QB Talk

Posted: March 10th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 59 Comments »

The Skins pulled off a mega-deal on Friday night, sending 3 1st round picks and a 2nd round pick to the Rams for #2 overall.  The Skins clearly want RG3 to be their franchise QB.  I knew they had interest, but figured that Cleveland would use both 1st rounders this year and make the deal.  You have to wonder if the Browns did a poor job of negotiating.  According to PFT the Browns showed interest late.  They might have been too coy with trying to limit interest to keep the price down.  Can’t be cute with situations like this.  Go in hard and get the deal done.  WAS did.  Kudos to them.

You can question the price they paid.  To move up 4 spots they surrendered a 2012 2nd, 2013 1st, and 2014 1st.  That’s a whole lot.  But…they get a franchise QB.  You either have a QB or you don’t.  Mike Shanahan wasted the last 2 years, in terms of the QB situation.  He never embraced Donovan McNabb in 2010 and that was a disaster.  He then went with Rex Grossman and John Beck in 2011.  Eagles fans get mad when the team does something questionable at FB or LB or whatever.  At least Big Red has never wasted a season on Rex Beck.  Yikes.

Shanny had to get a QB.  He was heading into his third season at the helm and the team was better off at QB before he got here.  Who would have thought you would miss the days of Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell?  Shanny was driving his coaching legacy off a bridge with the way the Skins played the last couple of seasons.  He absolutely had to get a QB.  Had to.

I do think it is interesting that he paid so much to get RG3.  I thought Ryan Tannehill was a good fit for Shanny’s system.  He could have sitting there at 4.  Or maybe you move up a spot or two to make sure you get him.  The price would have been much lower.  Shanny decided to go all in on this.  Break the bank and get the elite talent.  I don’t think it is a dumb decision.  Risky?  Yes, but not dumb.

It’s easy to look at the trade value charts and see that Shanny overpaid.  The problem is that those charts deal with generalities.  RG3 isn’t a normal #2 pick.  He is more like pick #1A.  RG3 is worth more than some other #2 picks.

I’m interested to see how he does with Team Shanny.  RG3 won’t come into the league with a sense of entitlement.  He went to Baylor, not Texas, USC, or somewhere like that.  His parents were both in the military.  He’s not been coddled.  He can take some coaching.  RG3 will be in for a severe test, though.  Listen to Jake Plummer talk and you’d think Shanny was Gunnery Sgt Hartman.  Shanny used to be a really good coach, but I wonder if John Elway ruined him.  The bar is now set at Elway.  That’d be fine except that Elway is arguably the greatest QB of all time.  How do you compare guys like Plummer, Brian Griese, and Jay Cutler to Elway?  Plummer had the mobility.  Griese had the pedigree (successful football fathers) and Cutler had the arm.  As individuals, none of them compared to him.

I hope for RG3′s sake Shanny will dial things down and embrace the young man.  RG3 has great talent.  He needs coaching.  The Panthers did a great job last year with Cam Newton.  The Bengals did a great job with Andy Dalton.  Those coaches had a good feel for how to push the players, but not too hard.  It is a tough balance to strike.

Shanny needs RG3 to come through in a big way.  If he busts, Shanny will have killed any shot he had at the Hall of Fame and will join the ranks of “I remember when you were a good coach”.

In terms of on field fit, RG3 is very good.  Shanny loves QBs who can move around.  He loves to throw intermediate and deep balls.  RG3 has great downfield touch and accuracy.  RG3 can throw on the move.  He has the arm strength to make all the throws.  RG3 can run when plays break down, but he is a pass first guy.  I think he has enough experience, talent, and maturity to play right away.  Baylor isn’t a standard spread offense.  They will attack downfield.  RG3 will have a tough transition to the NFL (as all QBs do), but I don’t think he’ll be in over his head.

Tomorrow I’ll get into how this deal affects the Eagles.

* * * * *

The Jets gave Mark Sanchez an extension.  This was to help with Cap room and as a public show of support.  As a Jets fan…can you be happy about this?  See the note above…either you have a QB or you don’t.  Do the Jets really have a QB?

