No Perfect Solution
Posted: March 26th, 2017 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 168 Comments »
There is no perfect draft scenario, at least in realistic terms. If the Eagles could trade Jason Kelce and Mychal Kendricks each for a 2nd round pick, things sure would be a lot easier, but I’m not thinking that will happen unless Luca Brasi is involved in the trade discussions.
I bring this up because I put out my first Eagles mock draft for PE.com. Some of you will like it. Some will be ambivalent. Others will flat out hate it. As I try to explain every year, the point isn’t really to like it, but rather look at is as a possible scenario. As you put one of these together, you find yourself struggling with every pick. Should the team take a DT over a RB? Do you pass on a really good S or TE if one of those guys is available?
This is a deep, talented class. There are a lot of players I would love to have. The Eagles can only take a handful of them. No matter what they do, there will still be holes on the roster. The goal is to find the best players, taking into account current and future needs.
There is nothing the Eagles “must do”, beyond adding a pair of CBs. The Eagles have a lot of flexibility beyond that. We can talk about the Eagles needing to add a pass rusher. What we really mean is the Eagles would like to add a pass rusher to get better. The 2003 Eagles went to the NFC title game with Brandon Whiting, Marco Coleman and Ndukwe Kalu as the DEs.
You and I might be furious if the Eagles spent their first couple of picks on OT Garrett Boles and TE Adam Shaheen. But what if those guys turned into Joe Thomas and Rob Gronkowski? You have to be able to think big picture when it comes to the draft. Need certainly plays a part, but the goal is to add the most talented players so that you can build a great roster over time.
Keep an open mind when it comes to mock drafts and the real draft.
Unless you are reading one of Jimmy Bama’s mock drafts. Rip that to shreds and be sure to let him know how dumb he is.
John Ross in the 1st round? Only an idiot would make that pick.
_
Yeah not a fan of Ross in the 1st. Funny you post on your mock mentions his injuries but i found it funny he injured himself running the 40 lol
Jordan Willis i like. Been climbing boards especially with his lights out combine.
The rest of the mock seems like the pics are forced.
Sutton and Douglas with Mills as or possible starters doesnt stand out as we are good for CB going into the season.
Hunt look too slow to me. His combine showed it too and his pro day didnt do much to improve it.
Different mock than others i give you that. You always have different mocks come to think of it.
Your insight is unmatched on this site. Please give us your mock draft. We would be delighted to review and critique.
“but i found it funny he injured himself running the 40 lol” I KNOW RIGHT
I think Ross is a tad bit of a reach at 14, but I can’t argue with the pick IF IF IF IF he spends time on the field and not laying down on the job in the trainer’s room.
So if you give me 80 regular games of Ross over his 5* year deal with 2 pro bowls mixed in; it wouldn’t have seemed like as much of a reach.
I know its hyperbole, but Ross has Antonie Brown with Desean Jackson speed upside
I don’t know how drive that car of yours. That rear-view mirror you insist on using, takes up the whole windshield
Pretty good draft Tommy.
I like Ross a lot, but I have trouble with taking him at 14 due to his injury history and Wentz’s poor deep ball.
What do you think about Jordan Willis’ inconsistency to bend around the edge? He seems like a pretty linear athlete despite his testing numbers at the Combine. I’m eh on him.
Sutton is a really good corner. He’s kinda on the smaller side at 188 lbs w/ only 30 inch arms, but I could see him playing outside or inside. Malcolm Butler is similarly sized. Sutton can play well in man coverage which Schwartz wants to run more of. Good pick.
I like Hunt a lot as a runner in between the tackles. He can pick up those tough yards. He also showed his ability to perform as a pass catcher last year. I don’t see him as our future RB1, but I think he could be a better RB2 than Smallwood.
Glasgow is great value in the 5th. Probably one of the best picks in this mock. Really excels against the run. Strong kid. He can also can create pressure pretty well for a nose. He could provide a better pass rush from the nose than Bennie was able to in his time here.
I really don’t understand the Douglas pick. You say he’s a Schwartz type of corner, but he is more of a fit for a team that runs a lot of zone. Schwartz wants to run more man. If we have Mills and Douglas starting we are going to get beat deep A LOT.
Like the last two picks from what I’ve heard on them, but I haven’t watched them myself, so I’ll reserve judgement until I do.
Overall, I think you did a very solid job. It is a realistic mock and I can see the Eagles liking most of those players.
My biggest criticism is that I would’ve liked to take a corner before round 3 and one that for sure can be an outside corner.
Wentz has a poor deep ball?
Yes, Wentz had poor deep ball accuracy in college and that was still the case for his rookie season.
(After I called Ross “too early” at 14…….he went at 13 on this run…)
Round 1 Pick 14: O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama (A-)
Round 2 Pick 11: TreDavious White, CB, LSU (A)
Round 3 Pick 10: Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida (B-)
Round 4 Pick 12: Taywan Taylor, WR, Western Kentucky (A+)
Round 4 Pick 32 (COMP): Josh Carraway, DE, TCU (A-)
Round 5 Pick 11: Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA (A-)
Round 6 Pick 10: Matthew Dayes, RB, NC State (A)
Round 7 Pick 12: Treyvon Hester, DT, Toledo (C)
General logic with Howard is the get better at two TE and move on from Jordan Matthews. Taylor fills that gap more than well. Double CBs has been important for most of us. Tried to fill out the D with a few lineman. Shout out to D3 for the Dayes pick at RB.
