In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles Select...

I have previously stated that I would not be doing a mock draft, and that is still the case. There is something about part-time bloggers, wannabe know-it-alls, and self-proclaimed experts putting stuff out there like its gospel when in actuality it ends up being more wrong than right. So I won’t bore you with some uninformed information about what the Miami Dolphins are going to do in the draft because I don’t follow Miami, or Chicago, or the New York Giants. I don’t write about those teams normally and won’t pretend that I have any clue as to what their going to do this Saturday. What I will do is, based on the picks they have now, go through the players that I think would fit the Eagles best in a given round. I will do my best in keeping it real of course, because things will change probably before they even use their first pick. Today, here are the first three rounds of picks. Next week (hopefully I’ll remember), I will revisit these selections to see just how far off I am.

First Round (Pick 21): Although the Eagles may have to trade up to get him, Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno is the best pick in the draft for their team. He is easily the best running back prospect available and will help the Birds’ offense almost immediately, just as long as he understands the playbook a little. The selection of Moreno makes the most sense, particularly with new bookends whose strengths are run blocking. It will also mean some relief to Brian Westbrook, who coming off a knee injury could use some help in the backfield. If the Eagles come out of the first round with Moreno and Jason Peters, then Philly fans should be more than satisfied. On another note, the Eagles haven’t drafted a running back in the first round since Keith Byars in 1986. Should there be no way to get Knowshon, either by trading up or otherwise, the next best pick at that position would be Tight End Brandon Pettigrew out of OK State. There is always the possibility that they trade this pick too, possibly even for Anquan Boldin.

Second Round (Pick 53): Should the Eagles get Moreno and answer their backfield issue they will then need to turn to address the tight end position. Pettigrew is long gone at this point and the next batch of talent isn’t as solid to be sure. Either Southern Miss’s Shawn Nelson or South Carolina’s Jared Cook (right) should be there unless there is a run on them earlier in the round. Offensively, both are sound, but neither are particularly good blockers. Cook has the best speed of the group, which to me puts him ahead of Nelson, but then again, I’m not in the Eagles’ war room. People have Cornelius Ingram out of rated pretty high on the TE list, but I expect him to be gone by pick 53. Philly could go defensive end here, but for the value of the pick based on their needs, tight end is the way to go.

Round Three (Pick 85): If West Virginia’s Pat White (left) is available they take him otherwise, they take the best defensive end on the board. They love guys that can do more than one thing well, and although he wants to be a QB in the NFL, White will probably have to wait to really get that chance anywhere he goes. In Philly, he will give the gadget-play loving Coach Andy any number of options, most importantly a Wildcat formation. As far as defensive ends go, the Eagles would love six feet six inch Michael Johnson from Georgia Tech, if he’s there. More likely than not though, he’ll be gone and they will chose from either Michael Bennett or Brandon Williams from Texas A&M and Tech respectively.

Tomorrow, will (should) be rounds four through seven. It should be exciting, so stay tuned!

To Anquan or Not To Anquan

Should the Eagles trade their remaining first round pick for Arizona’s Anquan Boldin? A good number of Birds fans would say yes. I say hold on there Sparky. Boldin would most certainly improve the wide receiving corps, that I have no doubt. But I feel that he wouldn’t really improve the team overall, especially when you have no one to back up Brian Westbrook in the backfield. No, leave Anquan out West. Work with what you have on the outside, which isn’t all that bad by the way, and go out and get what you really need…a running back.

Just imagine if you will…You have Anquan Boldin on one side, DeSean Jackson on the other and Kevin Curtis fitting perfectly in the slot. Brian Westbrook is in the backfield. McNabb takes the snap, goes play action faking the handoff. Westbrook takes off only to be met at the line and on the tackle gets his knee twisted. Oh no! He’s hurt. In comes his backup, not Knowshon Moreno or Beanie Wells, but the wonderful and talented Lorenzo Booker! Can you see the dropoff yet? Now you can say that there is a loss of talent between the first and second string of receivers, but when your big weapon, and B-West is still your big weapon, goes down, the offense begins to look a whole lot less scary.