* * * * *

Questions/Topics of interest

Any interest in MLB Gary Brackett?   Sure, if it is 2007.  Unfortunately Brackett is getting older and isn’t the same player.  He missed most of 2011 and 4 games in 2010.  There are much better options in FA and the draft.

Any interest in Brandon Jacobs?   Not really.  First, he’s not a good short yardage back to let go of that notion.  As a backup RB he would be interesting, but I don’t think Jacobs would be happy with the kind of touches we give to backup runners.  Doesn’t make sense to me.

Bobby Wagner’s Pro Day.  He didn’t participate the other day, but will work out for teams on March 30th.  You can bet that a lot of scouts and LB coaches will be on hand.

Nigel Bradham SAM target?  I’m not a huge fan.  Good player in the right situations, but his lack of physicality is an issue for me.  Put him in space and the guy looks really good.  In traffic, he can struggle.  Eagles might like him.  I’m not keen on the idea.

* * * * *

More on RG3 and some Bruce Irvin talk at ScoutsNotebook.

  • Jason_E

    “Nigel Bradham SAM target?  I’m not a huge fan.  Good player in the right situations, but his lack of physicality is an issue for me.  Put him in space and the guy looks really good.  In traffic, he can struggle.  Eagles might like him.  I’m not keen on the idea.”

    We already have too many LBs like this. Isn’t this the same thing we say of Clayton. Great in space, not physical enough at the line and in traffic. No. Give me a bruiser. Someone who can tackle, press, she’d blocks. You know, play LB.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GWMNZ32U6YPGGA7N4JNWH4OSJE Mac

      And possibly 6’1″ or taller?

    • GeorgeFleep

      i like shea mcclellin from boise state 6-3 260 2nd round projected

      Tommy wrote

      “This is the guy that really intrigues me. Boise State listed him at DE, but played all over. Was DE, OLB, and ILB. Got used as WLB in Mobile. Has the perfect build for SAM. Physical enough to handle the POA on run plays. DE experience helps in that regard as well. Good pass rusher. Can use quickness off the edge or blitz as stand-up LB. Actually looks okay in coverage. Saw him in one game tracking the RB down the field on a wheel route. Does need work, but lots of potential. Great motor. Chases the ball all over. Doesn’t just feast on light competition. Had 2.5 sacks vs Georgia this year and 2.5 sacks vs Virginia Tech in 2010. Finished his career with 4 INTs, 20.5 sacks, 33 TFLs, and 5 FFs. Could be a bit of a project, but major upside. I see him as 3rd rounder at this point.”

      http://scoutsnotebook.com/2012/02/10/sam-lbs/

  • JRO91

    Tommy – any interest in Bullitt as a vet safety?

    • TommyLawlor

      Mixed feelings. I want to let Kurt and Ja-Jar battle it out for SS, but I’m not against adding a vet to the mix. I don’t value Bullitt as a guy to sign and hand the job to.

      • JRO91

        I agree. But bringing him in also forces those two to raise their game if they want to start…which isn a bad thing!

  • JRO91

    Also now that the falcons signed Lofa looks like Lofton is gonna walk. Any chatter from your Eagles boys that they may go after him?

    • TommyLawlor

      LB will be addressed. Not sure who the #1 target is. Lofton is the best available, but that doesn’t mean he’s the #1 target. Money and fit have to be factored in. I think he fits just fine. Not sure about $.

  • austinfan

    Irvin’s a really interesting prospect. At first, I wrote him off as the second coming of Antwan Barnes, fast straight line pass rusher who can only succeed in certain roles. Then he puts up a 6.70 cone drill, uh, you have to have some agility to do that, that’s elite CB time. Throw in his 4.50 40 and his 4.03 SS, and I have visions of our next SS (just kidding, I think).

    The difference is that Barnes was/is limited physically, didn’t work out with the Eagles, neither did Clemons, but both blossomed elsewhere (and would have worked in the wide 9).