I really like this mock. I completely agree with the logic here: Get a dude like O.J Howard and just replace Jordan Matthews with him. Get better in the run game, get better protection and use your new outside WRs to threaten deep. I would not be sad about Howard at all, by all accounts and purposes he looks like a once-in-a-decade sort of talent at TE and really shouldnt even be available at 14.
If we got the first 4 picks, I would love it.
Does Pederson run a lot of 2 TE sets? Did he while he was at KC? I don’t know the answer….
The Chiefs was in the top when he was in KC and I think we lead the NFL in 2 TE sets last year.
Again, I don’t know. Just throwing this out there — Eagles were a mess at tackle last year. Maybe 2 TE sets were out of necessity to help block…I don’t know enough about Pederson overall goal with the offense. I just don’t see a scenario where TE is top of the list. Would I love a Gronk? Absolutely. Odds of any TE anywhere being close to a Gronk? Beyond extremely low. Gronk was a second round draft. Addressing a TE with pick 14? Boo.
Gronk’s injury history dropped him to the 2nd round. Also Ertz is more like a big slot WR than a TE anyway
and there’s the problem(crux?) with drafts and evaluating players….how many teams would go back and select Gronk now in round 1? How many people today are saying “I won’t take him at 14 because of his injury history”?
That is why I have a hard time assessing Ross. If the Eagles pick him at 14, its because they think his injury history is not a problem
Shoring up the tackles was definitely part of it last year, but Pederson (even in KC) liked to use *three* TE sets at times.
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2016/8/7/12396618/eagles-three-tight-end-sets-philadelphia-offense-zach-ertz-brent-celek-trey-burton-training-camp
Really like the idea of going offensive skill position at one given the available talent and then double dipping at CB in rounds 2 and 3 in a very deep draft.
I think what critiques of Tommy’s draft are going to run into will all boil down to the fact this roster has more holes than can be comfortably filled. This team is by no mean bad (7-9 was about right given the talent ultimately), but there are some holes.
No long term WR. No long term RB. Celek has one foot in the grave and I like Trey Burton as a long term TE3. Seumalo can only go to C or LG long term, so who is the other long term starter there and at RT after Lane moves over?
The CB situation is really bad, the WIL backer sucks at life, and the SAM backer has a deal tha tis up after the year is over. We don’t have a true DE1 or DT2 on the roster as well.
So no matter who we take; we’ll still have to spend another year or two looking at some stiffs playing a lot of snaps.
As long as that stiff is not Ags.
I would counter that having Mathews as WR3 will change the teams fortunes much more than any other thing. I seriously doubt CB play could be any worse with 2 rookies or a rookie and Mills.
I think every team has glaring needs. It’s more up to the coaches to cover up their weakness and exploit their opponent’s. When you have a franchise QB, your weaknesses become less glaring.
My really issue with Matthews is that I don’t see him being worth the deal he’d get from another team on the open market and being only able to play slot is infuriating because it keeps us out of 2 TE sets.
If Alshon plays to his potential, he will cost $14M+ per year in an extension. Mathews will command $7M on his next contract. Add in Smith and the team would be sitting at $25M in receiver salaries. I don’t see that as viable.
Robert Woods got 9 million.
Matthews isn’t signing for 7 mil.
Woah! Much more to my point of a very high-priced receiving corps.
I guarantee Matthews gets more than $7M. If that’s all it takes that’s great value for an excellent 3rd WR and I’d resign him. Problem is I see some team giving him $10M per year which I think would be much better spent elsewhere.
Looks like Vegas is a done deal for the Raiders………..who is in for the 2021 road trip?
Anybody trying to do either of the two LA games this year?
I would rip Kempski’s mock too but that would be too easy. I just really want us to hit on our first round pick this year. No injury prone guys and no dummies off the field. But that won’t matter when we trade our first for Josh Gordan and the Browns second and 3rd round pick!!!!!!!!
To be fair- Dez was a dummy off of the field his first few years. Seems like he’s gotten his act together with a strong support network. Would you risk a 1st on a troubled talent like him?
For this year? No I wouldn’t at our pick, but where Dez was picked? That’s assuming we traded back for him then yes I would take him. He’ll likely be BPA and in his case he’s not a complete maniac.
Speaking of Dez, I would put Mixon in a similar case. A prospect like Dalvin Cook is someone who I would avoid completely.
Dez was selected 24th overall. Cost the Cowboys their first and third, for Patriots first and fourth.
He was widely considered to be a Top 5 talent, but off the field issues (including the infamous, “Is your mother a prostitute” speech) dropped him lower. Jones is on record for stating that he wasn’t going to let another Randy Moss get away from him, and he selected the explosive Bryant.
