Updated Depth Chart
Posted: April 5th, 2017 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 231 Comments »
The Eagles have made several moves in the last week. Let’s take a look at the updated depth chart.
WR Alshon Jeffery … Nelson Agholor
WR Torrey Smith … Dorial Green-Beckham
WR Jordan Matthews … Paul Turner
QB Carson Wentz … Nick Foles
RB Darren Sproles … Wendell Smallwood
TE Brent Celek …….. Zach Ertz ……. Trey Burton
LT Jason Peters …… Matt Tobin
LG Isaac Seumalo … Allen Barbre
OC Jason Kelce ……. Stefen Wisniewski
RG Brandon Brooks … Chance Warmack
RT Lane Johnson …… Halapoulivaati Vaitai
DE Brandon Graham …. Marcus Smith
DT Fletcher Cox ……….. Destiny Vaeao
DT Timmy Jernigan ….. Beau Allen
DE Vinny Curry ………… Chris Long
WB Mychal Kendricks … Kamu Grugier-Hill
MB Jordan Hicks ……….. Joe Walker
SB Nigel Bradham ……… Najee Goode
SS Malcolm Jenkins …… Chris Maragos
FS Rodney McLeod ….. Jaylen Watkins
CB Patrick Robinson …. Dwayne Gratz
CB Jalen Mills ………….. C.J. Smith
NB Ron Brooks ………… Aaron Grymes
P Donnie Jones
K Caleb Sturgis
LS Jon Dorenbos
This isn’t exactly the ’85 Bears. but there is plenty to feel good about, especially considering the Eagles still have the draft to build on this with. I highlighted the key new players and these are guys that can make a difference.
One of the disappointments last year was the DL. Connor Barwin and Bennie Logan are great guys and they were easy to cheer for, but neither of them fit the new system nearly as well as I thought they would. I wasn’t expecting dominance, but they combined for 29 starts and just 7.5 sacks. It would be one thing if they were getting tons of attention by blockers, but that wasn’t the case. Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox were the guys teams had to gameplan for. Sacks aside, Logan only had 5 TFLs and Barwin struggled vs the run.
Jernigan is a better pass rusher than Logan. Hopefully he will be a better overall fit in the new scheme. Logan was an excellent 3-4 NT and I thought the new system would help him to make more plays, but that really wasn’t the case. Logan is back in the 3-4 and should excel for the Chiefs. Special players like Cox and thrive in any system. Other guys need fit to help them play their best.
Bennie Logan: 27 years old, 5.5 sacks in 59 games (51 starts)
Timmy Jernigan: 24 years old, 13 sacks in 43 games (26 starts) #Eagles
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) April 4, 2017
Long should be an improvement over Barwin. Long knows how to play in the Wide-9 front. He remains a solid pass rusher. He is older than Barwin, but that’s not critical for someone who will be a rotational player (starter or not).
I don’t think I need to say much about the WRs. Jeffery is a stud. Smith has been a good starter in the past. Agholor and DGB are outstanding underachievers. Let’s hope that changes and/or that it isn’t contagious.
Foles is a better backup QB than Chase Daniel, but I hope he doesn’t get a chance to prove it. If Foles has to start a few games, I would certainly have a lot more confidence in him than Daniel. Foles has shown he can be an effective starter in this league. His time in STL was awful, but he’s only partly to blame for that. He did some good things here in 2013-14 and I would expect him to be solid if he has to play in the future.
Warmack is a lottery ticket. Either Jeff Stoutland will push the right buttons or Warmack will be looking for a job. I have no feel for how this will play out.
CB remains the biggest hole on the roster. Patrick Robinson has a good chance to be a starter, but he’s not such a compelling player that he can count on anything. The Eagles will add at least a pair of CBs in the draft (barring a miracle). The coaches will give everyone a shot to win a job. They want good CB play and don’t care if it is a rookie, C.J. Smith or Robinson. They just want reliable starters.
RB is also a hole, but not nearly the same way. The Eagles have good role players at that spot, but need a starter. A rookie RB can come in and make a difference right away. That is a position that must be addressed, but I’m not as worried about it as I am CB. Finding corners is tough. This is a great class, but half or more of them will bust. That’s just the mathematical reality of the situation.
I can’t wait to see what the Eagles do 3 weeks from now. They have a chance to really help this roster. Find an impact DB and a good RB and the Eagles are looking like a playoff team.
_
you know, a 1st round target that im warming up to, is reuben foster.
now id rather have corey davis or christian mccaffery, but foster does interest me.
this guy is an animal!! hes a heat seeking missile! He lays the wood like no other eagles LB i can remember!!
Now my 1st concern would be about hicks, how would hicks feel being moved from MLB? i bet he wont like that… but moving him to SLB or WLB just might make the defense better.
Tommy will school us bout him. He doesn’t like him. Disappears against top competition. Over aggressive. Penalty machine. Poor discipline. But Davis, hell yes.
Tommy was also crossing his fingers that we’d draft goff over wentz
If we had drafted Goff, I bet he’d look better than Wentz. We have a better situation for a QB than the Rams
Bradford would have looked better if we had drafted him here instead too right? Oh… wait. .
I love Foster, but not sure why you move a stud like Hicks away from MLB.
Hicks is right now one of the 5 best MLB/ILB in the NFL.
Yeah, this has been the thing bothering me about drafting Foster, other than the fact that I just dont see him being a Kuechly.
People just assume we’ll get better by inserting a prospect and moving Hicks. I see the allure and I get that it might very well work out, it often does with good players. I just think its pretty illogical to draft a MLB when we have a 24 year old who performs as well as Hicks has done.
i mean i feel you, but imagine having foster and hicks on the field.
plus hicks had some bad moments in the run game.
could make our defense that much better having foster at MLB and Hicks at the other position.