The 21st pick isn’t even guaranteed to get you Anquan straight up. A 3rd or 4th rounder would almost certainly have to be included as well, so it is unlikely that after the Jason Peters trade, that the Eagles will give up one pick let alone a couple. They have holes and depth that needs to be addressed. Take safety for instance. Right now there’s Jones, Mikell, Demps, and maybe J.R. Reed, but really, using a 3rd round pick for this position would be a good idea.

Some would say that you could throw in a player. Really? Like who? Sheldon Brown plus the 21st pick is too much. And I can tell you now that there isn’t much of a market for Reggie Brown or Hank Baskett, not when the guy involved is better than those two guys combined. The first round draft pick is really the only chip the Eagles can dangle in front of the Cardinals. It is unlikely they’ll take a player the Eagles are willing to give up.

So I’ll say to Eagles fans, you must live without Anquan Boldin, and (I hate to say it this way) make due with what we have at the moment, which isn’t Thrash/Pinkston (pictured) or Johnson/Small. For once in a long time, receiver isn’t our biggest need; it may be a need, but not our biggest one. We need a complimentary back, we need a tight end, and we need a defensive end, all before we need a receiver. And while it might be flashy, with some razzle dazzle pop, adding Boldin will not necessarily be the answer.

The Eagles Bring Some Intrigue to Their NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles have made the upcoming NFL Draft a bit intriguing for Philly fans. Nearly everyone in America knew that they were going to pick an offensive lineman with one of their two first round picks, and in essence they did with trading the 28th pick in the draft to the Bills for 2-time All-Pro Jason Peters. It won’t be know until the season starts whether Peters is the solid replacement to Tra Thomas that the Eagles organization thinks that he is or the guy who gave up the 11+ sacks last year, at least according to some stat geeks. Regardless though, this trade with Buffalo only increases a great deal of speculation on what will happen with their 21st pick.

At this point, I have no clue, but I suspect that they will draft a defensive lineman. I would be happily surprised if they picked a running back like Knowshon Moreno (left) or Beanie Wells (right) to complement Bryan Westbrook, but my gut tells me that they will leave that for the second or third round and get a second tier back. My eyebrows will also be raised a bit if they pick up Brandon Pettigrew (below) should he fall that far. No, look for the Birds to go ho-hum and select Tyson Jackson out of LSU and stick him in a rotation with Victor Abiamiri.
But what if….what if the Eagles see what’s coming down the road…an aging Westbrook, a young QB entering his third year, a dynamic wideout that makes defensive backs buckle. What if they see the opportunity to pick up that third piece to the offensive puzzle? A guy that will create a reason for safeties to move up and play the run, or a tight end that needs double coverage. This pick could be the one guy who will take us truly to the next generation of Philadelphia Eagles, the post McNabb, post Westbrook, and reluctantly, the post Dawkins Eagles.

To me, either Moreno or Wells will do, for that matter you can add Pettigrew too, but I would rather see one of the two top RBs in an Eagles uniform next season. Philadelphia replaced both of their offensive tackles with guys who are arguably better at run blocking than pass blocking, but that might not mean much since that was the case with Thomas and Jon Runyan. We will know just what they will do this Saturday. Perhaps this Eagles regime has seen the light, or perhaps not. Maybe they will finally understand what the fans mean when they say “playmaker,” or maybe they’ll risk ruining the franchise just to prove that their philosophy is right.

The other option they have of course is to trade their pick. I won’t give them the ability to trade out of the first round, but instead send it to Arizona for Anquan Boldin. That will enable the Eagles to slide Kevin Curtis inside where he belongs and solidify what will be the best receiving group, dare I say it, in the NFL. It wasn’t too long ago when Eagle fans had to bear witness to James Thrash and Todd Pinkston, but now on the precipice of what could be the last chance for Donovan and Andy Reid to make it back to the Super Bowl together, the Eagles might be prepared to go all out offensively, not unlike they did with T.O., only without all the drama.

The suspense is building and we might end up with something exciting or horribly disappointing. I am trying to think positive and believe that they will pick someone who will make the immediate impact and will help make the enigma that is DeSean Jackson, better. If only I could will them to select someone other than a lineman and to stimulate the fan base. Although they haven’t acknowledged that they are rebuilding, the letting go of Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas, and realistically Jon Runyan strikes another chord. Let’s make it official and draft the replacement to the guy who has been most important player on the team for the last couple of years, and get the best running back available to take over the reigns for B-West.