Mixon had one incident- Dez had multiple including at least 2 reported instances while in his first two years in the league. Mixon hit a woman, and it was caught on camera. She pushed him, he feigned a swing. She swung, he did too.
Dez did have his issues and so does Mixon. The key thing here is that some of these issues isn’t as psychotic compared to what Cook did. Theft, disregard for pets that you chose to raise, bringing a bb gun to school, and etc. That’s arguably more worrying than what Dez and Mixon did before the draft.
Of course that’s not to say that there won’t be future incidents but hindsight is 50/50.
I think with a little perspective, we will all look back and say that’s not what hindsight is.
Hindsight gives us the ability to view hindsightly. Or something
True.
John Ross would be a great pick
The only thing in this draft I don’t want to see:
1. Feel like they have to take the best available CB in the 1st round at #14
2. Trade pick 5-6 spots to get extra picks. BPA.
While the 2 “K”‘s may not be able to bring back two “2”‘s, maybe the 2 “K”‘s can turn our two “4”‘s into 2 “3”‘s on draft day. In English, trade each “4” along with 1″K” for a “3”. Each trading partner would get a starting caliber player for moving back a limited number of places from the third round to the fourth.
Ross strikes me as a ‘brilliant pick’ that gets Roseman praised for years to come or a key role in why he gets fired in 3-4 years with not much in between.
Sounds about right. The injury history plus the insane 40 makes ross feel like boom or bust. I’d rather play it safer with a first round pick. I think there will be comparably talented players available at other positions of both long and short term need. The ceiling might not be quite as high as Ross, but we can’t afford to shoot blanks at the top of this draft. It’s a critical draft for the team.
It also seems odd that his 40 time should catapult him into that draft status. Did it really change how people view him? Everybody knew that he was super fast, it was nothing but a confirmation of what everyone could see on the field. Before the Combine he was not thought of as a prospect on level with Davis and Williams, maybe a late first round guy. So he runs a 4.22 (and injures himself in the process), and suddenly people look at him as if though he is a much better prospect than if he had run a 4.3? Nah. I am not comfortable with that at all. Besides, meniscus tears can be trouble down the road, depending on the severity. I see Ross as a player with significant risks. There should be a prospect without those kinds of questions at 14.
Ross was a high first round pick before the combine. Then early February came the news that he needed shoulder surgery after the combine and he took a hit.
Well, ok. But doesn’t he still need surgery though? I mean, does it make sense that the combine performance changes how we look at him? I have a sound fear of that kind of thing.
I think the injury situation is simply some people overreacting and dropping him to the 2nd round.
The big question is, how many games should he miss per year before you do not draft him in the 1st round?
Yea, it is tricky. And it is not just missing games, but wether he will be nicked up in there to the extend that it affects his game. You dont have to have much of a lingering issue to lose that elite top speed, and if that is your greatest asset, well.. Is there reason to think that a dude like Williams might play better nicked up because he is still just as big of a target/body and doesnt rely quite as much on creating separation through explosion? I cant help but think so, and Ross troubles me for that reason.
I have to admit something. I tried to watch highlights of Jordan Matthews from last season and came away depressed. We’re most likely aren’t going to get anything for him in a trade.
Talks a good game and says all the right things but I agree. Eagles just strike me as better off holding on to him this year instead of trading him for a 6th/7th round pick.
I understand the concern over the minimal return, but they’re still likely to sign more guys than they lose. A 2019 comp pick for Matthews isn’t even likely, so I’d like to avoid losing him for nothing.
Is a mid-7th round pick really worth anything though? I guess if they had traded him and signed a CB that would have made a bit more sense.
Studies show that there’s little difference between 6th and 7th round picks and UDFAs. If I ran a team I’d constantly be trying to trade 7th and 6ths for future picks in the 6th and 5th rounds.
Or trade back from round 6 to round 7 constantly
Tom Brady was a 6th round pick, I’d take the odds of 0.0000001894382% of hitting on a HoF player over having Matthews for a season.
14: R1P14
EDGE DEREK BARNETT
TENNESSEE
43: R2P11
CB GAREON CONLEY
OHIO STATE
74: R3P10
RB JOE MIXON
OKLAHOMA
119: R4P12
WR DEDE WESTBROOK
OKLAHOMA
140: R4P33
CB HOWARD WILSON
HOUSTON
156: R5P11
DL EDDIE VANDERDOES
UCLA
195: R6P10
LB JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN
TENNESSEE
231: R7P12
FB FREDDIE STEVENSON
FLORIDA STATE
Fanspeak Mock. CBS board. Went BPA route. Some picks with questionable backgrounds. But talent wise i would be happy with it.
I’d substitute out the two OU felons, but great talent acquisitions here. There are some dream scenario guys falling to us on this one.
If you are going to pick either of those OU guys, I would definitely not draft *both*.
I would have loved to pick Lawrence Taylor with the 14th pick back in the day, but like your first 3 picks, he was off the board, hugging the commish, and kissing his grandma
Bennett has far too little upside and will always be physically limited for my liking at 14 overall. I want a difference maker, not a solid starter at 14.