Im not moving a top 5 player at his position for a draft pick.
More and more I feel like he’s a college highlight superstar – which leads to great performance on youtube and underwhelming performance on NFL football fields…Of course I could be wrong and Schwartz sees him as the next Tulloch for his system.
Agreed. I don’t think he’s as instinctive as poeple say he is. I think he’s a guesser who is athletic enough to get away with it in college because he’s a better physical specimen.
I think they will try to get him (Hicks) weak side so that he can save some wear and tear while still making plays all over the field. MLB in this scheme is typically a bruiser and gap filler, which isn’t what Hicks is built to do. He’s what we all had hoped Kendricks would have been- athletic, smart, sound in coverage. I think they’ll try to get him free of more traffic while still letting him diagnose, and attack plays.
Gotta find a suitable MLB replacement first, then they can move him. Think of the final Dallas game last year- he played both positions depending on the situation.
People keep thinking MLB needs to look like Jeremiah Trotter, forgetting that the best ones like Bobby Wagner and Ray Lewis are all about Hicks’ size.
Not sure why you would even look at LBs with so many other huge holes on this team.
I agree. But there’s a chance WR in rnd one will effect that. And I think that you can get quality RB in 4-5…
I’d be happy with CB, CB, CB , RB
I listen to Daniel Jeremiah on his podcast. He seems to like Foster, but not like an elite prospect. Says that there is not much of a difference between him and guys that will go later, and speculates that he will go later than the media thinks. Hm.
One of the draft reports I read suggested that he gets so many big hits because his coverage technique needs work and he ends up playing catch up too often.
In college, that means he has a lot of momentum when he gets to the receiver, but in the pros will it mean he never gets to the receiver?
PFF specidically highlighted his coverage skills. Granted they aren’t end all be all, but makes for good discussion.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/college-football-reuben-foster-is-the-best-most-complete-lb-alabama-crimson-tide/
Yeah, that is funny. I found what I read, it was from CBS and it may be hinting more at zone, maybe? Not sure:
“Savvy quarterbacks can manipulate Foster with their eyes and he’ll lose track of receivers around him, closing the gap between them only after the ball is being thrown. While this can result in some big collisions (and passes broken up), Foster can improve his coverage with greater route awareness and patience.”
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/2082714/reuben-foster
According to PFF, he is great at everything.
Funny how so many different opinions are generated off of the same tape. Here’s from NFL.com:
Sources Tell Us
“He’s not a MIKE linebacker. I think he’s a pure run-and-hit WILL linebacker with good cover talent. I’m worried about what his medicals will show because he’s had some issues with stingers during his career. I have a higher grade on him than I had on Reggie Ragland. Better pro potential to me.” — NFC director of scouting
NFL Comparison
Bobby Wagner
Bottom Line
Foster is a vicious hitter with elite playmaking range and an ability to toggle between 225 and 240 pounds. Athleticism gives him cover ability that former teammate Reggie Ragland never possessed. Has Pro Bowl potential as a 3-4 inside linebacker or a 4-3 weak-side linebacker, but concerns over his medical history could be a consideration, according to some teams”
Isn’t he projected as Inside in 3-4 And a WIL in 4-3? That’s what I’ve read and pretty sure Tommy said the same when be wrote a blurb about him a little while ago
Is it fair to say, just looking at the depth chart, that the WR corp has gone from a D to a B(+)? That alone would help Wentz, not to mention the depth along the interior line, the likes of which I can’t remember being on the team.
What i find interesting is we have 2 physically gifted ypung backups up in agholor and DGB. IF one those 2 3rd yr WRs can put it together, our wr corp could be an A
Robinson “has a good chance to be a starter”, not “has a chance to be a good starter”, sounds about right.
I like a lot of the moves we’ve made, but we were fairly poor at CB last year and probably much worse there right now. Carroll wasn’t great but he was better than what’s on the roster. I hate having to draft for need, but hopefully the reported good CB depth in the draft is true so that we won’t have to badly reach.
Carroll was horrible. Anything we have this year will be an improvement.
I remember 2012. It can be much worse than Carroll.
Heck, McKelvin made Carroll look like an All-Pro. I get your point though, it’s been a while since we could count on our secondary as being at least average, let alone good.
I’d flip Warmack and Barbre on the depth chart. I think part of the Warmack-Reclamation will be returning him to the left side, where he excelled in college.
I’d flip Kelce and Semaulo and let everyone else battle it out at left guard.
Yeah, I think their ideal situation is flipping Kelce, with Seumalo beating Wiz for C, and Warmack beating him LG, leaving Wiz as the interior super sub, with Barbre as the third string for everything but C and LT.
Sure and that will get him to stop trying to block people while looking at his shoes.
Wait, that doesn’t work? No wonder I never made it past high school, I was always looking for the newest and coolest cleats.
https://twitter.com/Astonia67/status/844175047623430150
Looks like he’s trying to give him an awkward hug. Who doesn’t like hugs? Vikings, that’s who.
Shariff Floyd (the DT) is from Philly.
Philly people don’t like hugs.
Don’t hug me Chance.
I like Megan Fox hugs.
Fair enough.
For all we know, it might.
We don’t know why he does that on the right side, just that he never did it when he played on the left side.
It’s called he got away with being a bully blocker in college and never really had to focus on technique. That doesn’t fly in the NFL. The Titans have developed OL during that time period. He’s worked with LeCharles Bentley.
Guys Stoudtland isn’t going to click his heels put him at left guard and tada!
And all the technique he did learn in college was on the left side of the line, in Stoutland’s scheme…
1. Offensive line “scheme” is just the prevalance to which you use seven or eight different types of blocks. A frontside double on an ISO is a frontside double no matter if you run it in Philly or Tennessee.
