DRAFTING QB Jalen Hurts won’t lead to controversy on the Eagles team. The national sports media however, has almost nothing to talk or write about, because nothing is happening. Hey, I get it. Unlike me, they get paid to meet deadlines. While I can disappear for days at a time, they have to produce something daily.
Which is why they’re attempting to imply, that there will be disharmony in Philadelphia at the QB position. (I say “attempting to imply”, because to outright say it, they’d have to offer proof, and there isn’t any.) So while you may read a lot of articles about ‘The Controversy!!’, you can just shrug that bullshit off. That is, unless a quote comes from an Eagles player who also gives their name this time.
QB Carson Wentz has an injury history that though often over-stated, cannot be ignored. So there is to be no doubt that Hurts was brought here as the insurance policy for Wentz. That however, is down the line. Hurts is definitely here to be the back-up. Just not in 2020. There are three clear reasons for this:
1) Does anyone remember QB Nate Sudfeld? Sudfeld is your actual #2. He knows the Offense, he knows the players. He may not be spectacular, but when he’s in, you don’t worry.
2)Prior to being drafted, Hurts was said to still need some polishing of his deep ball accuracy, and how often his deliveries are off-schedule. Those are thing that can be fixed with time and experience, but those are two elements he won’t get a ton of any time soon.
3) He will also have an abbreviated Training Camp this year. If Hurts was going to supplant Sudfeld, he’d have to outplay him in camp. There is almost no time to do that. So if Wentz gets hurt while the team still has something to play for, you will see Sudfeld not Hurts, take the field.
So if Hurts is the third stringer, then Wentz is in no danger, thus, ZEE-RO controversy. It’s just math y’all. Don’t be afraid of it.
Granted, if it’s Week 9, the Eagles are 0 – 8, and Wentz gets injured, sure, put the kid in. What’s the worst that could happen? That said, if it’s Week 9, the Eagles are 5 – 3, and Wentz gets hurt, don’t pretend to be surprised when Sudfeld starts Week 10. I told you how it would play out, because it’s obvious to anyone who isn’t trying to manufacture a story.
BTW: There is an upside to all the nonsense. It’s a gift from our rival NFC East fans:
Carson Wentz’s credibility as an NFL QB is never in question. Even from rival fans. So. if they think that Hurts could take the starting spot from Wentz, doesn’t this mean that they see Hurts as a weapon? If Wentz was good enough to win the division 2 of the last 4 years, what do they think Hurts will do? I’m just saying, is all.
PHILADELPHIA is about to repeat as NFC East champions. Fans of other divisions would shrug and say that’s no big deal. It’s just a division title. Fans in THIS division know that’s far from true. In most years, the NFC East doesn’t produce a winner. It produces a survivor. Which is why since the 2004 – 2005 season, no team in the division has won it back-to-back years.
This year however, the Eagles are looking like they’re going to change that.
Signing RB Corey Clement was a subtle move, but by no means was it small. Social distancing policies have prevented all teams from having Organized Team Activities, and mini-camps. Teams use those periods for things like:
*Offseason workouts to help the team bond and develop chemistry.
*Introductory physicals, and on-site physical therapy by renowned experts.
*Retired veterans who come in to talk to rookies about money, agents, balancing life, etc.
*NFLPA sending reps to discuss insurance, union dues, obligations, legal protections.
*Meetings to discuss core concepts of the system, and Q and A about the playbook.
Teams are trying to do some of this OTA and mini-camp stuff, digitally. However, it’s efficacy has no standard by which to reliably measure it, only to compare it. Also, many teams never got an in-person look at most (or in some cases any) of the athletes that they drafted. Yet they have to go right into Training Camp mode, and immediately begin evaluating players to see who stays and who goes.
This process will be harder on the Cowboys, giants, and Redskins, because all of them have new coaches who have to get to know their teams, and install brand new systems on offense and defense. The odds that they could overlook a gem, and leave talent on the cutting-floor is now more likely than not.
