Eagles Draft Talk

Posted: January 7th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 59 Comments »

The big recent news is that Luke Kuechly is going pro.  He is my #1 target for the Eagles, assuming Matt McGloin doesn’t go pro.  Matt would be the first QB to convince Andy Reid to become a coach who focused on running the ball.

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Kuechly would be a perfect fit for the Eagles.  I know some of you have doubts about his speed.  Some his size.  Some wonder how well he sheds blocks.  As far as speed, Jamar Chaney was the fastest MLB at the Combine when he came out.  Do you see that speed on gameday?  Not with any consistency.  Size?  We think Trot and Disco Stew are normal MLBs at 260 pounds.  No.  Those guys are exceptions.  Most MLBs are about 240.  So is Luke.

No college LB is great at shedding blocks.  I think Kuechly is the best at it that I’ve seen this year.  He uses his hands well and is a strong, physical player.  There are times he gets stuck on blocks, but that is true for Ray Lewis as well.  240-pound LB vs 310-pound OL isn’t always going to work well for the smaller guy.

Kuechly is a tackling machine.  That is exactly what we need.  Chaney played in 49 games at Miss State, not all as a starter.  He finished with 135 solo tackles and 286 total.  Kuechly played in 38 games at BC, a starter in all.  He finished with 299 solo tackles and 532 total.  Just let those numbers sink in for a minute.  Wow.  And trust me, I am a skeptic when it comes to tackle numbers.  I’ve seen plenty of times where they were inflated.  That’s not the case with Kuechly.  Simply put, he is a freak, a tackling freak.

The question now is Kuechly’s value.  We’ve got to see the process play out a bit before knowing that.  We have plenty of time to talk about this in depth.  For now, I’m just covering the situation in a quick, casual manner.   I’ll sum things up this way.  If we don’t go for a MLB in free agency (or via trade), the Kuechly needs to be our primary draft target.

* * * * *

Anyone watching the Cotton Bowl had to be intrigued by Arkansas WR/PR Joe Adams.  He showed great moves and electric speed.  He ran 5 punts back for TDs in his career, including one last night.  He caught 17 career TD passes.

Baylor WR Kendall Wright isn’t a gifted RS, but is a very good WR.  He’s got speed, RAC ability, and toughness.

FIU has a receiver named T.Y. Hilton that has great speed and elusiveness.  He is a great PR and KOR.  Good WR as well.  Finished his career with 37 total TDs.

If the Eagles decide to move on from DeSean Jackson, there are going to be lots of options in the draft (and FA).

* * * * *

Should the Eagles have any interest in a guy like Vontaze Burfict?  I really don’t think so.  He has big time talent, but needs to be developed as a player and person.  We haven’t done well with LB projects.  Reid doesn’t tend to do well with guys that have maturity issues.  If Burfict free-falls in the draft and the Eagles use a mid-round pick on him, I won’t be mad.  He’s got tremendous talent.  I just don’t think that is likely to happen.

My advice, forget about Burfict.

* * * * *

Now for some pro talk.  The Eagles signed WR/KOR Mardy Gilyard.  This isn’t a huge deal.  Gilyard is here primarily because of his ability as a RS.  Here are his numbers from college:

PR 21-252-1 … 12 yards per PR
KR 93-2664-4 .. 29 yards per KOR

Gilyard was a rookie in 2010 with the Rams.  He caught 6 passes.  He averaged 22.3 yards per KOR.  He is just coming to Philly to compete for a spot as a backup WR and RS.  Last year we tried that with Johnnie Lee Higgins.  Didn’t work.  Gilyard doesn’t have his track record, but will have a full offseason to learn the offense and try to win a job.  Nice signing because he fits a need, but he’s just one of many players who will have a shot at RS.

* * * * *

Someone asked in the last comments section about DL Jason Jones.  He is a free agent of the Titans.  Jones was a very good DT for Jim Washburn in 2010, but was less effective this year when he played a lot at DE.  Jones is just 25.  He’s 6’5, 276.  In 2010 he had 3.5 sacks, 10 TFLs, and 3 FFs.  I don’t know what kind of market there will be for Jones.  He doesn’t fit every system, but young, productive DTs aren’t always available.  Adding him to the mix would be very interesting.  We do need some youth on defense.