In other news regarding the Philadelphia Eagles….Cornerback Sheldon Brown wants out, especially after Joselio Hanson’s new contract. Brown has been the most consistent DB since the departure of Troy Vincent. Also, does anyone get the feeling that the Eagles are scared that Shawn Andrews might leave the game? Andrews missed all of last year and it was questionable whether or not he still wanted to play football. To try to ensure that he comes back the Birds signed his brother Stacy at the opening of free agency. Now they trade for his college roommate in Peters. Stay tuned, Philly might be signing two of his uncles, a second cousin, and his 3rd grade crush, just to make sure he’s back on the O-Line in ’09.

Eighteen Weeks of Football Still Aren't Enough

With the NFL Commissioner and team owners going through the state of the league, making rule changes, and whatever else they do, the concept of an 18 week season came up. Intriguing as it may be, cutting off two preseason games at the beginning and pasting them on the back end and calling it the regular season, still needs to be approved and sanctioned by the players association. I think it’s a good idea for several reasons, and state them as I see them.

First, it provides the country with what it really needs, more football. With perhaps the 2008 season being an exception due to the Phillies’ championship, the Eagles run the show in Philadelphia from September through January. Sports talk radio is engrossed with Eagles talk, blogs run amuck, and people drown in water cooler conversations. It helps treat the football jonesing that goes on consistently year round but cutting two more weeks of non-football out. Now, instead of talking about the 76er’s Samuel Dalembert mailing in another game, Philly fans can discuss why Andy Reid threw the ball 87% of the time in a blowout against the last place Cowboys (prediction? I think so).

Second, will be the advantages to teams fighting for the playoffs. It will give those teams on the bubble two more weeks of getting in and it won’t take away from the funky scenarios that got the Eagles in this year. The excuses of teams running out of time will go by the wayside as good teams should start to separate from the mucker and grinders of the league. Sure, some mediocre team will make it in, but with two extra weeks added to last season I’d bet that the New England Patriots would have been in over the Miami Dolphins.

Third and this may not necessarily be a good thing, will be the setting of new plateaus for single season and career records. Football records do not hold the same weight as baseball as players are considered great more by their impact on the field, so seeing more 2,000 yard rushers; maybe a 2,000 yard receiver would be more fascinating. Maybe we’ll even get a few 1,000-1,000 guys. Fact of the matter, we’ll start seeing new records set, like when the league went from fourteen to sixteen games and impact players will still be impact players. Would Jim Brown be less great if he played more games? I don’t think so.

The potential for burnout might increase as the season moves on but who cares? It eliminates part of the boredom-filled gap between the Super Bowl and March Madness and MLB Spring Training, and anything that can do that is alright in my book.

There are some negatives if this initiative goes through. Risk of injury is probably the biggest one since adding two more regular season games puts a player out there all the more, considering they probably wouldn’t have played in the last two preseason games. This might open up the possibility of an expanded rosters, it may also lead to better contracts for the players, that’s all up to the league and the new NFLPA boss, DeMaurice Smith.

Regardless of which side of the fence you might be on regarding this issue, I am hopeful that my opportunity to watch more football becomes realized. Sixteen weeks aren’t enough and in the spirit of keeping it real, eighteen weeks aren’t enough either. The NFL keeps itself in the news all year round already, but the actual action of the game is relegated to a mere six months. Why not keep it going through March? Then the Super can be played in places like New York and Philly. The fans would enjoy it, and then teams can take a couple of weeks off until the NFL Draft in April.

Another Eagles Receiver Rumor

First it was Marvin Harrison, then it was Anquan Boldin, now, it seems that Braylon Edwards might be the next wide receiver to be joining the Philadelphia Eagles. They have apparently joined the group of teams that are looking to deal for the guy. It would be a great thing for the Birds to acquire a top-notch wideout, but as far as I can tell, Cleveland would demand a first round draft pick (unless they get desperate), and Edwards would want a new contract. Neither of these two things would go well with the Eagles administration, and the possibility of them trading for Edwards, in my opinion is between nope and not gonna do it.