The Eagles have the same coach and (mostly) the same systems from last year, so they don’t have to worry about that steep team-wide learning curve. Which is where a simple move like signing Clement (who already has mastery of the system), will pay huge dividends.
Moreover, there have been rumblings in the last week or so, about the Eagles bringing back LT Jason Peters and LB Nigel Bradham. These would be genius level moves. Bradham would immediately erase our hole at LB, and give the young guys a real LB (not a tweener) to learn the trade from. Peters would immediately ease any doubts people have about LT Andre Dillard, by giving him a little more shakedown time, as well as being on-hand to mentor him.
So last year’s champs have a massive head start. Oh yeah, and this can’t be repeated enough: The Eagles went 5 – 1 in the division while running on fumes, and still won the East. This season the team gets back firepower they hardly got to use last year, and then added to it.
DESPITE the rumors that they’d be traded before the 2020 Draft or, traded during the 2020 Draft, both WR Alshon Jeffery and CB Rasul Douglas are still on the roster. This is the second “I was right” article that I wrote over the weekend, and it feels good to post this motherfucker.
Felt like not a day went by this Spring, where some folks weren’t running these guys out of town. However, it would seem that the Eagles organization finds them more valuable in an Eagles jersey, than as bargaining chips. I kept telling folks, that sort of thinking didn’t add up? But what do I know?
A lot. Turns out, I know an awful fuck of a lot. Yet some folk insist on being wrong. Maybe it’s part of their diet, and they’ll die if they aren’t fucking up. Who knows? (Probably ME!) But let me give my back and my palm a rest, and get back to talking Eagles, specifically.
I for one am excited by this, and what it does for our chances to repeat as NFC East champs. Understand, that in a year where there will be no OTA’s, no mini-camp, and an abbreviated Training Camp, having guys who have mastered our systems already, is a massive advantage over teams just learning theirs. There is no learning curve for our guys, so they can just hit the ground running.
Better still, our new players will have an easier time learning, because everywhere they look is an example of a player who knows what he’s doing, and why. Imagine being new somewhere, and the two other people whom you work directly with, are also new. Think of all the communication errors! Or when everyone thinks something was the other person’s responsibility.
The Eagles have accountable teachers from wall to wall. Why monkey with that? Oh yeah. The other thing is, Alshon and Rasul actually make plays. What fool lets that kind of quality walk out the door, without a bonafide successor in the wings, or for a sweet post-Draft trade package?
So you can shut the rumor machines down. The 2020 Draft has passed, and Alshon and Rasul are still rocking midnight green.
REMEMBER June of 2019, when I wrote that QB Carson Wentz’s new contract wrecked the future for the Dallas Cowboys? If you don’t here’s the link. In it I explained why the Eagles signing their QB, meant a long-term downturn for the Cowboys. Things I said in that article, were confirmed in an article I wrote that following July. Here’s that link.
Understand, I live in Philadelphia. Never been to Dallas. Never even flexed shoe leather in the state of Texas. I have no internal sources on the Cowboys team. But Skip, this was a prophecy that called ahead, and told everyone to save the date!
As of now, 6:30a.m. Sunday May 3rd, 2020, QB Dakota Prescott has yet to sign his 33M$ franchise tag, because he’s been saying all along that he wants 40M$ per year. In response, the Cowboys ran out and signed recently released Bengals QB Andy Dalton, to a 1 year, 7M$ deal. While Dalton is a bargain at that price, and an upgrade over back-up QB and preseason Hall of Famer Cooper Rush, make no mistake, this was meant as a shot across Prescott’s bow.
Meanwhile, Cowboys fans are lapping this up like kitties to cream. That’s because they aren’t seeing the bigger picture. They frequently take their eye off the ball, lose their place, and then wonder how they keep ending up in that same spot. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones distracts them with something shiny, and (yet again), everyone forgets that there was a plan.