  • Anonymous

    How much of our LB trouble do you think was down to Bill Shuey? He’s not even coaching at College level now, while our LB’s didn’t exactly blow anyone away this year Rolle still played pretty well for a rookie especially considering the shortened offseason and Matthews struggled but definitely improved.

    When did he join the organisation? If it was 05/06 that would really help explain our LB troubles since then.

    • Anonymous

      It doesn’t look good that he’s not coaching anywhere, but the LB issues are more organizational than just him.

      Remember that Eagles fans, me included, used to rip David Culley. Now he’s developing WRs left and right. Need the right players and the right overall situation.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=565087931 Jeppe Elmelund van Ee

    Tommy,

    Forgive me for this re-post, but maybe it’s more fitting here…

    I’ve tried to make an off-season mock (it’s long and not fitting for this post), where I cut Justice, Dunlap and J. Jackson. That left me with Peters, Mathis, Kelce, Watkins, Herremans and Vandervelde at the O-line.

    I hadn’t thought of it before, but we seem to need a lot of new blood here! I was thinking via draft because of the relatively high age of our current starters. But at the same time, not high picks. We need someone mid to late draftees that Mudd can develop.

    I’ve read good things about OG/C Will Blackwell (6-4, 290, LSU) and OG/C Adam Gettis (6-4, 280, Iowa).

    Do they fit the bill?

    They are athletic players whose strengths are pass pro.

    Or is there someone else that you love?

    IF we pick one early I want Zebrie Sanders out of FSU!

    • Anonymous

      Blackwell and Gettis aren’t guys that have caught my eye. Solid, but not guys that have me really intrigued. I’m still looking for mid-round OL. I can talk to you about early targets, but the Eagles aren’t likely to take anyone early.

      I wonder about Justice. He wants to play, but also may know that he won’t necessarily have great options out there. Best thing for him might be to stay here for less money as backup…if the Eagles are interested in keeping him.

      Dunlap I can see trying to get a starting RT spot.

      We do need some guys for Mudd to develop. You’re on the money with that. Maybe there is another Evan Mathis type out there that we can get here as a backup.

      • Anonymous

        What about the LSU center with the super awesome name?

        • Anonymous

          T-Bob Hebert? That’s Bobby Hebert’s son (former Saints QB)

          • Anonymous

            In games in the yard, Bobby still played QB -”son, hike that ball to me”.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=565087931 Jeppe Elmelund van Ee

    How would D’Qwell Jackson fit in here as a MLB? He is a FA after the season…

    Just trying to find other options than Luke
    – partly because Luke is the only one I want, and I fear to be disappointed come April

    • Anonymous

      Jackson is a good MLB. I’d be fine with going for him.

      The Eagles have many options. Jackson is FA. London Fletcher. Stephen Tulloch. David Hawthorne of SEA is a guy I’ve liked for a couple of years. Any of these guys would be fine with me.

      There aren’t as many options in the draft. Kuechly is way above the others.

      • Anonymous

        I’d be wary of Jackson, he’s a perfect fit as an ILB, but that doesn’t always translate to MLB, MLB needs more range and size, a lot of 3-4 schemes protect one ILB (the tackler).

        I’d go Fletcher over Tulloch, similar bodies and Fletcher has slowed down, but I’ll bet at age 37 he can still smoke Tulloch in a foot race. To me, neither would be a long-term solution, Tulloch is an efficient tackler, but when his old DC won’t offer him real money (1 year, $3M), well . . .

        Hawthorne I like, a guy to think about is Mike Goff on the Giants, ACL in last year’s camp, so he should be close to 100% by August, was developing as MLB before his injury, might be a good “depth” pickup.

        • Anonymous

          Jonathan Goff. And no thanks. Stew tore his ACL way early in ’09 and wasn’t worth a flip in 2010. I’ll pass.

          I’m okay with adding him as competition, but not as an expected starter.

  • Anonymous

    I know it’s early in the process, but how high could you see Luke going? I think Rob Rang has him going as high as 9 to Buffalo! Assuming Luke doesn’t blow anybody away at the Combine and we are just going on game tape, any guesses? I’d guess 10 – 16.