2. It’s been 4 years. He’s had more than competent coaching and been to the OL guru.
3. Left/Right issue are about a relative movement dyslexia of short. It can be the issue between Matt Tobin being low level competent and bad. His issues are more about lunging/leaning and not a discomfort in his movement.
4.. We should hire Tee Martin so that Nelson Agholor will be just as good as he was at USC? Right? Logic holds?
5. We can act like Stoudtland is magic or we can accept Occams razor and long historical precedent that guys who get by with bullying dudes in college tend not to learn technique and many never learn it once in the pros.
6. This is a Tebows throwing motion level of problem.
You can feel free to continue this. But again I played OL in college. I’m an OL geek. We can weigh and measure the sheer tonage of each of our respective respective OL knowledge, but you will be found wanting.
Can Stoudtland fix him? Maybe. But I wouldn’t put the odds any higher than Ags having a 750 yard season.
Well…you clearly know more than me, so I’ll defer to you, haha!
No worries, just alot of people handwaving and wishcasting and it and it’s driving me a bit batty.
I just can’t wait until their playing like a play off team.
Fun post if you like PFF+SPARQ
If the Eagles end up trading Kendricks, who will start in his place?!
Right now Nadje Goode in the 20 snaps he was on the field last year
Mmmmmh…
Probably a combination of Goode, potential rookie, and potential healthy Joe Walker (in this case maybe involving Hicks moving over to Will in non-nickle situations.
Don’t forget earlier post that a S could be a target in the draft to initially play “nickel”, remain on the field for all 3 downs, and then later in career replace one of the two 30ish safeties. Thus, no need for a top-notch 3rd LB.
Adams isn’t dropping.
There are other options & not just at 14
You’re looking for someone to give you 273 snaps. I’m fine with Goode and a rookie battling for those scraps.
less snaps + craps = scraps?!
I’d like them to find run stuffing LB to replace Kendricks. Because in the end, that would be his role. Bradham, on paper, is the Sam, but he was in the Nickel package and that’s the only relevant question, imo. Most of the time, the Will will play Nickel. Not the case for the Eagles. Therefore, the draft pick would only have to play against 2 WR sets (or even more run oriented sets).
Now, one could argue that we need depth for Hicks and Bradham. If one of those two gets injured (and Hicks has a history with that), we’ll need a LB who can play Nickel. That’s fair. Maybe Grugier-Hill and/or Walker could play in the Nickel package. If not, find someone who can.
But the base LB has to play the run most of the time. Therefore he should be good at it, imo. And good run stopping LB who have weaknesses in coverage aren’t valued very highly in the modern NFL.
Also, if he’s there in the 7th, maybe they could give Ben Boulware from Clemson a shot. I know he isn’t a good athlete. But he was a really good college LB, a real playmaker for Clemson, very smart and, more importantly, he was the leader of this team. Maybe he finds a way to be a solid Pro. Could be a good STer. At the very least he would give you everything he has. And if he’s not good enough – well, most of your 7th rounders don’t pan out anyway.
More and more it seems to me that BPA at 14 (baring an unexpected drop like Howard, Latimore, or something) will be Davis or Ross, Barnett (seeming less likely he’s there), or we should just go CB (Humphrey or Conley). I’m Ok with that. I’ll even be OK with Humphrey not being the most sexy 1rst rounder given his deep coverage issues because we have very good Safeties, especially if we get 2 or 3 more good CB prospects with the other picks.
In that case, I wouldn’t mind dropping back a few spots (if you could find a trade partner) to get the guy and an extra pick this year or next.
That’s fair but you run some risk with that, and I don’t know that our tango partner will emerge…
I think you’ve got to hope Browns and Cardinals both go QB at 12 and 13 and scare somebody into moving up to get their guy.
Problem with that is it’s DC at 17 (and taking a first round QB would ruffle some feathers, especially moving up for one) or Houston at 25 and KC at 27. And for those two they probably have to really bleed to make the trade worth while.
Yeah. Thanks for laying out those potential possibilities. It’s at least something to monitor.
Bit of a Catch-22, too. If at least 2 QB go it increases the chance of someone they really like still being on the board.
Can’t overlook the fact that Humphrey is only 20. Much more room for improvement. Also, White over Conley. Really had enough of CB who don’t like to tackle. Tired of NFL WR and CB who aren’t football players – there are enough good CB in this draft.
Can’t argue with any of that.
Humphrey, Awuzie, Whitherspoon, and White are my favorites right now. They all hit.
I want to draft the Colorado DB’s coach in the 1st round. His Db’s are all well coached.
Witherspoon? Not hitting is his biggest drawback. Latecomer to football, wants to be a surgeon. Good cover guy, but I’d worry about drafting him.
Definitely like the other 3, though.
Wake up call for WR’s and it’s awesome. Underachievers from last year better play their tail off. This is their job and their way of life…they should already be working out and getting into shape. If they aren’t – shame on them. DGB and NA – this is your final warning if you want to be in the NFL. NA should make the team just because of his contract. DGB might be on the outside looking in if Eagles draft a WR.
….
Some fun facts on the JM haters: In his first three years, Matthews has 225 catches for 2,673 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s one of just seven players in NFL history to put up those numbers.
…..
JM may be good trade bait – but he might be an awesome 2 or 3 guy.
The problem with JMatt is that he and Alshon are in contract years. It’s hard to imagine a situation where they both get long-term contract extensions.
good point. and I’m hoping we sign the stud…
Though the drops aren’t pretty, those numbers are no lie. I think he’s a number 2 for sure, and probably something like a 2a (much like derrick mason used to be called a 1b). If we can’t get sufficient compensation in a trade (which I’m guessing we can’t because his contract is expiring), extending him could be a tough decision. I wouldn’t be surprised if he thrived this year even though he seems like the forgotten man right now.
