Eagles Draft Choices

Now that the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine is over; I have watched the potential draftees, listened to the commentary about each one, and looked over some footage of some of the most promising prospects, this is what I would do if I was the one picking for the Eagles in the Draft.

In the first round (pick 19) I would try for: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas The Eagles need an elite threat at receiver and I think Limas Sweed can be their No. 1 guy. I think McNabb will love Sweed because he is a very reliable receiver and he is great in the red zone. However the NFL is a copycat league. The Giants were able to stun the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl because they were able to put immense pressure on Tom Brady. Andy Reid and Jim Johnson undoubtedly saw this, and may want to mimic their divisional rival. They're also well aware that besides Trent Cole, no Eagle had more than five sacks in 2007, and that their defense managed just three sacks on Eli Manning in the two meetings against New York. With Jevon Kearse and Darren Howard bound to get released, there's a good chance Philadelphia may acquire another defensive end to join Cole, Juqua Thomas and Victor Abiamiri in what should be a stout rotation. Osi Umenyiora dominated the Eagles early in the season for six sacks, and I find it just a bit convenient that Derrick Harvey essentially has the same build. I also considered DeSean Jackson, Malcolm Kelly, and Aqib Talib. I don't think Kelly will still be available this late in the first round. The Eagles need receivers and a return specialist, and Jackson would help them in both areas, but I think he could still be available later. Aqib Talib is also an option; if Philadelphia takes him, it could move Sheldon Brown to free safety.

In the second round (pick 49) I would try for: DeSean Jackson, WR, California know that it is very unlikely given his previous record for Andy Reid to take two WR in his first two draft picks, but it is what I would do. The Eagles need receivers and a return specialist, and Jackson would help them in both areas. He isn't what I would look for in a no. 1 receiver, but he should make a great no. 2, and he is a great returner. Another choice might be Terrell Thomas, the Eagles need a cornerback so they can move Sheldon Brown to free safety. They also must acquire a return specialist. Terrell Thomas can fill both of those needs. also any of the ones I have already mentioned who are still available would work here as well.
Once you get this far into the Draft its hard to say who would still be available, especially since Free agency hasn't even officially started yet and they are expecting a lot of trades this year, at this point its hard to say what the order will look like by the time the draft actually starts. As it gets closer maybe I will have a better idea about the third round.

Free Agency

I would like to say a few words about Free Agency. Free Agency means that owners like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder, can spend tons of money to bring in has-been players. Many of the less affluent owners just cant afford to spend that kind of money on one player (Much less a whole team, Redskins). Besides, for the most part all you get from free agency are players who are either past their prime, want too much money, or are disruptive, often all three, otherwise their old team would have kept them in the first place. All this talk of getting someone in free agency is silly, if most of the players that everyone keeps talking about were worth the price tag their agents are asking for them, then their current team would fork out the money for them. Sometimes this isn't the case though; sometimes the team just can't afford to pay a player what he is worth (Probably because they paid too much for some overrated Free Agent, who has done nothing but disrupt the team). If the Front office can find one of these then I say go for it but I am glad that the Eagles front office is wary of free agency I just wish they had been more wary of T.O. Don't get me wrong, I was cheering for T.O. along with everyone else the year they went to the Superbowl, but I was wondering when his true personality would show up, and I didn't have to wait long. Now he is with the Cowboys (Jerry Jones loves has-beens) and what has he done for them, he lost them an exceptional, and I think much better Wide Receiver (Terry Glen), and a good head coach (Bill Parcells), who said that one of them would not be there the next year. That is only one example. If the Eagles waste a lot of money on a big name, they might get one or two good years and maybe a trip to the Superbowl, but on the other hand they might end up with another Kerse, who has been hurt every season since they shelled out the big dough for him. You're much better off drafting a young player and teaching him to play in your system. So far they haven't had a lot of success with that but who knows one of those WR we have all been talking about might be one of the best in the league next year. Sometimes it takes a few years for a player to develop, and I for one remember several players back in the eighties, and nineties, that the Eagles drafted, and trained, then released just before they got good, and some other team benefited from that training (Sometimes even a rival). That said then I think that a big, strong, fast WR should be the first player the Eagles take in the draft. Maybe say, Malcolm Kelly, or Limas Sweed, if they are still available. I heard that Houston might be interested in Sweed, and they draft right in front of us. Kelly is currently ranked 19 and the Eagles first pick is the 19th, maybe he'll still be there. In conclusion the whole point of changing Free angency was to make the league more competetive but there are still only a handfull of elite teams and they are for the most part, with only one exception that I can think of, the same teams as before. I know alot of people won't agree with me on this, most of you judging by the poll, feel free to voice your disagreement here. I had to get that out it's kind of my soapbox.