富强、民主、文明、和谐，自由、平等、公正、法治， 爱国、敬业、诚信、友善。
Good thoughts Tommy: You say tomarto, you say tomato.
After all, everyone has different ideas of how to manage a roster and make a mock.
Some will look at the roster and say who are our 3 worst starters? CB, CB and DT? (or RB IMO) Then let’s draft them 1,2 and 3. (This thinking is especially prevalent close to free agency, as needs and holes are fresh in our minds).
I like looking at contracts and ages of the roster, and seeing where our needs for a starter might be for next year. Peters and Celek are old. Jeffrey, Mathews, Matthews, Bradham, Barbre are all in their last year. Who could we re-sign? Could we let one of these guys leave without problem? Could others on the roster step in for them and start? eg. Vaitai and Seumalo on the line?
A method I’d like to try to use more when mocking is looking at coaches and seeing what type of prospects they succeed with. Draftees who are projects? Do they get good results when picking players at weak areas on a roster and challenging them to grab the starting job? Or when grooming them behind an old pro?
And that’s why we all spend way too much time thinking about drafts!
“This is a deep, talented class.” — Hear those words every year. Maybe every year there is talent and the Eagles whiff – a lot. Hoping this year is different with new expert talent evaluator.
I know it’s just an example – but TE with 1st or 2nd pick is a wasted draft. I don’t care if he’s BPA. Eagles have Ertz. If they don’t believe in Ertz then he doesn’t belong here. I’m open minded about the draft as there are not “have to have that guy” when you pick 14. Whispers(or rumors or just writers throwing darts) from the Eagles are: get Wentz playmakers/address defense/players in the trenches. I think we’ll see that come to life in the draft. I don’t think there will be a surprise pick at 14. Guessing combo of talent/need.
Draft prospects are like children, many start out with a ton of potential but it is so easy to ruin them without nurturing, teaching and patience.
Not every year. Maybe it was last year where the mantra was “talent at the top then a steep drop”.
If you’re lucky enough to grab a Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham (in his prime), or Tony Gonzalez in the first round it’s far from a waste. If it’s someone like Ertz, who I like a lot, then yea that’s probably not a good use of resources. You just have to figure out if Howard is the next Tony G or the next Kellen Winslow Jr. He’s someone that is talented enough though that Ertz’s presence should have no baring because he can play the slot and even outside as well as TE. He’s truly unique physically from the TE position.
I think the Eagles need to pick CB’s earlier in the draft even if it loaded with talent at that position. Doesn’t have to be a first rd. pick, but two within rounds 2-4. One thing is certain. Something will happen that nobody predicts, as it did last year with Wentz.
The fan base will probably go ape shit if the first pick isn’t a CB, but that’s the spot to get an impact player- no matter what position they play. Even if that means OJ Howard, even though I would hate that pick.
Agreed with your premise on adding at least 2 CB’s before Round 5. I’d venture to say they add 3 pieces to the secondary overall, but that’s under the assumption of keeping or adding to our draft picks as they stand now.
The fan base will go ape shit if Christian McCaffery/Dalvin Cook isn’t an Eagle too. Let them fume, they’ll just gobble up the highlights and then talk their selves into it.
Agreed. Media types and the masses will clamor for immediate needs. I do as well, to be honest. But the truth is, the team may have values which differ- and they will achieve their plan as possible.
Would I love to see us grab a CB initially? Yup. Is it the absolute direction we will go? Nope.
Yup. God help us if we have another Brandon Graham and Earl Thomas situation.
This is what I’m hoping for. There is great depth and not a ton of top-end talent at the CB position this year. I’d like one in the 2nd and also either in the 3rd or 4th. I’d be happy with a WR or DL in the 1st round, but also don’t want to force a pick.
I think if we’re relying on drafted rookies to make a difference, our year is already over. Only take the CB if he’s truly the best player.
We should all prepare ourselves for atrocious CB play regardless of how the draft works out. Rookie CBs don’t typically start out as studs. And our only other viable starter is a 7th round, professional finger waiver, who has decent cover skills but will always give up far too many completions because he lacks the speed to compete. He’ll either have to give up too much cushion to stop slants and comebacks or he’ll get roasted deep.
“He’ll either have to give up too much cushion to stop slants and comebacks or he’ll get roasted deep”
Damn. That sucks. LOL.
That’s the problem with CBs that run a 4.6 forty. 40 times don’t make a huge difference at a lot of positions but at CB they definitely do. Very few guys succeed with that little speed in the NFL. If WRs can just run past you, what else can you do?
Regardless if we agree or not- we have one starter in place already (Mills). We will need another, and we’ll need depth. The corner position isn’t going to be an area of strength for the next couple of years (unless something miraculous happens) which is why they’ve invested so heavily in the Safety position.
Relying on Mills to be a starter is not a good idea. He was a disaster last year. That said, that seems to be the boat we’re in.
Not saying it’s the best option, but Schwartz loves him. With 2 competent safeties, his liabilities should be limited.