    • Anonymous

      I just can’t see a MLB going Top 10 unless he’s an SEC guy with special size/speed stuff.

      • Anonymous

        I agree Kuechly falls to 15 although Dallas is a risk if a CB isn’t there. I would not take Burfict in the 1st but if he falls to 47 I am taking him. Kuechly could start day one at any of the LB positions. Burfict has such a high upside the risk is worth it. Imagine Kuechly, Burfit and Rolle playing to potential. They’d be set for 8 years. With Kuechly in the fold they’d have more flexibility to manage Burfict’s maturity issues while developing his skills. If Nate Allen is back to his First half form of 2010 (PFF had him as rookie of the year before their bye) it bodes very well for the back 7. Like you I think Jarrett can be good and he’s going to have to be to beat out Coleman. This is a team that finished 8th in yards after a rotten start. A back 7 of Burfict, Kuechly, Rolle, Allen, Jarrett, DRc and Asomugha playing to form would be a serious upgrade and would form the heart of a VG defense for a very long time. .

    • Anonymous

      The LBs he seems the most like are Posluszky and DeMarco Ryans. Where did they go?
      3-4 teams will look at guys like Bowman and Lee and question the wisdom of using a high draft pick on Luke. 4-3 teams will find him more attractive, but unless he blows away the Combine, how high do you draft an efficient tackler who lacked any outstanding playmaker qualities?

      Remember, Barry Gardner was a tackling machine in college. How soon we forget.

      • Anonymous

        Gardner was very good prospect and deserved to go high. Got to the NFL and just couldn’t cut it. That’s why the draft is a crapshoot. Good prospects don’t always work out as expected.

  • Anonymous

    Do you think it would be too risky to go into the draft without signing a MLB? I think MLB is our biggest need, and while I trust your analysis on Kuechly, if we go into the draft without a legitimate backup to Kuechly, other MLB-needy teams will notice that and could draft him with their selection ahead of us or trade up if they are selecting after us to draft Kuechly. As for other LBs in the draft, you haven’t really given many great reviews. In other words, if we go into the draft needing Kuechly and miss out, we will be stuck with 3rd tier FAs and Rookie LBs that at least you don’t seem so high on. I just think that is a huge risk.

    • Anonymous

      If the Eagles target Kuechly, they need to make sure to get him.

      The team could also sign an older vet to a 1-yr deal as insurance.

      There might be another player in the draft that is worth using a 2nd round pick on who could fit our needs. The Senior Bowl will be hugely important for finding out just how good some players are.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anders-Jensen/748307140 Anders Jensen

        You think we will go heavy on senior bowl players again this year?

        • Anonymous

          Roseman has been trashed unfairly for selecting workout warriors and senior bowl studs. Brandon Graham and Watkins each fit the profile however they were also very productive and very highly rated before the senior bowl and combines. The same is true for virtually every other pick. Rolle, Coleman, Allen. Chaney, etc were also highly touted as character guys with leadership skills having been starters much of their career and serving as team captains. Teo was a reach but he had stunning athleticism and was productive over 4 years. A miss at pick 86 is hardly unusual. Graham was PFFs #2 Rookie DL behind Suh and ahead of JPP. He tore his ACL. Allen was at one point the rookie of the year in PFF before a drop-off and his knee injury. There’s not much doubt had Graham stayed healthy he, Allen, Chaney and Coleman would be starting with Harbor, Cooper and Clayton contributing as subs. You can call Lindley a mistake but if they didn’t add DRC and Asomugha he’d be here, active. Kafka appears to have at least back-up potential. That’s a good draft. Last year he got Watkins, Kelce, Rolle, Jarrett, Marsh, Matthews and Vanderweigh. That’s 3 starters, good by any measure. Jarrett will compete with Coleman, Marsh flashes real talent and Matthews might provide useful depth. The only players he drafted who did not have productive stats were people like Lindley and Chaney who both were touted as 2nd round picks after good sophomore seasons and then missed games due to high ankle sprains and other non-surgical injuries. IF, and this is a huge IF, each of these players gets the offseason coaching they didn’t get last year, and they recover from injuries, Roseman will have produced starters in Kelce and Watkins, Graham, Allen, Chaney, Jarrett, Rolle, and significant subs in Coleman, Harbor, Cooper, Kafka, Clayton, Mathews and Marsh. That’s 7 starters, 14 keepers, in two drafts, not counting Lindley and Vanderweigh, and he’s going to have much better picks in 2012. This season sucked but if you are not optimistic.for the future you are an airhead.