Who to Watch in the Combine

The Eagles hold the nineteenth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, which will be held New York City on April 26-27. As a result of their 2008 8-8 record the Eagles ended the season tied with three other teams - Arizona, Houston and Minnesota. By virtue of the toughest strength of schedule, the Eagles pick last of those four teams.
The Eagles have their own selections in rounds 1 through 6. Their seventh-round pick was traded to Buffalo along with defensive tackle Darwin Walker for linebacker Takeo Spikes and quarterback Kelly Holcomb. The Eagles also have two picks acquired via trade - from Seattle (seventh round) for fullback Josh Parry and from Cleveland (sixth round) for center Hank Fraley.
The Combine starts this week and will be televised on the NFL Channel. I will try to watch as much of it as I can. That said, these are the people I think the Eagles should be watching:

1. #4 Malcolm Kelly
   Overall Rank: 19
   Ht: 6-4 Wt: 215 40: 4.50e
   Position: WR
   Date of Birth: 12/30/1986
   Class: Junior
   High School: Longview HS
   (Longview, TX) College: Oklahoma



2. #4 Limas Sweed
   Overall Rank: 65
   Ht: 6-5 Wt: 220 40: 4.50e
   Position: SE
   Date of Birth: 12/25/1984
   Class: RS - Senior
   High School: Brenham HS
   (Brenham, TX) College: Texas


3. #82 James Hardy
   Overall Rank: 66
   Ht: 6-5.5 Wt: 220 40: 4.50e
   Position: WR
   Date of Birth: 12/24/1985
   Class: RS - Junior
   High School: Elmhurst HS
   (Fort Wayne, IN) College: Indiana



4. #9 Quintin Demps
   Overall Rank: 80
   Ht: 5-11 Wt: 204 40: 4.60e
   Position: DB
   Date of Birth: 06/29/1985
   Birthplace: San Antonio, TX
   Class: Senior
   High School: Roosevelt HS
   (San Antonio, TX) College: UTEP


5. #16 Craig Steltz
   Overall Rank: 115
   Ht: 6-1 Wt: 213 40: 4.64
   Position: S
   Date of Birth: 05/07/1986
   Class: Senior
   High School: Archbishop Rummel HS
   (Metairie, LA) College: LSU



6. #14 Chris Horton
   Overall Rank: 201
   Overall Rank: 65
   Ht: 6-0 Wt: 214
   Position: S
   Date of Birth: 12/29/1984
   Class: RS - Senior
   High School: De La Salle HS
   (New Orleans, LA)
   College: UCLA

We’ll see if there may be others once the Combine gets under way.