Funny thing is, it’s very likely to (yet again) blow up in Jones’s face. Last year during RB Ezekiel Elliott’s hold-out, Jones taunted Elliott when he praised RB Tony Pollard with the quote “Zeke who?” after Pollard had a decent showing (5 carries 42 yards) in a preseason game. Elliott continued his holdout, and when Jones caved, Elliott was given a 90M$ contract.
Having seen that playbook, Prescott has to know that he should sit until Jerry Jones caves. Either that or not sign, sit out the year, and show up in 2021 wearing a Redskins, Bears, Colts, Buccaneers, or Titans jersey. Meanwhile, the Cowboys would have to start their search for a franchise QB all over again.
Speaking of playbooks! The Cowboys have changed their head coach, but they’re running the same offense as before, with last year’s coordinator. If Prescott signs quickly, that offense can hit the ground running. If Dalton starts, then he has to learn the system from the ground up. The Cowboys are in “win now” mode, but starting Dalton would derail all of that, right from the start.
No OTA’s, and no mini-camp, with a shortened training camp this year. Not a good look for a team with a new head coach. Especially in a division that features a division champ that won while they were wounded, but now is healed up, and has added weapons.
The Eagles are not in “win now” mode. The Eagles are in predator mode. They don’t have to worry about a learning curve, and a short camp works in favor of a roster that has seen too many recent injuries. While the short camp situation works against other teams, it actually works for the Eagles. So it’s not minus one Cowboys, zero Eagles. It’s minus one Cowboys, plus one Eagles. Just on preparedness alone.
For the Cowboys to have a chance, Jerry needs Prescott to start. Otherwise, 2020 is another 8 – 8 record, and possibly third place finish, instead of a fight for #1.
THE news that we’d re-signed RB Corey Clement was a breath of fresh air. Many fans may have felt that the Eagles were already fine with RB’s Miles Sanders, and Boston Scott. I on the other hand, wrote in my Pre-Draft Preview, that real depth was a big concern.
Sanders is the lead dog here. There’s no question about that. While the Eagles may include some RB-by-committee aspects, you can expect 66 to 70% of the RB carries to go to Sanders. Other RB’s will get a nibble here and two nibbles there. Which is fine. The issue before Clement signed was, what happens if Sanders goes down with an injury?
Everyone remembers Scott’s crazy three touchdown game vs the giants last year. More specifically, they seem to only remember the touchdowns. That day he had 19 carries for just 54 yards, averaged 2.8 per tote. We saw during extensive work, that while he works well in space, his body type (5’6, 203) isn’t suited to a major workload, over multiple games.
Clement (5’10, 220) has the body type, the skill set, scheme familiarity, and the explosiveness to step into that role, and be an every down RB, if needed. Honestly, if not for his injury history, the Eagles might have a hard time holding onto him. At this point he’s still 25, and a couple of healthy years could earn him at least one big contract in his career. We just have to see if he can earn the money. But Sanders, Clement and Scott sound nice, right? Not so fast.
For what it’s worth: Nobody on the team has been assigned the #25.
While I still am, and have always been, a huge Clement booster, the Eagles would be remiss not to bring in a veteran. We need a veteran presence in this young group. The veteran names I keep reading about, are RB’s LeSean McCoy, Carlos Hyde, and Devonta Freeman. I’m good with McCoy and Hyde, but I’m a lot less bullish on Freeman. A lot less.
This isn’t to count out RB’s Elijah Holyfield, and free agent rookie Mike Warren. Both are “angry” runners and we need a guy who can bang inside. In fact, my ideal depth chart has us keeping 4 RB’s: Sanders, Clement, (speculatively) McCoy, and Warren (in a coin flip). That’s four credible load carriers, all of whom are a problem when they catch a Screen pass. Yes, even the rookie. (Did you not see him on my Wish List this year?)
I’d squirrel away undrafted rookie Adrian Killins (5’8, 164), on the Practice Squad. Killins travels faster than gossip, so the idea would be to develop him more as a returner, and see if he could transition to WR. That said, he has no business picking up blitzing LB’s, or running between the Tackles. Holyfield would also find a spot here as the true RB in reserve.