          • Anonymous

            Howie made some mistakes in 2010, Graham probably was a decision made above his pay scale (HCs tend to determine 1st rd picks, especially someone as powerful as AR), but when he traded down from #55 he missed some opportunities, passed over Bowman and Graham (my pre-draft favorite), let Tennessee grab Verner a pick before Lindley. Wasn’t a disaster, but he didn’t optimize that draft either. 2011, I thought Jarrett was a reach at the time, but Marsh was a great pick, may flop but starter upside.

            Howie does have too much Modrak CYA in his strategy, when you focus on multi-year starters from big schools, you reduce the second guessing but also the opportunity for big upsides, guys like Marsh (position change) and Harbor (small college) have more risk but more upside. And big college players are often maxed out, Brzezinski, Gardner, Caver, Bunkley, Hunt (though he had a great year in Denver as a run stopper), never lived up to their college performance in the NFL.

            Problem with the Senior Bowl is success there is not a good predictor – but failure there is. It’s too small of a sample to put weight on success, could be the right matchup or the plain vanilla schemes, but failure is usually because a fatal flaw (stiff hips, slower than expected, bad technique) is exposed. Eagles put too much stress on Senior Bowl success, Hunt is a perfect example. They should use the Senior Bowl to downgrade people, but film and workouts to upgrade (workouts should be used to confirm what’s on film, not be considered important by themselves).

          • Anonymous

            The bitching now about Graham as a draft failure is the perfect example of fans as airheads. As you point out Howie made mistakes. Graham wasn’t one of them. He was extremely productive at a very high level and was on virtually every scouts list as one of the top 3 DEs coming out and more often than not ahead of JPP. There was a very wide consensus at the time JPP had a higher upside but was much riskier because he was the quintessential workout warrior. JPP is that rare guy who is better as a pro than he was in college. His stats were average at best. I watched Graham play Penn State and he was the best player on the field and that includes Bowman and Lee. ProFootballFocus rated his rookie year better than JPPs. Graham was not a bad pick. It just happens that JPP really blossomed this year and was a great pick. I’d argue in hindsight he was the best pick of the entire 2010 draft. If that makes Howie a moron he’s got a ton of company. At the time I was pissed about Earl. But I did understand they always planned on getting Allen. Both picks look bad now but you can’t reasonably indict Roseman. I think Allen will be fine. If Grahams knee returns to 100% he’ll also be fine. That 100% seems like wishful thinking

          • Anonymous

            I like Marsh a lot and I’d not write off Lindley either. He wasn’t cut because he sucked. He was expected to be a project and that’s not a good place to be when you have coaching turnover and a walkout. When they added DRC, Asomugha and Marsh he was toast. They do need a good DB coach but they have the physical skills. Whatever Reid does with Juan he needs to get his staff settled and have a successful off-season. My desire is they get two top LBs one named Kuechly. But I also have QB high on my list as well. Vick has the accuracy but he’s not playing smart. Eli is a statue but he reads and reacts quickly. Mike plays smart he’s the man for 5 years. If not he has to go.

  • Anonymous

    The guy I’d really keep an eye out for is Trevor Scott, coming off an ACL, but this guy would be allpro in the wide 9 if he’s 100%.

    Outstanding pro day
    6-5 256 – 4.54 15.3 32 4.19 6.84 33 9’9
    12 sacks his first two years coming off the bench
    2 sacks in 10 starts in 2010, then blew out his knee.
    Not surprisingly, struggled in 2011. But will be almost two years by August from his knee injury.
    He’s a much better fit to the wide 9 than a conventional 4-3 DE position.
    And with Shaughnessy returning next year, Raiders may not be willing to pay Scott.

    • Anonymous

      Scott could be of interest. Problem is that we’re deep at DE.

      Cole – Tapp
      Babin – Hunt – Graham

      Scott could come here and compete with Tapp for a spot, but I don’t think we’ll add a FA pass rusher with that player projected as definitely making the team.