Berrian Could Be A Solution

The Rumors have been flying about which Wide Receiver the Eagles are going to pick up in the off-season. First it was Chad Johnson, then Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams and even Randy Moss (even though he isn't even likely to become a free agent). Any of those would certainly fulfill the need for another playmaker on the Eagles offence, and make the players who have been asking for one (McNabb, and Westbrook mainly) happy. None of these are very likely to become Eagles this next year though, because the team would have to give up too much in terms of players and draft picks to get any of them. Then there is the price tag that would go along with such an acquisition, probably around $8 million a year, and the front office would never go for that.Another option would be to go after a solid free agent like Bernard Berrian, if the Bears don't franchise him. This is most likely the best option. He has put up some solid numbers in the last two seasons and would certainly be cheaper than one of the others mentioned above. The one problem with Berrian is that Chicago could possibly decide to use the franchise tag on him. If Chicago decides to franchise Berrian then they will have to pay him nearly 8 mil next season, it's likely they don't want to take such a big hit on the cap. Another problem is that the Eagles won't be the only ones interested in Berrian; Oakland has expressed some interest in him already. All this is likely to make the price for him somewhere in the neighborhood of $3.5 million a year.Even if the Eagle were to get Berrian or some other similar receiver I think they still need to look at picking up a receiver in the first round of the draft. With this they should still be in a good position to make an offer on Asante Samuel who certainly will help the Defense, if they can pull it off. With LJ Smith franchised and the addition of one or more of these players the Eagles should have a strong Offense, especially since McNabb is finally healthy again. Also the addition of a solid Receiver like Berrian will help to bring some of the struggling young Receivers on the Eagles along and maybe even give one of them the chance to outshine Berrian.It's pretty plain that the lack of a solid go-to receiver is the main problem with the Eagles offense; look at what they did with T.O. The team is essentially the same as when he was with them except that the offense doesn't have the explosive potential that he brought to the team. The ultimate solution would be a receiver with T.O.'s speed and size, but without the ego. Free agent wide receivers are kind of scarce this year though so Berrian might be the best that they can hope for.

A Look at the NFC East

Now lets take a look at the NFC East division and what the Eagles will possibly be up against next year. This year certainly didn't turn out as predicted. The Eagles and Cowboys were expected to be slugging it out for first place in the division, while the Giants were expected to end up 8-8, with the Redskins continuing to improve. That just goes to show how useful predictions can be since the Eagles are the ones who ended up 8-8 and the Giants won the Superbowl, but let's give it a try anyway.

• The Dallas Cowboys are as talented a team as there is in the NFL, and although they had an impressive regular season slumped and finally faltered in the playoffs. The cowboys are a imposing obstacle when they put it all together. They have an explosive offence and an intense defense that knows how to make the big play. Left tackle Flozell Adams, running back Julius Jones, and safety Ken Hamlin are potential unrestricted free agents. If the Cowboys decide to sign two of the three they are going to be pretty tight up against the salary-cap. They also need to take a look at Tony Romo and what happens to him late in the season. If he doesn't overcome that late season slump he gets into he won't be worth that huge long-term contract they just signed with him. The question is, "Is this something he will grow out of?" Is Wade Phillips a lame duck, with Jason Garret waiting in the wings? They also have some defensive coaching holes that need filling. Finally the Cowboys have two first round picks (22 & 28) and seem to be trying to move up in the draft.
• The Giants are coming off of an impressive upset win in the Superbowl, but in recent years teams have struggled the year after a Superbowl appearance. Give them credit though their appearance in the big game was impressive enough without the win. I guess the big question is can Tom Coughlin keep up the kinder gentler approach, especially with all the expectations to win that is natural for a defending World Championship team. They have a few players who could prove to be significant free agents, including their punter Jeff Feagles, kicker Lawrence Tynes, linebacker Kawika Mitchell, and safety Gibril Wilson. There is also what to do with Jeremy Shockey to consider. They certainly did fine without him in the playoffs and the Superbowl.
• The Redskins don't even have a coach right now, and their young quarterback is recovering from a knee injury, also their policy of trying to buy a Superbowl by bringing in every free agent they can lay their hands on is starting to come back to bite them. They really have too many problems to name so let’s just say they are facing a tough off-season and an even tougher regular season next year.
• That brings us to our team. I will be going over the Eagles in the next few weeks with a fine-tooth comb. The Eagles expect to be healthy by time for spring drills, and as I pointed out last week there have been some changes in the coaching staff but over all I think they will be headed into the spring looking pretty good, with only a few positions that really need work. The Eagles announced this week that L.J. Smith was going to be their franchise player this year. Historically the Eagles haven't done very well with the franchise tag. Smith is less than thrilled about having to play another season on a one-year deal. The 4.522 million dollar salary that accompanies a franchise tag for a tight end is nothing to sneeze at though. LJ's agent says they are still hopeful for a long-term deal. Smith along with Dallas Clark is considered one of the elite free-agent tight ends. Smith admits that his injuries this last season limited his performance and conversely his earning potential. The only other significant free agent is fullback Thomas Tapeh, and the Eagles have a lot of room under the cap. The defense needs to continue to improve and work on getting more takeaways in the coming season. Special teams definitely need work, and then there is the lack of a good solid go-to wide receiver.