    Irvin not only would be an instant contributor off the bench in the wide 9, but put him in the weight room, give him coaching on playing LB, and I think you have a starting SLB two years down the road. He’s raw, but he has the athletic talent to do more than just pass rush, but you’d have to be patient. You’d either train him as a LB or you have Rubin put 10 lbs on him and he starts at DE in two years. For one thing, he’d have a shot at catching RGIII from behind.

    For a team like the Eagles, that can use him as a pass rusher and as a cover guy on STs while he learns, he has more value than a lot of teams.

    • TommyLawlor

      This isn’t the old defense. Irvin would have been a SAM candidate in that. In this system, you need someone who is more like an ILB. I can’t see Irvin handling a role like that at all. He’s a DE for us.

      Good point about STs. Could be a standout on coverage units.

  • http://twitter.com/alex_karklins Alex Karklins

    Man, I am not looking forward to having the Eagles face RGIII twice a year for the next ten years. It’ll be very interesting to see if this helps attract free agents to Washington, now that the QB situation is pretty much settled.

  • ACViking

    T-LAW:

    Question re: RGIII — who’s a combination of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s brains, Vick’s athleticism, Kurt Warner’s size, and (it sounds like) Peyton’s Manning’s discipline.

    The stories about him always mention his touch on long passes.

    Ok . . . how’s RGIII’s accuracy up to 20 yards?
    _______________

    It going to be no fun dealing with this kid for the next 12 years. Whether he gets any top-shelf receivers or not.

    D-Mac ate up the NFC East for more than half a decade with CRAP at WR.

    This kid — and I assume he’ll bulk up a bit as he maturesj — is D-Mac times 2.

    • Westpaceagle

      Holy crap did I actually contribute something to this site?

      2 months ago
      Eagles End Great Season With Dominant Win

      “Random thought: I support the use of T-Law as a nick name for Tommy, in the parlance of our times.”

      You probably came up with this brilliant nick-name on your own, but I can pretend it was my idea.

      • ACViking

        I take no credit at all.

        it was you, WESTPACEAGLE.

  • Thunder_lips

    For reference, when the Falcons moved up from #5 to #1 in 2001 to take Vick, they gave up a 3rd rounder, a 2002 2nd rounder and WR Tim Dwight.

    The Skins moved up the same number of spots, but gave up basically two more 1st rounders. I know the new CBA makes rookie contracts much more palatable, but that still seems like too much.

    Tommy,

    Were Vick and RG3 comparable prospects coming out of college?

    • TommyLawlor

      RG3 is much better passer. Vick was a more dominant player. He led VT to the title game and did his best to keep them in that vs a much better FSU team.

      Vick is the most physically gifted QB I’ve ever seen. Freak.

      • Thunder_lips

        But as far as their sure-thing-atude (can you believe that’s not a word) where are RG3 and Vick? From what I remember, top QB prospects seem to have broken down as:

        Can’t miss: Peyton, Vick, (and now Luck)
        Really good prospects: Palmer, Eli, Couch
        Good prospects: McNabb, Stafford, Carr
        Ok prospects, but over-drafted based on need: Russell, Alex Smith, Leaf

        Am I close on my assessments, and where would RG3 fit in?

        • TommyLawlor

          Not so sure Vick was a sure thing. His talent was just so good that he was worth the risk.

          Stafford should be “Really Good” in your list.

          RG3 isn’t can’t miss, but he’s only a notch below.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1514128048 Kristopher Cebula

          also, a lot of teams liked ryan leaf more than manning. he wasn’t over-drafted

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

    Come on Tommy – you know better than this “But…they get a franchise QB.” – they get no such thing…they get a lotto ticket that may result in a Franchise QB. It could also result in an ACL tear when Babin and Cole tear him apart the firat time we play the Skins and RGimpy3 may never play in the NFL again…I am just saying, they did NOT get a franchise QB, they moved up 4 slots in a draft and gave up way too much to do so…it may work out for them, but it is a major risk…there are no guarantees that RG3 will ever be a starter in the NFL. Right?