But what about Boston Scott? How do we cut a guy who performed the way he did at the end of 2019? The simple answer is to keep five RB’s, which the Eagles won’t do. The other answer is to not have a real veteran presence. How key was a veteran presence at RB in 2017? Nobody can get you there, like somebody who’s been there. And of course we need someone who can bang.
In any case, the signing of Clement puts the Eagles in the driver’s seat in terms of what kind of options they wish to pursue. With the signing of one guy we just turned an area of worry into an area of strength. And you remember what happened the last time he stayed healthy, right?
DRAFTING isn’t just about who’s getting the fastest return on investment. It’s more about who’s getting the most return on investment. Success is determined by how many of the picks will pan out, thus protecting their team from needing to spend another pick on that same position, any time soon.
The Eagles have won the NFC East in 2 of the last 3 years. Thus, they felt as if they only needed to re-load. The other three teams all hired new head coaches. Given that they all have new “chefs” (so to speak), they all had to go out and get ingredients that they felt their kitchens were missing.
Understand first and foremost, these chefs aren’t all trying to produce the same thing in 2020.
Dallas is in “win now” mode, and trying to whip up a division title. Think of New York as Burger King. They got rid of an iconic figurehead, and they want to sell the image of upscale while still selling fast-food. Washington has been the subject of so many health code violations that hardly anyone will spend money there. Right now they just want to convince people that the rats don’t have rabies.
So these different goals, mean that a successful Draft will have different benchmarks for each team. This means that the players each team has picked, have to be viewed not as data, not as bench reps, or as 40 times, but through the lens of what his team needs him to be.
Let’s get a look at each of our rivals, and how their picks meet their needs. Because of course…Context.
Redskins
DE–Chase Young – He’s talented, but they already had four talented passrushers at DE and OLB. However, drafting Young may have been more about transitioning away from Ryan Kerrigan. On the one hand, that’s smart thinking. On the OTHER hand, it traps the Redskins in a 3-4 system that the Eagles have owned for the last three years.
WR – Antonio Gibson – This one stings on two levels. First, Gibson is a Swiss Army knife with good size and better speed. Second, I wanted the Eagles to draft him. I do not look forward to seeing this guy twice a year.
T – Saahdiq Charles – For a team that needs help at Tackle yesterday, this was a pretty dumb move. Charles is going to be a project. Watching him vs Alabama last year, hints that NFL DE’s will eat him alive.
WR – Antonio Gandy-Golden – Big receiver who plays like one. If he sees opportunities, he could have a nice career.
C – Keith Ismael – This was a weird pick. The ‘skins are already two C’s deep. Why add a third?
LB – Khaleke Hudson – LB/S tweener. He may have been drafted with an eye towards building Special Teams coverage units.
S – Kamren Curl – Small, slow and lacking ball skills.
DE – James Smith-Williams – You can’t make the club, in the tub! Season ending injuries in 2015 and 2016, and was hurt most of 2019.
The Redskins needed help at WR and they got it. Fortunately for Eagles fans, they ignored a number of other needs. We can officially start drawing the chalk outline around Washington’s 2020 season.
giants
T– Andrew Thomas – With Nate Solder at LT, Thomas will likely see action at RT, given that he’s no worse than what they have there already.
S – Xavier McKinney – Not big or particularly fast, this plain old cracker is a Ritz as far the giants are concerned. Their cupboard was bare at this position, and the organization needed to get a guy from a credible program, so if he fails fails, they can at least say they tried.
T – Matt Peart – He’s a project. Given that there is no room to start him, it was weird to blow a pick on him this early. In any case, that’s criticizing the pick, not the player. The player has some potential, but he will likely sit on a shelf for the forseeable future.
CB – Darnay Holmes – Not too interested in making tackles vs the run. Listed at 5’10, but looks 5’5 on tape. Will challenge routes, but doesn’t win many of those challenges. No factor in stopping a vertical attack. He has speed and some ball skills, so he may offer some value as a reserve FS. That said, if the giants insist on this kid playing CB in the NFL, he’s going to get shelled.