      • Anonymous

        Yeah, but here’s your dilemma.

        4 top starters at DL, but all are 30 or older.

        Solid backups, but other than Graham, IF he recovers (microfracture surgery is a really bad sign, not a career killer like a decade ago, but far worse than just an ACL), no other backup can be projected as a starter.

        What I like about Scott is you could rent him, take him for a test ride, and if the engine is fine, sign him to a long-term deal. If 100% (and ACLs are pretty routine these days, last season he was rushed back), he could definitely be a replacement for Cole. I doubt anyone will offer him starter money given his past two seasons.

        • Anonymous

          I know age is an issue, but who do you get rid of? Gotta let 2012 play out to see where Graham is. If he gets back to 100 percent, DE is fine. If not, key position for 2013 offseason.

          I’m fine with adding a guy like Scott, but you can’t project him to making the team unless you want 6 DEs on the roster.

          • Anonymous

            This goes into my philosophy of training camp, no “camp bodies.” I truly feel you should only bring to training camp players with a legitimate shot at making the 53 man roster. I hate when I can look at the camp roster and see 10 names that I know on August 1 will not make the team or the PS.

            Go six deep at DE, and come the end of August, trade the loser for a late round draft pick. That’s how you build a roster, competition for every spot. As we know too well, crap happens, so extra players (not bodies) should always be welcome. Which is why I stress the importance of street free agents and UDFAs – what you want are players with upside, some will fail to deliver and get a quick visit from the Turk, but some will surprise. They’re cheap, they don’t impact your cap until the season starts, but they provide insurance, NFL ready players that someone else help develop for you.

            They did a great job last year, Ron Harris (had the RT job before his back went), Mathis, Landri, Hargrove. Before that they had Amendola, etc. Those “no names” are the key to building great teams.

            But who is the last UDFA to play a significant role on this team other than Jordan? They used to find guys like Hood, Mikell and JJ. These guys often needed a year or two to develop, but just imagine the Giants without Victor Cruz.

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anders-Jensen/748307140 Anders Jensen

            On some positions you need training camp bodies, but I see what you mean.

  • Anonymous

    Tommy, here’s an idle thought.

    We’ve been thinking conventional MLBs, but if you had a fast SLB like Lawson, or Chaney if he could handle the role, and a fast WLB like Rolle or Clayton, could you put someone like Hightower in at MLB in more the Trotter/Bradley role where they’re almost a DT attacking a gap in the wide 9. JJ used to line Trotter over the center but I’m thinking a variation on that theme, you have both DEs lined up in the wide 9, the DTs can shift with the MLB, all attacking a gap, and the OLBs play almost like ILBs. With speed at OLB you can still have a mixture of man and zone (man press outside with a cover 2 shell or a cover 1 with the SS moving up, fast LBs can take deep drops if needed).

    Just trying to think outside the box with the wide 9.

    • Anonymous

      Thinking outside the box is good. Problem is with Hightower in coverage over the middle. Can he cover enough ground in today’s pass happy NFL? Can’t rely on the OLBs to do that. They have other responsibilities. At that point, you’d almost have 5 DL and 2 LBs. Can’t do that in base D.

      Hightower is like 260 now. How heavy will he get over time? Guys bulk up when they hit the NFL.

      I won’t lie. Hightower fascinates me because he is such a big hitter and physical presence. That would be nice to have. It will be interesting to see how he runs in Indy. Maybe he lights it up and we have to re-evaluate things. Or maybe he weighs in at 250 and that makes us take a different look at him.

      • Anonymous

        How much did Trotter cover or Bradley in 2008?

        If I remember, they played on the LOS most of the time and were not in position to help much in coverage other then straight zone drops – so maybe what you should look at with Hightower is his ability to drop into zone and concede he won’t contribute in man. If the SS is playing in the box, maybe you give him the MLB’s assignments and the CBs cover outside with only a FS deep.

        Or maybe I’m just crazy.

        • Anonymous

          Bradley developed very nicely as cover guy. He had the speed to get depth on drops and got a lot better in man coverage.

          Trot covered well through the end of 2005 and then age caught up with him.

          Plus, NFL is different now. How many 5000 yard passers now vs then?