The big upside is that we’ll have 3 good WRs on the roster for next year with the money to pay for probably 2. We can see how they play and decide accordingly. If we do draft a speedster this year, paying jmatt and getting rid of smith is a distinct possibility.
All this is to say that I think howie has had an amazing offseason. He’s lining up all the options to be flexible with these key decisions to set the foundation for the team core around wentz in this offseason and the next.
Who would replace matthews if traded? Ags? DGB? Lets just give Carson some good weapons and not get too cute.
Ags in the slot might be a good compliment to Ertz as TE and Jeffrey/Smith on the outside. By all accounts, he’s a quick twitch athlete and may benefit from less man/press coverage.
Overall, one of the problems is that Matthews isn’t an NFL outside receiver, and while Ags is better in that regard, he’s still not a #1 or #2. He’d be a hell of a #3 or #4- the guy can run routes and get open without much trouble. But it seems like the daily pressures of a 1st round pick have ruined his confidence. He’s my number 1 option to go to a different team and succeed with a fresh start.
Mine too. Every time I look at him running rountes, he actually looks really good – quick, fast, sharp breaks and stems. He often seem to create separation. Obviously he never actually plays well (!), but all the physical parts of the puzzle seem to be there and we know he is a high character, hard working, intelligent kid. It simply has to be a confidence/mental thing. And you have to assume that those things can be fixed just as they can go wrong in the first place. I havent lost hope for Agholar yet.
number 14 draft pic will replace him 🙂
Jordan Matthews is a product of awful competition and lots of short passes thrown his way.
90th out of 100 on yards/catch
98 out of 100 or catch %
He’s a volume player who accumulated those stats because of getting lots of targets. Sort of the Sam Bradford of WRs, but worse since there’s 64 starting WRs and only 32 starting QBs.
His distinction on the Eagles is being the best of an awful WR corps.
He won’t be missed.
now that there are 2 better wr’s – JM’s historic numbers will be declining.
See, I think his numbers will improve. Sure volume will go down, but I think the ancillaries come up.
Where on earth did you find that 98/100 catch % stat. He is no where near the worst in the league in catch% – i don’t have the stats to hand but he is slap bang in the middle of the field due to the type of passes being thrown his way.
As for yards/catch he played in schemes that did not throw significantly deep and used extensive short passing concepts to stress the defence, that in and of itself is not a problem.
Is JMatt a dominant player? no but he gets open and runs good routes and with chemistry will be a very nice no.2 option for the offence with Jeffery taking attention off him.
He actually has the highest catch % on the team. I just assume Cho is using some higher level stats, he seems to get into those. Something like catch % over a certain yardage or some such.
JM is a victim of being good with the ball. You can throw it to him short and let him get some RAC.
Jordan is NOT good with the ball in his hands. No shiftiness, few broken tackles. He’s only a bit better than Ertz. Both are far from “plus” yac players
https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/player-stat/receiving-catch-rate
Just because those things are true doesn’t discount that he was able to accumulate those stats. I venture to say you could plop him down on any NFL roster and he will play a significant role in that offense.
He is a solid 83 in Madden. (I have no idea what he is actually ranked).
Tumtum, that’s an experiment we will hopefully see soon!
Here’s the thing about guys who accumulate volume stats. The big number looks good, but they aren’t helping the team win. Imagine you’re playing pickup basketball to 21, one guy on your team scores 10 but you lose by 11 because he misses 8/10ths of his shots.
Guys who put up good _efficiency_ stats help the team.
I like the JMatt a lot, in the same way that I liked Reno. Good guys. I guess it’s possible that in a different situation, JMatt could contribute to a winning team. Personally, I think his hands just aren’t good enough.
I cant completely disagree at all. I see the dude bouncing screens off his face and want to put a hole in my fancy Sony TV. I just know when I read completetion % he is our best by far. So if I plug him into your example he still wins. Is there another stat you are using other than overall completion %?
Scroll down to #98 in this chart. https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/player-stat/receiving-catch-rate
I see. Though if we sort by position and add it up he is like #38. If you count 3 starting WR per team x32, that puts him just out of the top 3rd of start WR in catch %. Maybe it still isn’t as bad as it looks?
Of the people with at least 60 targets*, he’s 98th out of 100, 36th out of 38 (assuming you counted right :). Still as bad as it looks, I think…
*according to the methodology they cited at the bottom, which is not stated very clearly.
Maybe you are right. With a few exceptions the Eagles have been pretty terrible at WR as long as I have been around. Perhaps my view is skewed. I still think he is going to go off this year.
Two of JM’s three years were in the Chip Kelly system, which
is notorious for artificially inflating everyone’s numbers due to sheer number of offensive snaps.
Stats are funny as they never include the full picture. CK isn’t the only coach in the history of the nfl who like to throw a lot. NFL history is still pretty neat…
Not a lot of data to pull from there. Torry Smith would probably disagree with you.
You’d have to look at Matthews’ numbers on a per-snap basis for valid comparisons with other receivers. My guess is 3rd-year players with similar numbers played far fewer snaps.
What would you take for JMatt via trade?
You wouldn’t get equal value. Just wouldn’t happen. Unless of course the 9ers have some really good players that Chip picked up and they are in the process of eliminating his presence from this history books. We all know the 9ers don’t have any good players other than Bowman.
I concur
Looking at the depth charts and the plugged holes, I feel less guilty about my internal conflict of knowing that the flashing pick is rarely the smart pick but hoping I get to see McCaffrey in Eagles green anyway.
Would we have to spend our #14 on him, or do you think he’d be there at the 43rd spot?
He is a first rounder, by all accounts. Watch him go to the pats, at the very least.
Well, that just ruined my morning.
Don’t even joke about that
Pats have no 1st round pick so no chance they get him
yet…
…lets see 🙂 (And yes, I’d forgotten about that.)
Lol @43rd spot…
You think he’s worth it @ 14?