    • TommyLawlor

      No guarantees, of course. RG3 is a legit franchise QB prospect. That’s what I mean. This isn’t a Jake Locker/Christian Ponder/Blaine Gabbert type of project. RG3 has legit, special potential.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

        Deep ball and scrambling? So Cunningham?

        • hallcr3

          Why do we have to compare him to a past QB? LOL

          I think the QB’s of today are generally a lot different than the QB’s of yesteryear anyway, so it’s hard to make any comparisons.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

    Shanny was just as sure that McD was hid Franchise QB…do we really trust him to know what a franchise QB looks like – this is way before my time, but Shanny didn’t draft Elway, did he? Has he ever selected a winning QB? Don’t even get me started on his spoiled son – one of the worst OC’s in the league…

    • TommyLawlor

      He did draft Cutler. He did do a good job of coaching Elway and Steve Young. Shanny has some successes.

  • ian_no_2

    Breaking news: Shanahan interrupts a vacation to say in a press conference that RG3 doesn’t pay attention in practice, locks in on primary receivers, manages time poorly, and runs too often.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

    TOMMY – you are my favorite Eagles writer, but this is so not like you – “It’s easy to look at the trade value charts and see that Shanny overpaid. The problem is that those charts deal with generalities. RG3 isn’t a normal #2 pick. He is more like pick #1A. RG3 is worth more than some other #2 picks.”

    Really? A special #2? Why? From what I understand there is a huge gap between Luck and RG3 – so is Luck like #**$$$1ABCD? I was getting the impressions from draftniks that RG3 was maybe the 7th best player in the draft, but due to his role as QB was being overvalued – is that not true? How big is the gap between Luck and Gimpy3 in your opinion?

    And as for the chart – the skins aren’ t a few points off, this isn’t a problem you can round up to solve – they moved up from spot 6 to 2 – 1000 points. They gave up a 2nd round this year – 500 points, and 2 first rounders – for the benefit of the Skins let’s say they are low 1st rounders in both years (which is not how this will end up – I would bet both they both end up being top 10 picks). If they win the superbowl both years it would be 1160 points, plus the 500 for the second rounder = over 1600. In this case you are right, but we all know this will not happen. If they lose in the first round of the playoffs in both years – 1500 + 500 = 2000…that would be an amazing turn around for the skins and they would still eat 1000 points…and if the most likely scenario happens, and they pick in the top ten like they always do each year, it will be 2600 + 500 for 3000 – three times the value…we will see how it turns out, but I think it is clear this will probably not work out for them…

    What is the skin’s backup plan if RG3 goes down? wait until 2015 to start rebuilding? Is there something below rebuilding that they could do for the next few years…yes there is, they have been doing it for several decades now – I shall call it dismantling…

    Sorry to rail so much – I am just really shocked you are backing this decision – are you scared they will be a contender in the NFC soon? If so, when? Maybe I am crazy, but as an Eagles fan I haven’t worried about the Skins for a very long time, and I am not going to start now. This is just another bad decision…the definition of counting your chickens before they hatch – and I do not trust Shanny or his moron son to pick a Franchise QB…especially when they are fighting with Cleveland over him – another team that has never seen a real NFL QB…am I totally crazy?

    • hallcr3

      You seem really down on RG3. I don’t think the price in draft picks is very important here. The Redskins get somebody they can actually build around and someone who their fan base can be excited about.

      Losing those 1st round picks hurts, but what was the alternative? Stick with Grossman or Beck? Go after the mysterious version of Peyton Manning?

      The Skins have never placed a heavy emphasis on the draft anyway. They’ve made some good picks lately, in my opinion, but those don’t mean a thing if you don’t have a franchise QB.

    • TommyLawlor

      I’m a big RG3 fan. I think Luck is the #1 overall prospect and RG3 is #2. He passes all the tests. Good student. Already graduated. Strong arm. Good runner. Athlete. Accurate passer. Leader. Winner. Handles the spotlight fine. Comfortable being “the man”. Was clutch late in several games. Seems coachable.

      This is a guy I would trust with the future of my franchise.