G – Shane Lemieux – As a former lineman, this kid’s video was fun to watch. He brings a bouncer’s mentality, shoving people violently, always looking to “throw somebody out of the club”. The guy wants to hit people. Sadly, that quality is no longer an automatic in linemen anymore. Despite him being the enemy, I found myself excitedly rooting for him. Unfortunately, he has issues with a lack of quickness, and awareness. Neither of which are aspects that can be coached up. They could however, be camouflaged if he played C.
LB – Cameron Brown – Solid tackler with a very good motor. He’s not fast, but has functional speed to be a classic scrape LB. The problem with that is in today’s NFL, a LB has to be able to cover. This guy in coverage… It’s awful. He picks up his feet like he’s wearing ankle weights, and changes direction like a glacier. Watching him almost make half a dozen plays, during one 6 and a half minute video, was excruciating.
DE – Carter Coughlin – A 240 pound DE, in the NFC East? Nope. This guy is a camp body. Watch the video vs Iowa and tell me I’m wrong. He offers nothing against the run and less in coverage, despite his 4.57 Combine speed. At best he has kick coverage value.
LB – T.J. Brunson – Has hash mark to hash mark speed, which is unacceptable for a LB weighing only 230 pounds. Watching him “run” felt like chewing tin foil.
CB – Chris Williamson – Takes entirely too many false steps at the beginning of plays, because he doesn’t trust his eyes. This is because he’s still sort of new to the position. That will get him quickly overlooked as he competes with others for a livelihood.
LB – Tae Crowder – Mr. Irrelevant 2020. Dreadfully slow. Cedes too much ground when taking an angle in pursuit, to make up for his poor speed.
The offensive linemen they picked give a rival reason to worry. Defensively the giants weren’t fast before the Draft, and did nothing to address that weakness, as their rivals (particularly Philadelphia) added speed to their offenses.
Cowboys
WR– CeeDee Lamb – Fast, strong, with good height. All traits that should make him a monster in the Slot. Didn’t see a lot of press coverage. Also benefited from defenses having to keep an eye out, for a QB who ran for over 1,000 yards in 2019. Those factors don’t matter as much in the Slot, but if he’s asked to play the outside, he may struggle more than most fans expect. Nevertheless, this is a solid pick-up.
CB – Trevon Diggs – Great physical tools. Aggressive to the ball. Likes to press, which is great if his team plays Cover Two. Has punt and kick return experience, though he hasn’t done much of either since 2018.
DT – Neville Gallimore – Swing and a miss! Most people are high on him. Not me. Has the build of a gap penetrator, but instead of knifing in, he pops straight up, and starts hand-fighting, often getting caught up in rugby scrums at the line of scrimmage. He’s 100mph on every snap, but that’s only great if he’s heading in the right direction. Often he doesn’t even see which way the play is going. He just plods forward on the snap. That won’t help him at the next level.
CB– Reggie Robinson – Couldn’t find video that wasn’t just highlights only. His pluses are that he’s got good size, and tested well at the Combine. The minuses are what multiple sources write about his ability to stay with his assignment. Still that’s no reason why he can’t play Nickel or zone. No evidence to ding him, so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt here.
C – Tyler Biadasz – Not at all flashy. Anchors fine in pass protection, but doesn’t really move people in the run game. Word is that he has trouble with power inside. That will not be helped by the jump in competition quality, and his mounting medical bills. In the spring of 2019 he had hip surgery, and immediately after the 2019 season, he skipped the Combine to have shoulder surgery. With no offseason program to help him, he’s going to be susceptible to cut-down numbers crunches.
DE – Bradlee Anae – High motor. Plays the pass before the run, which results in unset edges and running himself out of plays. Plays fast, but doesn’t know how to convert speed to power, resulting in him getting washed out of the play vs runs.