Let’s start by looking at the receivers they have. The tandem of Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson is the best they’ve had in the Andy Reid era. Yes, T.O. is the best receiver in Eagle green in the past 10 years, but I would say the Todd Pinkston devalues that duo. Adding Braylon Edwards would certainly upgrade the corps, but not enough in the Eagles’ eyes to justify the price tag that would come along with him. Sure, the team has plenty of money under the cap, but they would have to view Edwards as enough as an upgrade to warrant the spending of cash. He made over 10 million dollars, including bonuses in 2008 and could look for as much in a new deal. Generally he would be worth it since he may be one of the top five receivers in the league however if anyone knows how Joe Banner works, he low balls players, then pays based on future production, not on what someone has already accomplished. Curtis made less than six million last year.

The Eagles do certainly have two first round draft picks and it is possible that one could be used to obtain Edwards, but it is also possible, more likely even that they will use both picks to fill glaring needs at offensive tackle and either tight end or running back. There will be no way that Edwards will have the opportunity to catch balls thrown at his feet if the QB is on his back all day due to a revolving door on the offensive line. There was some talk of a stop-gap solution putting Todd Herremans or Shawn Andrews at the spot vacated by Tre Thomas so that would free up one of the picks that could go for Edwards. In addition, the Eagles have something like eight second day picks and one or two of those could get a deal moving as throw ins.

Joe Banner is the maker or breaker of this deal for Edwards. Instead of looking at Edwards 2007 season when he scored 16 touchdowns and caught 80 balls for 1289 yards, he is bound to base any trade value on his 2008 stats when he scored only three TDs with 873 yards receiving, indicating that this may be Edwards’ potential on his team, adding in the number of drops Braylon is credited with as well. All this may be true, and it is unfortunate because Banner won’t look at the big picture. Does this make my wide receiver corps better? He will put Edwards in a particular spot, say in Curtis’s spot on the field and ask, “is this guy worth four million dollars more?” The answer will be no and he will cite “value” at the position. Forget asking if Edwards is better than Reggie Brown or Hank Baskett.

It won’t be a shock if the Eagles are able to obtain Edwards. They did get T.O. and speed racer Donte Stallworth via trades so it isn’t unprecedented. The big difference here is that T.O. was an upgrade over James Thrash to the Nth degree and Stallworth was there only to fill the massive whole that Owens left. But if they do decide that Edwards is worth the price it would take to get him, then perhaps kudos would be deserved. Right now, I’ll reserve the right to skepticism as I wait for Braylon to be traded elsewhere and Banner to say they tried….just like they tried to get Randy Moss and resign Brian Dawkins.

The Philadelphia Eagles One Year Deal Wonders

The Eagles have made a smart move signing fullback Leonard Weaver to a contract. This ensures that the Birds will not have to start Dan Klecko in the backfield and can put him back on the defensive line where he can be more effective until the Eagles decide to cut him. The contract to Weaver is a one year deal that has a base salary of 1.75 million, but can get to 2.5 Mil with incentives that are probably so far out of reach Leonard couldn’t get to them in a spaceship.

The Eagles have been very fond of one year deals this offseason. They signed safety Sean Jones for one year, then safety Rashad Baker for one year. They signed restricted free agent linebacker Tank Daniels for one year as well. Add in Weaver’s contract and that makes four contracts out of five, with Stacy Andrews getting the only multi-year deal from the Birds thus far. It’s a bit peculiar and it may call into question their long range plans.
First is the potential for a lockout between owners and players after the 2010 season. The media has been discussing it already and the Eagles may be financially preparing themselves should a standoff occur. This way they don’t have a lot of money tied up in signing bonuses and salaries when everything is settled. And you know what that leads up to….one year deals for next year’s free agents. There’s no good reason to go into each season with the same question marks, but next year the Eagles will go into the 2009 offseason needing to sign a fullback, a safety, a wide receiver, all of the things they needed to pick up this year. This type of consistency is not a good thing.The Birds could be looking at the potential of the players they have on the roster now, or plan to draft this April. Something tells me they’re going to love Quintin Demps more than his own mother just so they can feel justified for letting Dawk go and signing Sean Jones for only one year. Maybe they’ll draft a fullback, or sign a rookie free agent and pay him the minimum. They’ll save money and if they find some guy off the streets that will do it for less, it’s easier to make that move than it would be if you had a guy who could play a little, like Weaver. It doesn’t say much for depth at any position though.