      • hallcr3

        I think the point for everyone to understand here is that EVERY draft pick comes with a degree of risk. RG3 just has a much lower risk than all other options in this draft with the exception of Luck.

        Everyone’s saying “well, RG3 could be a bust.” Yeah, but so could Luck and a 6th round QB could end up the best QB of this draft… given what we know about RG3, he’s got the 2nd greatest odds of being a franchise QB.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

          But this is precisely my point – all draft picks are major risks, therefore it does not make much sense to risk 4 MAJOR picks on one chanceat a player. If the 1st rounder or the 6th rounder is a bust or jackpot fine, this deal better be a jackpot for the Skins, or they just wasted a lot of chances…you think they had no way of getting a real QB this year? What the hell are they gonnna do for the next 2 years if RG3 is bad or gets hurt?

      • hallcr3

        I guess the big hang up with a lot of people is the sticker price. Maybe a good analogy are electric cars. RG3 is the latest amazing electric car and he costs $50,000. That makes everyone squirm until you look at the possibility of $8 gas when the Iran-Israel conflict kicks it up a notch or your other “fuel saving” options of spartan, compact SMART cars…

        Peyton Manning is the $8 gas. Rex Grossman is the SMART car. You look at that and go, “well hell, I might as well spend the $50,000 on RG3.”

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

          Again, horrible analogy – we don’t buy cars that might not get half the gas mileage promised, and may never even leave our garage. And we sure as hell don’t pay 4 times for any kind of car unless it is a frigging lamborghini – RG3 might be a damn suzuki for all we know? Sure, he looks like a sports car (not a lam in my eyes) but he has never even been driven on a professional track?

          PS – A Smart Car can never do the things a normal car can do…and the Skins never even had a chance at Manning – that is not a money problem, Peyton knows a loser when when sees one…

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

        I trust you more than anyone else Tommy – I guess it just seemed to me that the RG3 wagon has been picking up major speed this last few weeks…reminds me a lot of Vince Young coming out of school – I do not watch college ball but I had never heard of Vince…suddenly he gained a bunch of momentum before the draft, got picked high and was never that good…

        As an untrained eye I can see Luck as NFL QB, I see potential in RG3…

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

          Also, Tommy – is this deal not highly inflated due to Cam’s performance last year, Shanny’s horrible decision to trade for McD, and the Falcons horrible decision to trade everything for a WR last year? I say without those three factors this would never have happened…

  • http://twitter.com/theguyotc the guy

    Most of this I said on Twitter, but if the Skins think one of the top 2 QBs available in this draft are franchise guys, I don’t think they gave up too much. It was a lot, and with the new CBA limiting rookie contracts I think 1st round draft picks are even more valuable. But nothing is more important to an NFL team than having a franchise QB. Unless RG3 is a bust this was a very good move by the Redskins, as painful as it is to say.

    Incidentally, while it hurts to lose their 1st round pick for 2 straight years, QB was the only position I can think of where they needed 1st round talent. Putting aside the BPA strategy, what positions are generally worth a 1st round pick? QB, OT, DE/OLB/pass rusher, CB. Redskins recently got Williams at OT, have 2 young potential star pass rushers at OLB, and have 2 CBs under 30. With the caveat I don’t follow the Skins closely, the only positions I can think of that they might need those 1st round picks for are the other OT and a NT.

    BTW-

    QBs drafted by Mike Shanahan in his career: Jay Cutler, Matt Mauck, Jarious Jackson, Brian Griese, Jeff Lewis. Possible: Jeff Francis and/or David Weber

    QBs drafted by the Redskins recently: Colt Brennan, Jordan Palmer, Jason Campbell, Gibran Hamdan, Patrick Ramsey, Sage Rosenfels, Todd Husak

    • hallcr3

      I agree with this. The Skins have talent and they’re not afraid to use free agency. Losing those picks isn’t as HUGE a deal as it appears.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

      so neither the Shan or the Skins know what a QB prospect should look like – Cutler is the best on the list right? He is getting good these days, but it has been a very long journey to mediocrity for Cut…

    • BreakinAnklez

      How dare you speak I’ll of Colt Brennan!!!!