QB – Ben DiNucci – No short video, only a whole game. Move along folks. There’s nothing to see here.
Dallas was #2 in passing last season, #1 in yardage and #6 in scoring. They did not need offensive help. They spent part of last season trying to trade for a SS. They lost their best CB, and pass rusher in free agency. So of course the very first thing they did, was bring a handful of sand to the beach. They drafted a WR. True, they got a couple of promising CB’s, but given their “win now” attitude, they came out of this Draft with the same holes they went into it with, and no one who’s going to change the narrative on defense.
*****
Other writers will judge this Draft based on how talented they think the picked players are. I’m looking towards whether or not the pick helped improve the team they just went to.
The giants and Redskins don’t expect to win the East this year. So for them, there was no failing this Draft. They’re rebuilding those teams, and so they added some pieces. They even added a couple of really nice ones.
The Cowboys are a different story. More important than getting better than an opponent, a team first needs to be better version of itself. Nobody that the Cowboys added in this Draft, addresses any of 2019’s concerns, or any of the problems that the team created for itself this offseason. They added talent, but they needed it more in other places.
HEY Eagles fans, wanna see a magic trick? You know, it’s bad enough that GM Howie Roseman seems to have taken a contract out on his own team. It’s bad enough that we had to watch roster holes go unfilled, or filled with lower ranked players. But worse than all of that, is rival fans making fun of us, for selecting a QB in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
That magic trick, that I mentioned? I’m going to show you how to wipe that smile, right off of our rivals faces.
They clown us because QB Carson Wentz is “always injured” right? Well isn’t drafting QB Jalen Hurts a solid way of addressing that in a long-term fashion? QB Nate Sudfeld was just signed to a one year deal, meaning that this year Hurts gets to sit, and only do package work. For 2020 that’s likely how it goes, even if Wentz gets injured again.
Odds are that Hurts signs a three year deal in a month or so. Then he barely plays in 2020. He becomes the #2 in 2021, and even if he plays, he likely doesn’t set the world on fire. Year 2022 he enters as the #2 again, and the Eagles get to offer him an extension or trade him.
If he’s traded, we get something we value higher than him. If we re-sign him, it won’t break the bank, and is still inside of Wentz’s cap friendly deal, which runs through 2024. If Hurts is re-signed to a 4 or 5 year deal in 2022, then it gives the Eagles some negotiating leverage with Wentz in 2024. Unless Wentz has earned himself a second ring.
This means, as of today, we’re solid at QB through 2026. Can the Redskins say that? Can the Cowboys? The giants certainly hope that they can. We on the other hand, have an MVP caliber starter with a Super Bowl ring, who’s backed-up by a proven winner.
Granted, we Eagles fans may have wanted something else, but right now at QB, what we have on tap is better quality than some our rival’s top shelf. And if they’re reading this, you can bet that they’re not smiling.
WHAT the fuck was that?! This is our first round pick? Are you shitting me?!? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the player. If they use him right… Seriously. It’s not the player I’m pissed over. What irritates me is that with studs at WR, and other positions, we selected a slot receiver. Oh yes we did! Small, quick, and has problems with being pressed? That equals Slot in the NFL.
Side note, before we get into it: Remember when the local media and some fans, were trying to rumor WR Alshon Jeffery’s way out of Philadelphia? Remember about a month ago when GM Howie Roseman suddenly started talking Jeffery up, in public? Yeah, this is why. The Eagles can’t start a small WR, who has trouble being physical on the outside. So like I’ve been telling you: Get comfy with Alshon in 2020. (Unless you want to put money on WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, suddenly being ready to play NFL ball.)
For those of you who see links to this through social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.): Over the next couple of days, you will see this same article re-posted, but there will be new content added to it each day.
Now let’s get to it.
Round 1 (#21 overall): WRJalen Reagor
He’s fast, but not really a deep threat, because he has a small catch radius, and isn’t a contested ball winner. He also has issues with press coverage. However, being fast, quick and agile, he’s a natural as an NFL Slot receiver.