Maybe. But he’s definitely not falling until the middle of the second round. If he does, hell will freeze over..
Thanks for the compliment.
You needed one. I’m glad to oblige.
Cheap shots fired!!!
It would have to be 14. Yesterday, I saw suggestions that he might be gone by 14.
I giggled when I saw Paul Turner still #2 on the depth chart. I love the myth of the PT Cruiser as much as anyone but… We really need to do something about these wideouts lol.
You’ll giggle more when he breaks out this year and ends up #1, biiyyyaaaaaa——–ch!
if by break out you’re referring to everyone elses’ bones, and the giggling is our psyche’s finally snapping with said bones
Paul Turner Overdrive – You ain’t seen nothing yet
I hope you’re right!! Nothing would make me happier than the PT Cruiser breaking out. Except maybe a date with Anna Kendrick.
Is it bad I looked her up and still don’t know who she is?
I looked her up and she has nothing on my Instagram spammer hotties!
Instagram is getting kind of ridiculous. Being a hot chick is a legitimate career path now.
I’m hoping they can grab Corey Davis in the 1st round. That would change this WR situation completely.
But I have a feeling all 3 WR’s will be gone by pick 14.
I doubt all 3 are gone by then, and if so – GREAT that would likely mean that Howard, Barnett, or Latimore, or one of the top Safeties is available.
But I highly doubt 2 let alone 3 are gone by then.
3 WR’s, 3 QB’s, 2 RB’s and OJ Howard would make me happy with the first 9 picks. Lol
I see too many WR needy teams and a deep CB class. So I believe teams will grab the top WR talent and plan on getting an A-/B+ Corner in the 2nd Round.
I hope I’m wrong but can see this playing out that way.
Perhaps…
Well, in fairness, he’s the current #6….
My wishlist is still the same from this the depth chart.
2 CB’s
1 S
1 WR
1 OL
1 DL
1 LB
1 RB
But I’m not sure we can fill all these holes in one draft.
All I’m hoping for is that we can get the CB tandem of the next 3 to 12 years.
Challenge accepted!
14: R1P14
RB LEONARD FOURNETTE
LSU
43: R2P11
CB FABIAN MOREAU
UCLA
99: R3P35
CB SIDNEY JONES
WASHINGTON
118: R4P11
EDGE DEMARCUS WALKER
FLORIDA STATE
139: R4P32
WR ARDARIUS STEWART
ALABAMA
155: R5P11
S RAYSHAWN JENKINS
MIAMI
194: R6P10
LB JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN
TENNESSEE
230: R7P12
OT JERRY UGOKWE
WILLIAM & MARY
Need more CBs. Jones is not assured to be able to play – not close
Not my ideal draft…i was meeting the req’s laid out in the OP….
Ha – Bleeding Green Nation has an interview with a Ravens guy bout Jerningan. He thinks he’ll have double digit sacks this year. If that’s the case, awesome. But I’ll settle for 9 and 20 TFLs…but only with 10 forced fumbles, otherwise double digit sacks or bust.
Is it the same f-bomb dropping guy on a seesaw that Dave posted a video of the other day?
Perhaps, I think I missed that one.
You sir are a fan with fair expectations. We can all take a page from your book.
Athankyou
I love Celek too, but I don’t think he will be suddenly starting again. He would lose in a footrace with Beau Allen.
Few men could beat Beau Allen in a footrace
https://twitter.com/Beau_Allen/status/683761721798955011
Wow, we blew up that play at the line.
“HOW VIOLENT CAN YOU BE?!” – coach Azz
They showed explosion
OK, Nick Foles, aka “Giraffe Scrambler”.
Rowe late turning around as usual
If you race him you run the risk of getting caught in one of his treads. Not worth it. (get it.. he’s a tank….oh me).
Shame the Missile missed Eli. Like he never misses a game..
Depth at S is a sneaky need. I guess that’s one reason the FO is scouting S. Hopefully, there are some solid backups to be found on day 3.
Get Adrian Peterson……. And Colin K for the 3rd string/ 2nd
not worth the headache to have kap as 3rd string. or the money…
Please don’t.
I agree. If we sign and old worn out RB at least sign Marcus Allen or Herschel Walker. (that was sarcasm) Though the last i saw Herschel Walker he looked like he could still play.
Ok Media Mike. Herchel Walker or Barner. HAVE to pick one.
Well they both are #34
But, plot twist: every time Kaep takes a knee for the National Anthem, Peterson hits him with a switch.
All Day just wants him to stay woke.
So Adrian Peterson is the 3rd RB behind who? Nick Foles is behind Kaep too?
I do appreciate your originality.
Pretty sure AP is starter and Kap would be 3rd or 2nd depending on of he beats out Foles…
Just reading it how he wrote it 🙂 kinda just being a jerk, but also kinda making sure how he meant it.
You forgot about Tebow..
Should the Eagles not end up with a RB in rounds 1-3 I am pretty sure they will give Jamaal Charles a (hard) look..
I don’t think the two are related. There are quality backs that could last to round 6
Interesting read from Greg Cosell on Mike Williams.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/greg-cosells-nfl-draft-preview-wr-mike-williams-top-prospect-one-important-question-174756781.html
My question after reading it is would you rather have a receiver who extends and adjusts to the ball to make the catch but may not be able to get separation on deep routes, or someone like DeSean or Maclin who can get separation but don’t extend toward the ball to make the catch?
I know D3FB said in another post (as I have also read from other analysts on other sites) that Williams skill set is redundant with Alshon’s. Why would the redundancy matter? I understand if you have small fast guys like DeSean that they are not great options in the red zone. But how does having several tall guys who can make contested catches hurt the team?
