Bobby Rainey. He’s of a similar mold to what we already have with Dion Lewis. A pretty marginal RS in college as well. But I just wonder if he could bring a different dimension to the offense.
I honestly did not see much, if any, WKU Hilltopper football this year. Is Rainey at all comparable to Taiwan Jones from last year’s draft?
Covered him here. http://scoutsnotebook.com/2011/12/player-notes-misc/
Not sure he’s got the speed.
Whether desean stays or not i still want a tall reciever. What round do u think brian quick is suitable
Gotta see how he does at the Senior Bowl. Could go as high as the 2nd round. Could also fall to 4th or 5th. Need to see how he does vs top CBs. Quick is still sorta raw. Eagles could definitely like him.
Wait, now we want Quick? I thought we were looking for a big receiver?
Actually, though, he might be worth a draft pick to see how many consecutive times Jaws mentions another receiver named Quick when this guy makes a play.
I taped the NFLPA whatever-the-hell-Bowl. I just saw the first few minutes, but they have 3 junior eligibles. What the hell is that about? And Brandon Washington, a guy who could go in the 2nd-4th round range, was one of them. Crazy.
The Senior Bowl is the coup de grace, but if this NFLPA whatever-blah-blah-Bowl is going to start carrying Junior eligibles, it could get interesting in future years.
Plus, it was commentated by Corey Chavous. Corey Chavous, of draft nasty! Corey Chavous, who once said that Reggie McNeal was the #1 prospect in the 2006 draft! Cough… cough.
The Juniors angle was very controversial. No NFL scouts went to the bowl practices because of that.
About 10 years ago, the Shrine Game experimented with letting Juniors play. Hula Bowl did back in the mid-90s. Never caught on. Let the Seniors have the all star games. Juniors should only come out if they are stars. If so, they don’t need AS games as much as some fringe Seniors.
I agree entirely. The all star circuit should be for those who stuck it out and decided to play their entire career. And while underclassmen may tend to dominate the top-20 or top-25, it is the senior class that will always fill out the depth. That is where games like the Senior Bowl are so valuable.
I liked Corey Chavous as a player, and I remember being intrigued about a freshly-minted retiree moving directly into the field of draft analysis. The 2006 draft was the first draft that I really dove into, hardcore(I was only 17, but I had the full 7-round mock, a ranking of my top-255, etc)… and when Chavous came out with his unabashed mancrush on Reggie McNeal, I was just like, “wait… what? Seriously??”
I’ve had my colossal misses in my time. I fucking loved Brian Brohm. I thought LenDale White was the next Earl Campbell. But, come on man… Reggie McNeal?!
And yes…Chavous will forever be remembered for the Reggie McNeal thing. He told Mike Mayock that during a Total Access draft discussion and Mayock was simply astounded. He kept trying to ask Corey if he really meant #1 overall. Yep, he sure did.
Why draft WR Floyd(15th pick) & TE Fleener(trade 51st pick and Asante to move up to end of 1st rd.) Sign FA Lofton, Tulloch, Hawthorne, Conner or Fletcher. They can all start day 1, positions will be dramatically improved and they could save a few million signing a FA LB; which is also more important to have experience in. In the 3rd rd they could draft SAM/MLB Audie Cole. Keep 4 backs, 3 TE’s and 4 WR’s. Drafting Baylor’s(5-11/240 Greenaway) RB/FB in the 4th they could wear down D’s once they get a lead & keep scoring. The offense would be very powerful and unstoppable. The D will be improved.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d824dcc62/article/top-10-wrtes-osus-blackmon-headlines-explosive-group
Fleener at the end of the 1st? That’d be a big reach.
Then they could extend DRC’s contract for 5 yrs and resign Landri for 5 yrs with that extra money. B’more waited for Ray Rice’s rookie contract to run out so if the Eagles can’t afford to sign McCoy they could wait ’til next yr if they have to.
Tommy,
I am a big Michael Floyd fan…do you have any concerns of him being injury prone? I know he missed time both his Fresh and Soph seasons, but were those more “freak” incidents or is it something to be concerned with?
Tommy,
I really was impressed with Brandon Brooks. I know he’s outsized for what Mudd prefers, but he just looks incredibly well put together to be walking around at 350+ pounds. He seemed to blow his guy off the ball all night. Do you have any thoughts?
I liked Kaddu a lot as well. Seemed to hold up pretty well in man coverage and was consistently around the action. I’d be happy with drafting 2 or 3 linebackers in the first 4 rounds.
I feel like Hicks is a size athlete everyone is giving more attention than is warranted. DaJohn Harris is a guy that got a lot of press and made plays in the game that stood out to me. I felt I was watching this game waiting for Hicks to make his presence felt.
Quite a few draftniks had Kyle Wilber as their game MVP. I thought he was pretty good, too. Could he be a Willy Young type rotational guy, or is he going to go too high to warrant spending a pick on? Or maybe a guy like Tyrone Crawford as a developmental long DT in the mold of Jason Jones in Tennesee? Seemed to have a good feel for the bullrush.
Can’t say I’m too excited for another year of Juan, but now that we know we’ll have some continuity with Washburn, I’m excited to see what kind of guys they can bring in and develop on the line. For the much ballyhooed weaknesses of the wide 9 against running plays, Washburn is still one of the top DL coaches in the league.
With JamJax on the way out we need another center and Saulsberry’s SEC experience, skill-set and versatility make him a really interesting 3rd day candidate. In that East-West game i also had interest in LB Franklin from Arkansas as a Saturday pick.