I’m still hoping that we draft Corey Davis if we get a WR in Round 1, but I will say this about Ross— he isn’t just fast. He sells his routes, and really plants his foot to get maximum change of direction and room from the CB. He’s fast enough that safeties will have a hard time getting over in time, but he’s polished enough as a route runner that they have to respect multiple route options on every play.
Yeah, he’s got legit WR skills. The key to him being a great route runner is that he’s explosive. If you watch him, you’ll see him catch an under thrown ball, stop on a dime, let defenders over pursue, and get faster than everyone on the field again in a very short time. He can change direction explosively on a route. He’s very fast, explosive, and skilled.
The question you have on these smaller guys is: will they play the same way in the grown-man league? I really loved Brandin Cooks as a prospect. Similarly, he had elite speed, explosiveness, and skills as a prospect. I thought he was going to be a star. But in the grown-man league, he plays a little bit cautious. He doesn’t try to take on a defender in the open field. He slows down in traffic, and shows a little bit of self-tacklin’. He lost some of the physicality he had in school. He’s still a fine WR, but I think that’s the difference between him and Antonio Brown.
I think Ross has crazy upside, and should at the very least would be a factor in games, even if he’s not insanely productive.
I don’t think most players play the same way initially in the NFL- most players take time to adjust. That’s one reason why adding a starting caliber #1 receiver makes sense with what we have on the team. We don’t know how it’ll work out, but if we can draft from a position of strength rather than need, we can let the cream rise to the top, so to speak.
Instead of throwing Ags into the starting lineup (w/Chip Kelly’s offense) imagine what would happen if he didn’t have the expectations to replace an established NFL WR in Maclin? Maybe it grows his confidence, maybe it doesn’t- but it would allow him to learn how to be an NFL player rather than being pigeonholed into something he isn’t……… that is, ready for the big time.
Ross strikes me as the type that will be able to handle the NFL stage in stride- but he wouldn’t be forced to do so, which can make a world of difference.
On the one hand, he has more size than DJax. On the other hand, his medical history does not inspire confidence.
I think he’s more explosive than Jackson. But I think Jackson had that deceptive easy speed that is so hard for defenders to judge when taking an angle that more than made up for the fact that he wasn’t really going to put a move on you to leave you grasping at air.
As for the injuries, those are injuries that are scary for a lot of us (me included) because both of those injuries were career killers for most of our lives and college kids particularly don’t always get the best care. Things have come a very long way so I guess I’ll give our doc’s the benefit of the doubt if they clear him, but I’m always uneasy about it. As for the concept of durability, I have no feel for that. It’s hard to say what is bad luck or if a particular body is more susceptible to injury than normal.
“I think he’s more explosive than Jackson. But I think Jackson had that deceptive easy speed that is so hard for defenders to judge when taking an angle that more than made up for the fact that he wasn’t really going to put a move on you to leave you grasping at air.”
Excellent, excellent point
I love Corey Davis. But, I wouldn’t be able to complain if we took Ross. I’m not sold on Williams, but honestly any of those pass catchers would be a huge haul for this team now and in the future. I’d add OJ Howard to that list too.
The more I look at the potential players available to is without a trade up, the more I’m hoping we take one of the top offensive playmakers instead of a far inferior talent like Bennett at a more pressing position.
Agreed with your statements- Howard scares me, he’s got the potential but I’m not sure he has the “in and out, daily grind” mentality that will make him an elite player. Maybe I’m wrong. I’d prefer Williams to Howard, Ross to Williams, and Davis to Ross. That’s my order, others disagree.
Barnett will divide the fan base- some love him and some hate him. I think he could be good in our system, especially if we could start him off as a rotational player on obvious rushing downs with Curry kicked inside and Barnett taking his place. There are other targets that should be around by Round 4, but those guys have developmental traits and aren’t nearly as polished.
Going to be an interesting draft. I really hope that Douglas can live up to his reputation
Howard was blocking his ass off for Bama. If that doesn’t scream daily grind then I don’t know what will.
At #14? Nah. I have question marks, but I’m not an expert- just my opinion.
Howie’s secretary: (slides paper across the table to Tommy)
Tommy: This is an interesting list of prospects.
Secretary: That’s no ordinary list, that’s your first mock for PE.com
Tommy: (puzzled look on face)
Secretary: (slides six pack of chocolate pudding cups across the table)
Tommy: well, maybe I could write this up… looks like a tough sell
Secretary: I see (slides two family size bags of Funyons across the table)
Tommy: Golly, these prospects are starting to look pretty decent.
Secretary: There’s a box ready to ship at Novacare filled with PBR and blank VHS tapes… it could show up at your house, or accidentally fall into the garbage compactor. The outcome might be determined by how hard you can sell this list.
Tommy: (Scoops up the pudding and Funyons and bolts out the door).
While I’m happy for Tommy, undoubtedly the Eagles could afford to buy Megan Fox and secure her services for our fearless leader.