The redundancy thing is probably personal preference. Look at the Patriots, they have mostly possession WRs on their team but that hasn’t held them back. While Alshon and Williams aren’t speedsters, they’re still great improvements over guys like Smith, Agholor, and Turner. You don’t need great speed to be a vertical threat.
IMO, the best ability you can have as a WR is the ability to make difficult and contested catches while covered. Of course having the speed to separate is nice too but there’s not many of those guys in the NFL (cough get your shit together DGB).
That being said my personal reference for the Eagles drafting a WR would be:
1. Davis
2. Ross
3. Williams
I’m right there with you. Even though Ross’ injury history scares me at 14.
By this time next year his major injury history just might be that high!
For me it’ll be
1. Trade down
2. Trade down
3. Trade down
4. Mike Williams
5. Corey Davis
6. John Ross
Davis beat up on CBs in the MAC and looked awesome while doing it. He didn’t do as well against better competition and refused to go to the Senior Bowl. I don’t like that mentality since he had something to prove and refused to do it. He’s the riskiest of the three since he’s the hardest to project.
Ross is a walking injury list, someone with 2 bum knees would probably consider retirement after a third blown knee. 4.22s is worth nothing if you can’t get on the field.
Williams had that neck injury and separation concerns. He has made some big plays despite having guys draped all over him. I think most of his skills will translate over but he’ll have lowest ceiling compared to the other two WRs (assuming Corey Davis doesn’t run a 4.6s).
I just keep having flashbacks of what Julio jones did too our Dbs with no separation required
Don’t remind us 🙁
Wasn’t Davis also nursing an ankle injury before the Senior Bowl, which was why he didn’t go?
I like Davis the most out of the Top 3, but Ross has better explosion (obviously). Davis reminds me of Thomas from Denver, but with a better work ethic. I like his mentality. He’s had a tough upbringing and has persevered through it to become a potential Round 1 pick in the NFL.
No that was a shoulder injury that no one really bothered to probe into apparently (probably wasn’t even serious). The ankle injury was after the Senior Bowl.
Got it, thank you. I remembered an ankle some time for him, just wasn’t sure where.
I don’t blame him for not competing in the Senior Bowl. There really is too much at stake and the potential rewards aren’t all that enticing. He is projected as a Top 25 pick already- what else would it help him prove? The injury risk would scare most away, and the gain could at most be 10-15 spots. Not worth it in my opinion.
True, whatever stock he would gain from the Senior Bowl wouldn’t have been a ton but he had something to prove. OJ Howard went and he was a projected top 25 pick as well. Howard had questions that needed to be answered too (like if he could a true #1 TE) and they were answered.
For Davis, a giant question mark of if he could do the same things against guys that will play in the NFL still hangs over him.
He was hurt. He did pretty well against top competition, especially given that he was all they had to game plan for. He looks like a competitor, and from what I’ve read he’s solid off the field.
Are there any players you are neutral on? You seem to love or hate just about every prospect.
He had a shoulder injury that required no surgery. The thing about him playing well against better competition isn’t true. With the exception of Ohio State and Michigan State, he hasn’t played against many DBs in the MAC that will make it to the NFL.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000787215/article/the-book-on-wmus-corey-davis-scouting-polarizing-wr
I love plenty of prospects and I scrutinized them just slightly less than guys that I hate. Being neutral on a prospect is pretty much nonexistent. You either love him or hate him since scouts, armchair GMs, and etc value traits differently.
Meh, not too fond of Bucky Brooks as a source. Again, I don’t think 6 catches in pretty much every game against good teams who were focused on stopping him is reason to criticize the guy. Not great, but not bad. Look at Ohio State. Three first round picks dedicated to stopping him, and his QB has no chance of playing in the NFL. It’s not a fair comparison.
Brooks did his research. Whether you like him or not, the man watched the games and connected the dots with the numbers.
Except every team regardless of league makes a plan to stop the opposing #1 WR. What you said is highly irrelevant. OSU put Eli Apple against Davis all game. That’s not much of a game plan. His QB isn’t bad nor is he amazing. Terrell made plenty of accurate throws to Davis in that OSU game. It’s not his fault that Davis only got separation from Apple on short to intermediate routes.
With dedicated over the top help. Going against one of the premier defenses in college football. And he still caught a touchdown. I think I understand where you are coming from with the glass is half empty, but it’s a very limited sample size, his performances were not terrible in those games, and he certainly was at a disadvantage. It’s not just that they game planned for him, it’s the fact that they only had to game plan for him, and his supporting cast was greatly inferior.
He didn’t catch a touchdown nor did Apple get any safety help that game. Like I said Terrell was throwing lasers to Davis which made Davis look even less impressive this game.
If you want the video proof you can look yourself. You’ll have to ignore the language since it’s not in english but it’s still a good breakdown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJCvJyTh0tk
Really appreciate you posting that. Haven’t been able to get Davis tape for that game. Agree that the separation wasn’t really there, but it also wasn’t a Davis tape, so you don’t really know what happened for the game. He may have been running sideline patterns in order to get isolation on Apple, which certainly makes it easier for a CB who’s about to become a 1st round pick. There was also a PI in the endzone that led to a TD. I didn’t see him missing good passes, but I also only saw him missed once when open. I do know that QB stares down his receivers in every game I watched.
Still, clearly not his best game. But the guy has put a body of work out there. Limited sample size against top competition, but overall pretty good in those games as well. I like his playstyle, and think it translates well. His floor is higher than Ross or Williams, imo. They likely have higher ceilings, though. If they draft him, have to include the pick they hopefully get for Matthews as a result.
(I had confused the touchdown in a Ohio game, rather than Ohio State)
Apple had hit or miss games in college, which is why most people were shocked at how high Apple went. Actually I think Williams has the highest floor and the lowest ceiling. At best Williams is a poor man’s Dez or just another Alshon clone. At worst he’s Plaxico Burress or Keenan Allen. Ross could be the best deep threat of all time if he stays healthy. Davis is somewhere between Allen Robinson and Demaryius Thomas at best. His floor is probably Jordan Matthews with better hands or Eric Decker.