They only other reason that comes to mind is that the Eagles were expecting something better and it didn’t work out. The problem with that statement is that they didn’t go after anything better. Dawkins was probably the best safety for this team and they let him go to Denver. Weaver is a pretty good player and perhaps, like Jones, wants to see how everything plays out for one year before they start talking long term. Unfortunately for the players, they will probably be low-balled to the point they want to leave. I am not saying either side needs to agree to a five year deal, but three for a player with a decent track record isn’t necessarily a bad idea, unless of course, that third year is a lockout year.

Whatever the Eagles due, it will probably warrant criticism. Almost everything that comes out of that camp does nowadays. The administrative branch of Reid, Banner and Lurie has become a focal point of frustration that has eaten away at the average fan and the flow of bad press has left the image of a cheap organization with the mindset of Ebenezer Scrooge. I don’t think they need to worry about the customer base though since there is a waiting list for season tickets and their merchandise sells well. But it’s only a matter of time before their mismanagement of the Philadelphia Eagles will make Norman Braman the Philadelphia patron saint of football.

The Philadelphia Eagles: Free Agency Vs. The Draft Final Part

One consistent thing that the Philadelphia Eagles have done during the off season is try to upgrade their O and D lines. Their offensive line needs to get a bit younger, however their defensive line is in pretty good shape. Now does that mean that they are going to stand pat? No. For the most part they need a solid defensive end opposite Trent Cole, someone who can command a double team, opening up Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson in the middle or require chipping tight end from time to time. They still might be hurting a bit from the Javon Kearse experiment, but I think it is safe to say that Juqua Parker is not the answer to optimizing the pass rush.

In 2007 they drafted Victor Abiamiri in the second round hoping that he was going to tie down the one defensive spot. He was hurt his rookie year and was part of the rotation Jim Johnson employs but has not stood out to me like a stud DE. In 2008, the Eagles drafted Bryan Smith in the 3rd round, a guy who didn’t see the field at all during his rookie campaign. What the Birds have on their hands at the moment is a logjam of average players at one position. What they need to do is dump two or three of them and get a legitimate monster.

Monsters don’t grow on trees, in real life or in the fairy tales of fantasy football. Julius Peppers in Carolina would certainly qualify and could possibly sign with another team. The Panthers want to throw the franchise tag on Peppers but they also want to keep their OT Jordan Gross as well. If they are able to sign Gross, they’ll throw the tag on Peppers. Otherwise, Carolina is in a pickle with Peppers. Other than Julius, there are a bunch of guys with a similar skill level like the Cowboys’ Chris Canty and Igor Olshansky from San Diego who has a great name but is not so much better than what the Eagles have that I would break the bank for him. The one thing that Canty and Igor have going for themselves that might look favorable by the Birds is that they are relatively young. The detriment is that neither of them particularly stand out.

There are a couple of prospects in this year’s draft that could fall to the Eagles in the first round. Aaron Maybin out of Penn State is not likely to be one of them, however there is an off chance that Texas’ Brian Orakpo could be there at 21. Will the Eagles select him if he is still on the board? Who knows for sure? My bet is that they will still look to take an offensive tackle first. That being said, if a player that they rated highly is there for the taking, they’ll take him. Tyson Jackson from LSU and Paul Kruger from Utah may be available in the 2nd round that they are more likely to be picked by Philly then, unless Andy Reid is comfortable with who he has on the roster, which is possible as well.

Tackle, tight end, safety, an offensive weapon, and a defensive end, those are what the Eagles need, in my humble and somewhat informed opinion, in that order. How each area is addressed will depend on how much stock the Eagles put on that position and how much they are willing to pay for talent. In some cases they are willing to pay top dollar. Other evidence would show that they feel that role players fit the system better in some spots. Regardless of which direction they go, action must be taken. To sit back and let the market decide which free agent they go after is putting a nail in their own coffin. They have been the market-setter before and they need to do so again. To their advantage they also have two first round picks that will enable them to move up and select one of the best in the draft, or fill two spots with players that can make an impact their rookie seasons. All should be told by the end of April, when the house of cards will be constructed, only to potentially collapse when glaring holes in the team are revealed in week one of the regular season only to become blog fodder for the remainder of the year.