I can picture Tommy being hand fed Funyons dipped in chocolate pudding by Ms. Fox who is wearing nothing but a Reno Mahe jersey.
*Derrick Landri Jersey
“The Penetrator”
See, I was good with the Reno Mahe Jersey. It always looks to small for the situation, and it always ends up on the ground not far from where it started.
I feel good about Reno. I might be a little intimidated with a Dawkins jersey. Or a little too excited… it’s a toss up.
Unsatisfactory is the term swirling around in my head. As is “disappointing” and “expected more”
Hmm . . .
You want the Eagles to pimp Megan Fox to Tommy so she can perform a bacchanal of Funyons dipped in chocolate pudding.
You understand the crime here?
Eating Funyons dipped in chocolate pudding is a damned felony.
The Hague looks poorly upon those kinds of actions indeed.
An international affront to food, indeed!
Why not? Did you see her in Transformers? There’s no coming back from that performance; at least Tommy is a good guy and well deserving.
…Tommy: You know, if we want to bump up to the first for a CB, I could probably get Chad Henson in the third…
Secretary: (presses button on phone) Tony? You can reroute that box of VHS tapes to the nearest Blockbuster.
Tony: They still exist?
Secretary: It’s North Carolina. Pity, too, they’re the HGX Gold 120s.
Tommy: Wait! No, don’t. Injury concerns are always overstated, and the harmonica is a sign of character concerns, anyway.
You know who shut down John Ross? Akhello Witherspoon… just saying!
If you can provide footage of him squealing “Ak…hello!” as he breaks up passes, ala McCoy!, I will be on board.
Akhello played well, but it wasn’t Revis island. They has some missed opportunities that helped keep the numbers down. He didn’t really “shut him down”. I thought Adoree Jackson actually did a better job against Ross. UW just connected on the big play when Jackson slipped so the numbers look worse.
You know who didn’t give up a big play against him though? Witherspoon.
TCU Kevin White shut down WVU Kevin White a couple years ago.
TCU Kevin White was the bum who gave up the big Paul Turner catch in preseason.
Adoree Jackson “slipping”
https://youtu.be/G-SNXNjuoPY?t=1m57s
We need to hit on our picks and add some serious talent. The positions of the players we draft DOESNT even really matter especially in the first couple of rounds. It’s hard enough to hit on a draft pick when you are just focused on taking the best player. It becomes exponentially more difficult if you try and target certain positions, and it becomes Boderline insane to not only go into the draft Targetting certain positions, but also trying to find kids who will be able to play for us week 1 of their rookie season. Which is why im still holding out hope that Roseman has a couple modest free agent acquisitions and trades uo his sleeve, I don’t expect him to be able to add studs at this point of free agency but I hope he can at least add veterans who can be short term starting bandaids in case the rookies we draft need a half a season before they are ready to step into a big role.
..
I think one of the most dysfunctional things we could do is what we did with Nelson Agholar, drafting a kid and immediately thrusting him into a day 1 starting role before we even got Nelson on the practice field because we were so terrible at WR. its so dysfunctional on a few different levels.
.
At the very least I believe you should have a roster in place where you already have someone you would be comfortable starting week 1 at every single position, it dosnt have to be a good starter, but you should be able to have a bradley Fletcher caliber “starter” in place at every position going into the draft, and hope that the kids you draft take their starting roles thru competition ASAP.
..
The thought of drafting a corner who will instantly become the 2017 starter out of sheer neccessity is like my nightmare.
Interesting . . . because less than 2 years ago, the day after the Eagles drafted Agholor, you had quite a different view:
http://igglesblitz.com/2015/05/nelson-agholor-newest/#disqus_thread
Projecting college players into the NFL is hard. No doubt about that.
I think he felt the same way about Jordan Matthews too.
And Manti Teo.
Every prognosticator is wrong a hell a lot. If you are hitting 60% of the time, that is usually phenomenal in most fields.
Less about his prognostication and more about the sheer volume of print space he dedicates to his unshakable confidence. Many people think prospect A will succeed. G beats you over the head with it for 10000 words spread across 6 months.
1) We got cry all that year and all through today for drafting a bust.
2) How long does your GEAGLE database go back? Have you uncovered his Ricky Williams with pick #2 posts?
There are only so many terabytes on earth
He never was a great prospect.
“Agholor is a well-balanced receiver but he isn’t overly fast or overly physical. Thus for the NFL he looks more like a very good No.2 receiver rather than a true No.1. Agholor also needs to work on his hands as he can be prone to some drops. In the 2015 NFL Draft, Agholor could be a late first-round pick or second-round pick.” Walterfootball
“Not overly shifty to get himself out of trouble in tight spaces often running into his own blockers. Needs to show better spatial awareness along the sidelines. Questionable ballskills with too many double-catches and focus drops. Tends to misjudge deep balls with waning concentration vertically, also a few botched punt returns on his resume. Not a physical ballcarrier and won’t do much after initial contact.” CBS Sports
ot a natural hands catcher and needs to work on catching the ball away from his body
“May have limited potential at the next level due to his slight frame; relegated to slot duties
Below average blocker, not having enough mass to hold or drive blocks” nflbreakdowns
Since when is being 6′ and weighing 200 lbs considered having a slight frame?