      Skins have a lot of holes….Williams is one more joint away from a year long suspension ( a la Ricky. How dumb r u to fail 3 tests in 1 season), Brown has a history of injuries now protecting RG3. C and G are nothing to write home about. Pretty set at LB with Kerrigan, Orakpo, and the rookie Reilly looked good. Losing LF will be a disaster. Secondary needs help. Landry looks gone, they will prob cut DHall, Atogwe isn’t healthy. Receivers are a mess, Helu looked decent but can he handle 250-300 carries?

      Lot of holes…

      • D3FB

        Its a ZBS running game. You don’t need a stud.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

          They may not need a stud in the ZBS game, but whatever they do need clearly Shanny couldn’t find it last year…why will it be easy for him to find this year?

  • hallcr3

    Sucks that RG3 is going to be in the NFCE. I really like him as a person, being the QB of WAS/DAL/NYG sort of means you become Satan’s Mistress in my eyes. Hope RG3 the best, but I hope he’s terrible and fails at everything as well.

    • http://twitter.com/alex_karklins Alex Karklins

      All we can do now is hope that the Redskins somehow bungle their clock management on draft day and lose their spot. That would be hilarious.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GWMNZ32U6YPGGA7N4JNWH4OSJE Mac

      RG3 is going to be facing some of the most fierce pass rushers in the NFL… The Eagles and Giants have among the best 4-3 dlines available and the Cowpies have Ware. It’s going to be a very interesting start to this young man’s career.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GWMNZ32U6YPGGA7N4JNWH4OSJE Mac

    Ex-Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu has agreed to terms on a deal with the Falcons.

    Say WHAAAT?!

    • TommyLawlor

      He will compete with Akeem Dent to replace Curtis Lofton, who it seems they expect to sign elsewhere.

      Lofa wasn’t good in 2010. I hope a season off helped him, but truly doubt it.

  • izzylangfan

    A number one next year is worth a two this year. Similarly a number one two years from now is worth a number three. So the Skins paid the equivalent of two number twos and a number three to move up to get RGIII. So in the abstract they got a great deal. But, Griffen is a high character guy and would be likely to be a great quarterback in many circumstances. However, in teaming with the ultra micromanaging Shanahan and the childish and impulsive Dan Snyder ( both low character guys) there is a pretty good chance they mess everything up.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DPZBMFBVAVUM65GQ3VDXOQDYZQ Morton

    Not only have the Giants under Eli Manning won two Super Bowls before the Eagles have even sniffed one, but now, I am convinced that the Redskins under their new QB will win their fourth Lombardi before the Eagles ever sniff one as well.

    At least the Cowboys probably won’t be winning anything any time soon. Small solace for a ring-less Eagles fan that is about to see the Giants and Redskins fight for the division lead for the next decade, however.

    But I digress.

    Tommy, can you shed some light on this little nugget from Peter King?

    “Washington was joined in the pursuit for the pick by Cleveland (who owns the fourth overall pick in the draft) and Miami (picking eighth overall) — and two teams beyond the 10th overall pick. Those two teams couldn’t be identified late Friday night, but with the fervent interest Philadelphia showed in both Andrew Luck and Griffin, the two top quarterbacks in this draft, it wouldn’t be surprising if Philadelphia wanted to move up to take either a quarterback or another top prospect.”
    From: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/03/10/redskins.rams.griffin/index.html

    King is pretty well plugged in, isn’t he? Were the Eagles really targeting RGIII in a trade-up and were just barely undercut by the Skins?

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

      REALLY? The skins? Just over this one QB you think they are Superbowl bound sometime soon? Man – everyone really likes this RG3 kid a hell of a lot more than I do. The Skins are horrible – they a have a ton of rebuilding to do around RG3. Yes, getting a QB is really hard – but getting an O Line, CBs and Safeties, LBs (ask Andy Reid) and offensive weapons is no easy task either…Skins are still very far from taking the NFC East, let alone the NFC or an Superbowl…

  • DTrainExpress

    Hilarious overpayment. Everybody gets so jacked up for these draft prospects and they forget that it’s unlikely they’ll be as good as they think they will.