The Philadelphia Eagles: Free Agency Vs. The Draft Part Three

Back in 2003, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted L.J. Smith out of Rutgers to replace Chad Lewis, one of Donovan McNabb’s favorite targets early in his career. Since that day, Philadelphia fans have been waiting for his breakout year. It hasn’t come thus far, and it probably won’t come as a member of the Eagles if it does at all. Last year, the Birds slapped the franchise tag on Smith, giving him a one year salary of 4.5 million, mainly because they didn’t have any better options. Tony Gonzalez was rumored to be available, just like he is now, but I don’t believe the Eagles had any serious interest in the All-Pro Chief. By the end of 2008, Brent Celek, a 2nd year player out of Cincinnati proved he could find the crease, get open on pass plays, and hold onto the ball, something with which Smith was just to inconsistent.

I fully expect the Eagles to play the Celek card for next year and let L.J. go find himself a new home. Brent is not a game breaker by any means, nor can he block as well as the team would like, but he is serviceable enough to be a productive member of the offense as could be seen during the course of last season. Matt Schobel, third on the depth chart is a take him or leave him player, but I would rather hold on to him if the Eagles are going to pick up someone through the draft and no one through free agency. Otherwise, guys like Schobel are a dime-a-dozen and can be replaced rather easily. The best Tight End in free agency is Owen Daniels from the Texans, but he is a restricted FA and the Texans will probably resign him. The next guy on the list is the Titan’s Bo Scaife, who is a nice player, but for the money, I’ll stick with Celek.
Oklahoma State tight end, Brandon Pettigrew, appears to be the stud in this year’s draft.

Whether he is or not, no one can tell. Kyle Brady was a big time prospect at one point too and he was a touch under average. Regardless, I don’t think he will be available when the Eagles pick at 21, and I don’t thing there is any way they would trade up for him. In fact, I’m not sold on the idea that they would take him anyway, even if he did fall to their spot. After Pettigrew, the next batch of guys is a rung down the ladder. I do think they will be able to pick up someone like Jared Cook in the second round. Cook has good ball skills, but like Celek, can’t block. Pettigrew is by far the best blocker of all the top tight ends available in the draft this year, most of the other potential draftees being considered as below average blockers. But again, I must reiterate, it would be nothing of a surprise if he ends up in Philly next year.

When the Eagles selected L.J. Smith, they passed up a guy named Jason Witten, and since then Smith has found himself the 4th best tight end in the NFC East. The Eagles at one time identified that position as important enough to spend a high draft pick on it, and I think they need to have that priority again. Brent Celek can catch the ball, but you cannot have him on the line to run block. For that you need a guy like Brandon Pettigrew and that type of player is hard to come by. However, if he happens to find a home at the Linc, it would be a nice addition to the squad.

The Philadelphia Eagles Free Agency Vs. The Draft Part 2

After addressing the offensive line and the two aging tackles that may or may not be with the team come the opening of training camp, safety is the next position the Eagles need to address. Despite the Pro-Bowl season of Brian Dawkins last year, it is easy to see that he is on the relative downside of his career. He can no longer be left in coverage by himself with any real sense of security, not that his immediate replacement Quintin Demps can either. Pass coverage is not really the strong point of the Eagles safties in general, aside from perhaps Q. Mikell. They need to be near the line as part of Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson’s scheme, and that creates a one-dimensionality that limits the scheme overall, dictating who the blitzers can be.

This seems to me to be a need that will be addressed through the draft. The last time they signed a safety out of free agency was, I think, Blaine Bishop. Yeremiah Bell is the best guy on the market that plays the same position as B.Dawk, but he is not better. I figure this much, the Eagles will give #20 the contract that will allow him to end his career as one of the most decorated and celebrated Eagles. They will use a high draft pick to select his replacement and will slowly integrate the rookie into the system so that he will be fully ready to take over for a Philadelphia legend. Forget about Demps, Sean Considine, J.R. Reed and the rest of the rabble. They will get fresh young blood to take over for the “old” man.