Ags is the type of person who hands you a dead fish when you shake his hand…no confidence and no swagger.
Ouch, that’s some serious search-fu – esp given the volume of posts we’re talking about.
Search-fu love it … is that “sesrch F You” like as in you got busted …
Or like kung-fu as in a master skillset that might be a little bit frightening because you search with expert timing ..
Mac: Some hero’s see through walls… Others see through bulls***.
Mac’s mom: shut yo mouth
Mac: I was just talkin’ bout ACViking.
https://media.giphy.com/media/1S6xghiGMc6Hu/giphy.gif
I wonder if his rug is laced with asbestos and fire resistant.
I see most people on the board want actually good players, and I agree with this premise.
Myself, I always draft BPA–Biggest Player Available.
I use BPPA, Best Perennial Probowler Available. Don’t know what these other jokers are doing.
I just hope we don’t move to the Brown’s environmentally-conscious approach:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3f6902f5b2d13162a86be87a2670561970a408a671aabcf43af1be4e1878caca.jpg
It’s all a crapshoot. Guess how many Pro Bowls this can’t-miss prospect made?
Strengths:
Elite run-blocker
Absolute road grader, and devastating on the ground
Tremendous short-area quickness
Great at hitting blocks on the second level
Excellent pass-protector
Mirrors speed-rushers
Anchors well
Stonewalls bull rushes
Powerful drive-blocker
Great at pulling
Intelligent
Great technique with hand placement
Textbook knee bend
Rock-solid pass-protector
Winner at collegiate level
Excellent in short yardage
Great feet
Strong hands
Sustains blocks
Durable
Should be able to start immediately
Experienced & dominant against the best college talent
Good at adjusting to blitz pickup
Scheme versatile
Upside
High floor
Athletic
Weaknesses:
Slightly shorter than teams prefer
http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2013cwarmack.php#EtW7u9twzpUWGZtm.99
One. (As of Spring, 2018, that is.)
Being a fan just keeps getting harder and harder. http://deadspin.com/the-raiders-are-moving-to-las-vegas-and-it-stinks-1793682944
NFL carpetbaggers strike again
I remember when Banner was looking at Conshohocken to build the stadium when he was squeezing the City and State for money.
Someone on here described it as welfare for the 1%ers.
Worse than that because there is almost always a series of taxes & fees enacted on local/local services to pay for it. Plus, it has almost no economic value to the greater community.
There are few things that get me irrationally angry but this is one.
More economically beneficial to fill a plane with $5M every quarter and dumping the money over the area instead.
Economic impact studies are bubkis? Genuine question. They are the justification of public contributions. I have no actual knowlege of how this works, just a few things I have read, written by god knows who.
In general, they are a really poor investment of public dollars but football stadiums (and the last few Olympics) are in a category of their own for being horrendous use of public dollars in terms of ROI and public utility generally.
As much as I love the Eagles, I would be one of the first people organizing groups against them getting public dollars from the city/state for another stadium in 10 years.
The Vancouver Olympics excepted. They were nearly paid before the games even began. Every venue has been adapted and is still in use. (It has not been necessary to fly in snow from elsewhere since that year.) All of the carpentry needed for projects other than buildings was done by young men who were willing to apprentice and stay out of trouble. All of the various floral gifts to athletes and dignitaries were done by mentally challenged young women. A bit sexist perhaps but they all got paid and learned a trade. Also most of the lumber used in the gorgeous speed skating arena was from trees discolored by the pine beetle. Everybody involved with putting on the whole thing did us proud. Made good use of the taxpayers money. Also I have despised the Raiders for years.
I wrote my senior thesis on “Pro Franchise Relocation and Public Stadium Financing”.
Basically it’s kind of like climate change. The only studies that find economic benefit are those paid for by teams or city councils asking for political cover.
Stadiums are a shitttttttty way to spend public money.
D3FB always brings the knowledge
When you have to read 25 full academic papers and then create your own 15 page paper, you tend to be well versed and have strong opinions.
I’m kind of hoping someone takes the bait on this over the next few days. I can literally shoot down any talking points (and bring receipts)
I know you do! I will never ever be able to use any thesis I ever did as a means to win an argument or look informed. I don’t work in the field I received my degree in, and no one outside of that field would give a damn.
Amen.
What do you think is more likely, Howie staying put at 14 or the Eagles being on Hard Knocks this season?
Dug’s too boring for HBO. Maybe if Howie drafts Lena Dunham in the middle rounds.
Nobody will ever be as boring as Mike Smith in Atlanta.
Tommy finally updated the “blog roll” section on the right! Removed Phillymag and added TMac’s page
Now he’s cooking with fire. Any century, he’s going to clean out the top banner and put Wentz and Nelson Agholor up there.
Raiders move to Las Vegas (moving from 6th largest TV market to the 40th-largest TV market in the US with the largest transient population of any NFL population) strikes me as the kind of avarice and stupidity the NFL demonstrated in the 90s.