2013 game vs Michigan State
Darqueze Dennard was on him most of the time on an island. I would say he was on Davis 70-80% of the game, the rest he was went on blitz and covering someone else. Davis had issues separating when Dennard didn’t give him a free release (although Dennard is a very physical CB). A good chunk of yards came from a PI penalty on Dennard. The other CB was on him when Dennard was sent on blitz and Davis had an easier time. I would give this game a pass since he was a freshmen and Terrell got destroyed that game.
2015 game vs Michigan State
Demetrius Cox and Vayante Copeland were covering him. Both guys played on their respective sides and Davis was moved around this game. Although I know nothing about those two CBs they looked pretty solid. There wasn’t much safety help again in this game. It was easily the best game Davis had against Michigan State. They gave him free release the entire game and he made some tough catches. He wasn’t getting that much separation this game too.
Yes he has a body of work against some ranked college teams. It’s not bad but it’s not impressive like Brooks said. Nothing really popped out in those games that make you say “damn he’s a monster I need him”. It was steady production, which isn’t bad at all.
Pretty fair analysis. Have to say, as a coach I’m prejudiced towards football players. I like the way Davis plays. I’d say you’re right about separation, it’s not his strength. But he runs solid routes and wins one on one’s. Boldin is an unfair standard, but he could have an element of that to his game, which is important in the league right now. He’d be a guy I’d enjoy rooting for.
Switching gears, Conley’s aversion to contact bothers me. Do you see something else, or just don’t care as much at corner? I like defenses with attitude, but certainly at this point I think everyone in Philly would like to see a corner who can stick. I just think it’s possible to get both in this draft.
I don’t think he’ll power through guys like Boldin did but I do think he’ll be a good possession WR. Davis is fun to watch though.
It bothers me a bit but I wouldn’t say he’s adverse to it. He’ll tackle when he has to but he has sloppy technique. Taking on blocks is a different story though, he sucks at that. He’s definitely not the most physical CB but the coverage, physical gifts and ball skills are there. The same applies to Fabian Moreau, both guys are sticky corners, are physically gifted as heck but they lack the aggression. I doubt Conley makes it to our second pick, at worst he’ll go ahead of us to the Saints.
A good counterpoint:
https://titansized.com/2017/04/06/tennessee-titans-everyone-hard-corey-davis/
He certainly had some big games against top teams. Just not every time, which seems a little unrealistic.
The only CBs that could have lined up against Davis in the Michigan State games would have been Trae Waynes and Darqueze Dennard (both first round picks), I don’t know why the author chose to not include that unless they just weren’t covering him. I would have to go over the tape again when I get home.
MTSU’s future 170 pound NFL CB in Jeremy Cutrer? Don’t know much about him honestly but I get why Davis had a field day against him.
But Apple didn’t get help from anyone?
Selfishly, I’d rather see them all play. From his perspective, though, how much would a great showing increase his rookie contract value? Compare that to how much an injury is going to cost Sydney Jones on his rookie deal.
Not sure who we’re talking about here but I assume it’s Davis? I don’t think he would have gone top 4 but most likely in the top 25. Lets assume we take him at 14th for the sake of the discussion.
Recent WRs picked in the top 20 make
Amari Cooper (4th pick) – 4yrs/22mil
Kevin White (7th pick) – 4yrs/16mil
Devante Parker (14th pick) – 4yrs/11mil
Stonehands Agholor (20th pick) – 4yrs/9.3mil
Breshad Perriman (26th pick) – 4 years/8.7mil
Jones is most likely no longer a first rounder and will lose lose somewhere between 7-10 million depending on which round he’s taken in.
You and I are alike in this- Davis is my number 1 WR if we go that direction.
And I apologize if my comment on the other thread about us trading for Jernigan was taken out of context- sarcasm doesn’t always translate well to these forums. It was meant in jest.
because everybody likes a blue print. Must have 1 speedy wr. Must have 1 tall wr and must have a possession wr. That’s a blue print for success. NFL is a copy-cat league. Why is NE so successful? Beli-cheater is the Master Supreme of ‘outside of the box’ (hence why he’s a cheater at times by stretching his ideas too far).
….
IMHO a weapon is a weapon is a weapon. If a guy is BPA and he fits a need on a team – why pass him because of redundancy? That would seem silly. If AJ is a stud/top 10 wr, why wouldn’t you want 2? (again, assuming he’s BPA on the board)
It’s not the end of the world. You could run an extremely effective offense that way (as other people have pointed out Alshon and Marshall were pretty similar, as are say Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson)
They do both win on similar types of routes though. The slant (and drag the DB for 7 more yards) the back-shoulder, the 25-30 yard YOLO balls.
From a theorhetical scheme building standpoint having someone who can kill people on the 9’s, post-corners and digs maximizes your available route tree and therefore offensive capabilities.
It’s similar to how Ertz and JMatt work but are a bit redundant. They both are best on sit routes and drag/crossers. If you had a slot WR in the mold of a Cole Beasley you would have someone who could excel and run those short option routes, and the speed in/outs. It’s a more varied and dynamic attack.
This is why I would love John Ross and Ryan Switzer. They would complement Ertz and Jeffrey really well
Would it be ethnically and politically correct if we had a Hooker and Cox on the same team???
As Long as they aren’t related- otherwise they would be Hicks
Rumor has it that some hookers suffer from hick(s) ups..
Post of the day.
If Agholor’s gets shut down by Hooker during practice, maybe he won’t need to make a separate stop on the way home.
If Ags sticks around anymore, we’re going to start having to call him 419.
http://www.419eater.com/html/419faq.htm
https://youtu.be/Iv4qvaz7KNg
That is some seriously messed up shit. And yet, I am laughing.