Now the question becomes, who are they selecting in the Draft and when? If, and I mean if, they trade up in the first round, they’ll be taking a tackle, not a safety. That would leave them to pick over the second tier of guys like Patrick Chung of Oregon or William Moore of Mizzou. I like the prospect of Moore, who was, and maybe still is, a first rounder by most accounts. A step lower and you might find Michael Hamlin from Clemson. Hey! Brian Dawkins went to Clemson. Hmmm. The Eagles must figure what they are going to do in the first round, particularly now that there is speculation that one of their two picks may go in a trade for Anquan Bouldin, but they cannot let the safety position slide. They can’t afford to go with a sixth round pick and expect him to be able to fill in with the capacity of skill required for the spot.

Whatever the case, safety was slightly exposed, not slightly….sorry, glaringly exposed during the NFC Championship. They need a guy who can do a good job in coverage to help the other DBs so that guys like Larry Fitzgerald or T.O. remained as contained as possible. If the guy they pick up can hit like a truck, well, that’s great too. But for now, let’s get a player who is intelligent enough to pick up the system so that when Dawkins decides his time has come, he can leave his spot to someone who is competent, confident, and able to continue the journey started by the great ones before him.

The Philadelphia Eagles: Free Agency Vs. The Draft, Part 1

What positions do the Eagles need to focus on as the off-season kicks off officially with the NFL combine followed up by the opening of free agency? Well, that depends on where you stand. Running back, wide receiver, tight end, safety, defensive line, fullback, offensive line are all areas that need to be addressed. That in no small part will happen during the NFL Draft in April, but it could also happen when players become available at the end of the month. Who will they target, well that depends too. In the past, the Birds have valued some areas more than others, hence the fact they have had one Pro-Bowl receiver (T.O) during Andy’s tenure.

Offensive Tackle should be a major concern for the Philadelphia Eagles. Their two starters, Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are without a doubt getting up there in age and there are no guarantees that either one will be back in green next year. On top of that, their back ups leave too much to be desired. Winston Justice was something of a revolving door when he played in 2007 and has done nothing to prove he was worth trading up for in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft. Shawn Andrews was supposed to be the heir apparent to Jon Runyan and has become a dominating guard in the meantime. His desire to play the game has now been called into question over an iffy back problem. At this point I would hope the Eagles are not relying on this guy coming back, and if they are, not at the tackle position. That essentially leaves two open bookend spots.

In free agency there is not much they can go with. Jordan Gross, a potential free agent of the Carolina Panthers could be a route the Eagles might turn. They signed Runyan as their first big free agent signing from Tennessee all those years back so it is not out of the question if they push hard after Gross. Otherwise, there are not that many better options than Thomas and Runyan. Free Agency’s only other decent offers would be Vernon Carney of Miami, Cincinnati’s Stacy Andrews, and the Steeler’s Max Starks, and one or two of these guys will probably re-sign with their current team. I would say with some sense of confidence that if the Eagles do not get the top guy on the market, they will try to re-sign both Thomas and Runyan and move to picking up a top notch player with one of their two first round picks.

This years draft seems to have a few tackles with first round potential. Unless the Eagles move up, I think the top couple of players will be off the board when the Birds’ first pick at 21 is on the clock. Michael Oher from Mississipi is a possibility but it is really too early to tell who might still be there. If there is a player the Eagles really like and really want, I would expect them to move up. They have a history in doing so. Just a few years ago, they moved up and took Andrews, so instead of having to pay two first rounders, they’ll slide up 6 or so spots and get their guy.
When the free agency flurry begins, the Eagles are almost certain to be players, and I would imagine if Jordan Gross is available, he’ll get a call from Philly. Either way, the Eagles will hopefully not set themselves up to having to play Winston Justice and in turn a back up QB when McNabb gets killed. They are too smart to let that happen unless they out-think their own genius. But if Gross isn’t available, Philly fans will have to wait until April to see which direction the franchise will move.