  • Anonymous

    Johnny Lynn fired. Does this open the door to Juan being the DB’s coach with Spags added? Or just merely Lynn did a poor job?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MMTIOUQZ37THV3WDG5DKBKE5CY Mr. Jones

    Everyone hear that Lynn, Secondary coach, got fired?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=600841 Brian Winings

    I am hoping that the Johnnie Lynn firing is the first domino that needs to fall for the Eagles to bring in Bowles and/or Spagnuolo in some capacity…

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MMTIOUQZ37THV3WDG5DKBKE5CY Mr. Jones

      I was just thinking the same thing… Spags, Bowles, Washburn and Castillo ( in some respect) sounds fine to me and would be a major upgrade in my book

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Coe/749860957 James Coe

        I’d guess that the ‘some capacity’ for Castillo would be LB coach (the position he played in college) in that scenario, with Wash and Bowles as DL and DBs respectively and Spags as coordinator.

        If we see Mike Caldwell get fired over the next couple days, I’ll start getting excited about this :p

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MMTIOUQZ37THV3WDG5DKBKE5CY Mr. Jones

    also is it strange that we hear about Todd Bowles wanting to come here and we fire the secondary coach… any ties or am I just fishing here?

    • Anonymous

      Very nice… “fishing” when referring to a Dolphins coach.

  • Anonymous

    I’ll put up a Johnnie Lynn post later on. No real news, beyond his firing. Just lots of speculation.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FTMKRTHGK6VQ7AECKS7VH5XPUE Christopher E

    I agree with you about picking Kuechly if we could. We definitely need a MLB upgrade and he isn’t likely to have a missed tackle problem either.

    Two questions:

    1. What do you think of drafting Rueben Randle, WR, LSU in the 2nd round? He has good, not great numbers but LSU doesn’t have great passers to get him the ball. He has great size, good moves and great hands. He was the #1 overall recruit in the country in HS. If he played in more of a passing offense he could have put up incredible numbers and be one of the top picks. Also, if Vick gets hurt he could even play QB (was Lousiana’s HS player of the year as a QB as a Sr.). ;-)

    2. Crazy question relating to defense / defensive coordinator. What the hell happened with all the missed tackles this year? Granted, none of the LBs are great but there were a lot of games (Buffalo) where players were missing simple tackles right in front of them. Do you think this is they were thinking about the scheme too much, not practicing the fundamentals? I’m just wondering if this is something changing the D-coordinator could fix.

    • Anonymous

      1. Haven’t studied Randle. I don’t focus on underclassmen unless they are elite or if they declare. Randle is good. Don’t know a lot about him beyond casually watching him.

      2. Not sure what to say about missed tackles. Biggest problem was Jarrad Page. He was awful with missed tackles. We had some bad games after him, but nothing like him.

      Getting rid of Asante will help. Having DRC outside will help. His tackling was awful in the slot. Chaney might be the worst tackling MLB in the entire league.

    • Anonymous

      Christopher, regarding the missed tackles, my personal opinion is that Juan’s unfortunate/misguided attempt to have the Eagles D play zone consistently put the players in a position to be “out of position” and as a result the players were arriving to to tackling location from bad angles and consistently late. When Juan finally played to his players strengths and went to man coverage, more often than not the players arrived at the point of the tackle from the right angle and in a timely manner.

  • Anonymous

    Tommy —

    How does Kuechly stack up with Patrick Willis, whom the 49ers took w/ the 11th choice in Rd 1, which is only 4 slots up from where the Eagles are this year.

    Do you see Kuechly — based on what you’ve seen to date — grading out as high as Willis when he came out? If not, how close? Close enough to use the 15th overall pick and expect an impact player like Willis?

    My impression’s been that the Eagles put a value on the players in the draft based on a range of picks where choosing that player makes sense. (For example, the 2007 trade of the Birds’ No. 1 pick to Dallas because the players left on the Eagles’ board didn’t justify being chosen that high.)

    Do the Eagles value players relative to what’s available each year? Or based on a standard that applies regardless of a players *relative* value in a particular season compared to other players in that pool of potential draftees?
    ______________________

    Do you see any teams ahead of the Eagles who would want Kuechly? Or any teams after the Eagles who’d be willing to package a pick to move in front of the Eagles?