– Awarding a franchise to Jacksonville (still only the 47th largest NFL market) in ’91 because they gave the owners the largest pay day
– LA Rams moving to St Louis in ’95 (2nd largest to 18th largest NFL market) because they didn’t want to fight Fontiere’s potential lawsuit in court
– Oilers moving to Nashville in ’98, announced in ’95, because the city/state wouldn’t pay for 75% of the cost of a new stadium for the Oilers along with substantial infrastructure investments.
– Browns moving to Baltimore in ’96, announced in ’95, because Modell wasn’t able to get a ballot placed on to refurbish Cleveland Stadium with $175 million in taxpayer money. Modell never did publicly comment about how much money he was going to invest and basically being exposed as a massive liar in the court proceedings about how much money he had lost in the preceding years.
Las Vegas is a stupid investment for many, many reasons. The huge droughts last year made it painfully obvious how unsustainable that city is.
Well, the whole American Southwest unsustainable, which includes LA.
Never understood how Lurie didn’t get a lot more flak for his role last year in proposing to more than double the annual rent Temple football was paying the Eagles ($1M to over $2M/game).
The Linc cost $512M to build and public sources (city/state) accounted for 50% of the direct costs and additional infrastructure costs.
That was part of the cover that Englehart (new Temple President) used when announced the plans for the new Temple football stadium. Despite a lot of neighborhood and student activism, the Temple of Board trustees approved the $1.25M feasibility study in February and from what I have heard there has been no deviation in plans.
Nevermind I have talked to senior folks at Temple who acknowledge this is a boondoggle and going to almost certainly hurt the university financially in the long-term. If we still had a half-decent media presence in town at the Inquirer, they would have blasted Lurie for this role in this.
Instead there has been almost nothing written on it.
I have no sympathy for any god damn college when they’re robbing students of their money with continuous inflation of textbooks. Let them suffer a bit financially not like it’ll even put a dent in their profits.
Apples and oranges though in terms of topic.
Not really. Colleges are a modern business these days.
Not disagreeing on that generally and they do play a role in by allowing professors to mandate books as well as what they purchase at college book stores.
Just talking about Lurie’s direct role in this particular issue.
Some of them do and some of them recommend you to buy the college “revision” of a textbook or their own textbook.
I would much rather have Lurie pocket the money. At least there’s a higher possibility that Lurie gives it to some charity instead of banking it.
Agree to disagree on this one. Maybe Lurie was goaded in doing this because he knew it would provide cover for the Temple Board of Trustees/Leadership to move ahead forward with their plans for a stadium.
Tend to doubt that was the only reason & he saw it as a way to increase revenues another $5-$6M annually too. If it was another private organization or business, that would be his business but it isn’t in this case.
Maybe he was or maybe he just hates Temple.
I would rather see Lurie make a fatter donation to the Children’s Hospital or something instead of some college spending millions on useless amenities that don’t really benefit students.
Universities set tuition prices, not book prices. But, yes, those are a racket.
Yes the universities don’t set the book prices but they are also at fault. Getting held hostage by publishers and never caring about the massive inflation doesn’t harm them.
Your beef is with the post-capitalist banking economy more than universities.
Pretty much both. Higher education has turned towards capitalism instead of improving education.
No question.
Actually after looking up the details. Lurie wants to increase the annual rent to 3 million per year and wants 12 million up front to extend the lease for 30 years. So I have no clue where you got the numbers from. Instead of making a decent investment so that they can solidify their growing football program, they want to screw over the community and taxpayers so they can monopolize it.
But the Eagles are being greedy and shouldn’t raise the prices!! Both sides are a business. Lurie wants money. Temple wants money. Lurie has better reasons (maintenance and etc) for raising the price since the Owls are trying to grow into a bigger brand. Is there any good reasons for Temple to build their own stadium?
I’m pretty sure most football players would rather play in an actual NFL stadium instead of some second rate stadium. Locals and students have already opposed it. Maybe their president should get his head out of his ass and take a pay cut to lighten the blow.
It’s kind of weird that you see football stadiums as pure business concerns when they rely on quasi-public status for their construction.
If the President is making a killing on side investments as a result of abusing the office, it’s not okay because “he’s just a businessman.”
https://youtu.be/Gnz6MPmtp4E
I could really be ok with that pick. I prefer a CB(White, Conley) or DE (Taco, Barnett) but I could learn to love Ross.
I’d imagine he’d be pretty good at the wr screens ….
With all the caveats about injury and building from the lines out and needing talent on defense, I cannot claim that I will be upset if we gain a weapon like this*.
* – or McAffrey
It worked with Sanchez/Foles but it works better with Sanchez and Glennon.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7s_rUUWsAIHRB9.jpg
Interesting mock. I would be curious to see what Tommy would make if he added in potential trades as well (Kendricks, etc) to see who else he likes on day 2. Count me in on Glasgow. I watched him go from walk-on to an exxcellent player and sometimes beast at Michigan. Very smart, hard-working player who has surprising athleticism for someone with his bio.