    How many honest to goodness superstars have gone with the Top 2 picks? Is Calvin Johnson a superstar? If not, it’s pretty much just Julius Peppers since Peyton Manning.

    This isn’t the NBA, great players come from anywhere in the draft and get properly developed by good organizations.

    I expect that in about five years we’ll all be chuckling over this one.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Sitko/1014187191 Mark Sitko

    I am trying to find some good tape on RG3 online – any suggestions? The only highlight reels I see focus on him running the option, and scrambling to make something out of broken plays – I see no 3, 5 or 7 step dops and then a money throw…also, every game I see he is playing a bunch of pansies – what was the best competition he fced this year? Maybe I can just watch that game…?

    • D3FB

      Texas and Oklahoma are probably the two best defenses he played.

  • Cvd52

    Shannahan is just more proof that great qbs help make great coaches. So many iggles fans thought he was this amazing coach when skins hired him. I wonder what eagles fans would think of AR if he got manning, elway, Brady, instead of dmac

    • ACViking

      Well, “BIG RED” could have had Tom Brady . . . at least 3 times alone in Rd 6 of the 2000 NFL draft.

      Before Belichick lucked into Brady, Andy Reid used his three 6-rd picks for: Thomas Hammer, RB – Minn; John Frank, DE – Utah; John Romero, C – California. I don’t think any of them lasted more than a year.

      But I think AR did fine w/ McNabb — 4 NFC title games in a row. The problem was no WRs until 2004. Then 2005 came, McNabb began his slow physical decline, and that was that.

      I’d have loved to see RGIII in green. Even at the price the ‘Skins paid.

      Reid proved you can get to the SB with mediocre receivers. (TO missed the ’04 NFC title game.)

      What you need is: (1) a paid of very good OTs, and (2) a very good pass rush.

      If Reid thought RGIII was the next Peyton Manning, then no price would have been too high. (As pointed out above, a No. 1 next year is a 2nd this year, etc.)

  • ian_no_2

    All these megatrades of draft picks for one guy backfire on the team making the trade for various reasons. Ryan Leaf, Jim Plunkett, Herschel Walker, Ricky Williams, etc. Eli Manning sort of worked in the sense that they won two titles, but they traded from 11 to 1 for only another first, third and fifth and they may have won those two titles with Rivers, and the Skins don’t draft as well as the Giants. It’s too early to evaluate the Julio Jones deal but it didn’t give the team a lift in his first year, and the effects of the lost picks will kick in gradually.

    One of the reasons why these trades don’t work out is the pressure on the single player. I think RG3 is one of the best QBs to come out in recent years, but you would expect his prime to start in his third year. What if he struggles in his second year? What if he struggles even late in his rookie year? Kerrigan and Orakpo were good picks at LB, but this is not a great front office for assembling a supporting cast, with a notoriously impatient coach and owner.

    I think that RG3 is good enough that it isn’t ensured that this is a bad trade, but I don’t expect the Skins to become dominant. Like many of their moves, it gives them the feeling of hope that goes away sometime in or before December. I expect the Browns to be a better team a few years down the road. One of the problems of the Skins deal is that when RG3 is entering his prime, the talent pool of his teammates will have dwindled due to the lost picks.

    • ian_no_2

      one other thing: if this trade is really bad for the Eagles, it’s because the road to the Super Bowl may go through St. Louis is the coming years. For the Skins to be a dominant team, RG3 has to be one of the best 3 QBs in the league and the team around him has to improve.. the chances of that happening are low. Fisher has all the chips he needs to build a powerhouse now tho.

  • bdbd20

    If Peyton goes to Denver, would you be comfortable bringing in Tebow as a backup if the price was right (6th rd pick or low $ FA)?

    • http://twitter.com/alex_karklins Alex Karklins

      As someone who lives in Denver, I will say that you don’t want to open that can of worms in Philly. I also think he is absolute garbage as a QB. If he’s brought in as a wildcat FB though . . .

    • Baloophi

      Nope!