This next year promises to be a hard one, but I think that with a little work and some good personnel decisions the Eagles could come out on top next year.

Congratulations New York

That was quite an exciting fourth quarter last night at the Superbowl. My congratulations go out to the New York Giant on their victory over the New England Patriots. That was the kind of game that the Superbowl should be. Tyree's catch in the fourth quarter is what they get paid to do, make the impossible catch when the game is on the line. It's too bad more players don't seem to put out that sort of effort anymore. Eagles the Giants were 8-8 last year and won last night let's win next Feb.

Few Words before the Superbowl

The Superbowl is tomorrow and its another year without the Eagles in it. The two they went to they lost but even a loss in the Superbowl is better than not going. Oh well, there is no use dwelling on what didn't happen its time to look foward to next year and hope that the Eagles can make it then. This past week some interesting things happened and many things were said about the direction of the team durring the offseason. Let's review. To start with an arbitrator has reportedly ruled for the Eagles in their case against big mouth (Owens), meaning the now Cowboys wide receiver owes his former team nearly $800,000 in signing bonus money, and I for one am glad. Next alot has been said this week about Giants star Plaxico Burress and what impact he could have had on the Eagles offence. While I agree that they could definately have used him, they certainly must not have thought that, he told an interviewer that he wasn't even aware that they were interested. Personally I think that was a bad deal all around. Dave Spadaro had a good deal to say about the Eagles wide receivers and tight ends. The importance of both wide receivers and the tight end position are clearly high within this offense. In 2006 they scored 370 points and averaged a league-best 6.2 yards per play, a league-best 7.05 yards per first down play and a league-best 13.3 yards per catch. This year they didn't do quite so well. The Eagles need to address what they are going to do across the board in the coming weeks, and two of the positions they need to look at are tight end and wide receiver. Numbers don't tell the whole story, but the Eagles had a big reduction at tight end from 2006 to 2007, clearly effecting their red-zone efficiency. L.J. Smith is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of February, making it a position to clarify. Andy Reid anounced some coaching changes this week, to review, the Eagles moved Sean McDermott, back to the secondary. He is a 10-year veteran of the NFL at the ripe old age of 33 and has coached for four seasons working with both the safeties and the cornerbacks. He also appears to be the next rising defensive coach here, following along the lines of Steve Spagnuolo and John Harbaugh. Otis Smith will be helping McDermott in the secondary after he impressed Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson working as a coaching intern with the team last season. Smith played 13 seasons in the league at cornerback. Shuey, a defensive quality control coach takes over the linebacker coaching position. He will be working with a group of players with whom he has already become very familiar. They know him well and are ready to be molded into the strength of this defense. Mark Whipple was known for having a brilliant, innovative mind as a college coach, who then made the transition to NFL quarterbacks coach and will be taking over that position for the Eagles this next season. Donnovan McNabb continues to express a desire to add more playmakers to the team. He has been joined by other the latest of which is runningback Brian Westbrook. "I think having more weapons on your team takes pressure off of everybody," said Westbrook, who is at Super Bowl XLII as part of a promotional campaign with Chili's Restaurant. "If you look at a team like the Patriots, they have so many weapons that if you shut down one guy, it just gives so many more opportunities to other guys to play well. Others have mentioned that while bringing in new talent is important those who are already on the team have to continue to improve. Brian Westbrook, Shawn Andrews, and Trent Cole are where they need to be. Donnovan McNabb also seems to be getting back to where he was before the injuries. There have been some questions about weither Brian Dawkins has another season left to again reach the heights. Several of the young players are going to have to step up and prove that they can be what this team needs. I hope that the Eagles are going to keep their eyes open and be aggressive and do what they can through every avenue to make the roster better in 2008.