I lost it after they closed his door for him
Ive just hit my limit for stupid on the internet today
I’m sorry but when your fanaticism goes this far, you need to reevaluate your damn priorities.
On that subject I want to reaffirm your reaction with a little story I heard yesterday. A colleague from Buffalo told me this when I said that I was losing the incentive to play the fan role:
“…So I’m in a sports bar with my daughter to get some food and catch the game, when some dude on his third pitcher gets in my face to tell me how bad the Bills are, and how Buffalo sucks dick. I told him I wasn’t interested in his opinions, and politely asked him to give me some space. That incensed him and he got louder and more vulgar. Just then some oversized country boy wearing a Patriots cap, taps me on the shoulder and says loud enough for the Philly jerk-off to hear, ‘hey Buffalo, it’s alright bud, I got your back’. Then I backed away from him and realized I hate the bumpkin as much as I hate the asshole from Philly. The Philly dude disappeared, and I took my daughter home before the end of the game.”
We ended the conversation commiserating over the increasing irrationality of being fanatical about anything. Then I asked him: “Didn’t the Eagles win that game?”
NFL rewind on my couch in the basement on a 109″ projector screen. I now watch the game when I want (and play with my kids/hike in the woods on Sunday afternoon), I have the food I want, the bathroom I want, climate controlled to my liking, no commercials, no idiots, and no concern over the potential outcome of the game because I already know the outcome.
It’s sports, for the more refined gentleman.
I’m getting to that point as well. Been going to games since I was 6- it’s different now. I remember growing up and watching Cowboy fans get dumped over in port-o-pots and people throwing punches while we waited to pee in the bathroom sinks at The Vet.
I don’t enjoy it anymore- maybe it’s age, perhaps experience has changed me. But when someone shells out $500 to take their kid to the game, and they get treated like dog shit– well, that’s where I draw the line.
Agree with people or don’t – but they have the right to voice their opinion and preference. I may not agree with fans of opposing teams, but they have the same opportunity as I do to root for whom they will.
A cozy arrangement. When I googled NFL Rewind, I was taken to a site called NFL Game Pass, and it was only available as a bundle with NFL Sunday Ticket. Sounds like ‘refinement’ has to be budgeted.
It sure does… it can be pulled off with the whole DVR thing, but I haven’t invested in that tech.
That’s wrong.
looks phony
It is
Lesson: beware of people with shitty cars.
Also: I was playing at a gig a few months ago and this dude walks in wearing a Cowboys jersey, matching shorts, matching hat. More than a little underdressed. Mostly because of hanging out with you guys, I start thinking something like “bandwagon Cowboy fan jerkoff.” Anyway, he stayed for at least two sets, and afterwards came up and said he came out to see me play and he really enjoyed it. Turned out to be a very nice guy.
What instrument do you play? Style of music?
Classical/flamenco guitar.
Nice. Respect. That takes serious skill.
Thanks, man.
Don’t you hate when they do that…
Here’s what I like about that video . . .
These two clowns recorded themselves — with one of them showing his face — conspiring to commit, and committing, criminal acts ranging from:
– attempted murder
– attempted manslaughter (as a lesser included)
– assault & battery
– destruction of private property
– trespass
And my favorite: Conspiracy to violate Civil Rights.
Specifically, threatening to injure and intimidating someone for exercising his First Amendment right publicly to express his love for the Cowboys . . .
and that includes expressing his bladder — which further reflects his view about what it means to be a Cowboys fan.
Pretty bad stuff.
Maybe Vehicular assault or battery too
I kind of wish we knew the victim and could pool $ to fix his car. And arrange for his next expression of bladder to be in a more appropriate venue – that is, directly on the driver.
Fantastic info, but the video is fake
I’m quite sure this isn’t real, I’ve seen the uploaders videos before, however this is the most realistic of all his videos
Is conspiracy to violate civil rights still a thing?
The driver’s jacket was enough for me to know how this would go down
No one realizes it’s fake :/
Dude in the truck probably could have called the cops. Either way this is stupid and not all that funny.
“Officer it was just a prank!!”
Yea that’s not going to go too well with this video footage though.
Yep, I’m not a fan of youtube pranks in general,
they tend to be conducted by extremely annoying, attention seekers
So how many of you cretins (and I proudly count myself among them) will be invading Ben Franklin parkway in 3 weeks – with or without an invite to the NFL Draft?
Probably should, but I’m. Going to skip the festivities. It’s going to be a mad house down there
The most exciting thing about the draft is surely being physically close to people who are close to people who hear names called. Second is watching men in suits walk and hold shirts. Tv doesn’t do it justice.
Yeah, I’ll watch from home. Kinda like regular season games. I like the graphics and analysis that you get on tv and radio. I do (did) like to go watch training camp in lehigh because that was more intimate and there was less professional coverage
Yeah, i agree. But at least there is football played at regular season games…
Outside of the playoffs, training camps are my fondest memories of seeing the Eagles live. IMO, it was actually much better than seeing a regular season game, with the exception of Monday night football. It’s a shame the team does not give fans access to training camp anymore.
Does it mean anything? Correlation/Causation and all that… But I thought it was an interesting list. Also, Kempski made me do it.
Last 10 years of Eagles Probowlers
Eagles Drafted…
nick foles
trent cole
jason kelce
fletcher cox
shawn andrews
desean jackson
lesean mccoy
donovan mcnabb
brian dawkins
Acquired other ways
malcom jenkins
cody parkey
mike vick
jason babin
connor barwin
leonard weaver
jon dorenbos
jason peters
asante Samuel
darren sproles
david akers
A few of those acquired guys feel like Eagles players more than anything else.
Nope.
Stop drafting players from the second half of the alphabet, because clearly that doesn’t work.