    • Anonymous

      Way too early to get into the “who might want Luke ahead of us”. We have to see FA first.

      Willis was 240 or so and ran in the 4.5 range. Better athlete. Covered more ground. Not as good when you run right at him.

      Willis was better prospect because of his speed. That’s one of the reasons I don’t worry too much about Luke going before 15. We’ll see how things play out.

      Eagles rate players based a simple scale. They may compare a player to guys from the past. Key is to grade the player and figure out where he fits into the current class of prospects.

      • Mike Gore

        I totally disagree with the idea of taking Luke at No. 15. First, you don’t spend a high draft pick on a guy with a low ceiling and has racked up stats on a poor football team. I am just sick of the Eagles spending high draft picks on what appears to be a “sure thing.” That being said, at No. 15, I think we go M. Floyd WR notwithstanding desean jackson’s situation. This kid is worth a pick this high and could put our offense in another category and/or insure that it stays potent for years to come.

        So, this is what i’m looking at:

        1) Floyd
        2) DT
        2) best LB available
        3) OT

        We can address the LB position in FA or simply take a shot a prospect that is not a reach in the 2nd RD.

        • http://twitter.com/EWeaver34 Eric Weaver

          Hasn’t Floyd racked up a lot of stats on a poor football team too? And poor competition as well.

          Not saying he’s not good, just pointing out that you can say that for Kuechly or Floyd.

  • Anonymous

    Watching Texans/Bengals… Texans right guard (#65) has a blue stain on the back of his pants that looks like he sat down in 2000 Flushes.

    • Anonymous

      2000 Flushes…that made me laugh aloud. Kudos.

  • Anonymous

    Hjk

  • Anonymous

    After watching Tulloch against the Saints, my reaction is PASS.

    He’s just not a good enough athlete. Maybe a one year fill in while you try to find a real MLB.
    Oh, that’s what he was in Detroit?

  • Anonymous

    Quick draft question. Do you think the Eagles might bring in a QB in this draft? If so who do you think is the best fit?

    After watching Russel Wilson in the Rose Bowl part of me would enjoy seeing what he could do with some time under Reid. Saddly he might ditch football to go play for the Rockies but if not he could be a great pick if available in like the 3rd or 4th.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GTD7XZ2IENXR7KOPQCYGYL4ZRQ DF

    Tommy,
    Do you think there is any chance the Eagles could bring back Disco Stew to play SLB if he is a “cap casualty” in Arizona? Then draft Kuechly in 1st rd. Stew could be a smoke screen for other teams that may try and jump the Eagles to get Luke.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jakwaggoner Jack Waggoner

    URLAKKERZZ!!!1

  • Anonymous

    Cornerbacks don’t tackle . . . watching Eric Wright of the Lions last night was more entertaining than the game. The guy wouldn’t get near a Saints runner or receiver getting YAC.

    Wright made Asante and DRC look like Butkus.

    • Anonymous

      You’re right. We were spoiled having Sheldon Brown and Troy Vincent before him. I think a CB that is willing and able to tackle is the exception and not the norm.
      Then again when we went out in FA/Trades and add 2010′s 7th and 8th worst tackling CBs to the 2nd worst tackling CB we should have expected these results:
      http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/05/18/tackling-corners-2/

  • Anonymous

    Interested in any updated thoughts you might have on James Michael Johnson (Nevada) and Audie Cole. Cole played ILB this year, but has a Carlos Emmons body type, and might be an intriguing option at SAM. From what I’ve watched, JMJ has the athleticism & instinct to play MLB, but probably needs to develop some of his ability to fight through traffic. I’m ready for a shotgun approach to improving the LB position–try and hit as many targets as possible. Draft 3-4 types, 4-3, runstuffers, coverage guys, undersized, oversized, hybrids and throwbacks. Just fix the LBs!

  • Anonymous

    Tommy,

    The Eagles tried to upgrade the FB position in the draft last year, but it didn’t quite work out. As a result, the FB was ususally MIA in most games?

    Do you think they try to upgrade this year? Specifically, what do you think of Shawn Asiata from Utah. I was very impressed in the Utah vs GT game this year as a receiver.