Also, his blocking reminds me of Matthew McConaughey doing a French accent in a movie. You say there’s no such thing? EXACTLY. Tell me that his blocking in this video didn’t make you queasy. This guy doesn’t like to mix it up, and that ain’t a great trait for a football player.
He does have experience as a returner. That said, I’m hoping we didn’t spend a first round pick on a returner. Especially in a game where the return aspect is being legislated away, a little more every year. Seems like it would be self-defeating right? Like masturbating with a cheese grater.
Reagor has some physical tools that can be harnessed, but he’s strictly a complimentary piece, and the first round of the Draft is no time to take complimentary pieces. That first pick is supposed to be a tone setter, and there is nothing about this guy’s game that says tone setter.
DAY TWO:
I found a new way to enjoy my Pepto Bismol. I call it the Roseman. I’ve named the ulcer Howie.
Round 2 (#53 overall): QB Jalen Hurts
Where to begin? Where to begin? Oh I know! How about last night’s quote from GM Howie Roseman: “For better or worse, we’re quarterback developers. We want to be a quarterback factory.”
Note to reader: Factories make things to sell them, not to keep them. The next time you get a jersey with the name of an Eagles QB on it, you may want to make it a rental.
Enough about the pick. Let’s talk about the player.
Jalen Hurts can run and isn’t afraid to lay his body on the line. As a QB who’s (too) quick to scramble, he brings an element of spontaneity that defensive coordinators will find nearly impossible to game plan for. While he may not possess the biggest arm in this draft class, he can make every throw required of a pro.
On the other hand, his accuracy stats are eye-popping, until you watch film and see how often he throws Screens, and dump-offs. He possesses no pocket presence, and in fact, his quick-bail tendency can make an offensive line look worse, as they may not know if or where he’s scrambling from.
Remember how bad the line looked when QB Randall Cunningham played here, but how much better they looked when literally anyone else started? When you don’t scramble with a plan, your line doesn’t know how to protect your exit. Our new pick likes to scramble without a plan, and that may get Jalen, hurt.
All at once, this pick is a large middle finger to QBNate Sudfeld, and a warning shot at QB Carson Wentz. Dear Carson, Next time: With your shield or on it. As I said back on March 5th: The next time Carson voluntarily goes into a tent, there should be s’mores involved.
Round 3 (#103 overall) OLBDavion Taylor
YAY!!! Another LB ‘tweener! Because you can never have too much of something, that you already have too many of. Either he’s a LB that can’t beat blockers, or a SS that can’t cover and has no ball-skills. It’s up to the Eagles to decide which of these things they’ll give him your money for.
He’s 228, did 21 bench reps, and has 4.5 speed. He’s a test trap. You know, like Mikey Mamula. Ohhhhh, you remember that name don’tcha? DE Mike Mamula, tested off the charts, right? How’d that work out for us?
I swear, I’m not picking on Taylor. Look at the video. It’s not a highlight video, so it’s one that shows you who he is, down-in and down-out, throughout the course of a ballgame. It will show you who YOU will be watching on Sundays. Watch the video. Tell me if you want to see this guy squaring up in the hole vs a division RB.
The video makes it clear that he can read what’s in front of him, regardless of where the coaching staff decides to deploy him (Two Deep, Nickel, blitz, etc.) That said, he needs a refinement of technique throughout his game. From not getting engulfed by blockers, to initiating the action, to boxing in and forcing open-field runners to gear down.
There’s nothing here that can’t be fixed or enhanced, with the simple investment of time, and an opportunity to make a few mistakes. He has the instincts and the physical tools, as long as he’s played as a DB. Asking him to play Nickel LB in the NFL, is setting him up for failure. Give the kid a chance, and that should be all he needs.
Round 4 (#145 overall): OT Jack Driscoll
Good feet, reads stunts, works combo block well and moves with ease to the second level. The knock on him is that he’s not a people mover. Then again it’s hard to be when most of the time he’s playing out of a two-point stance. In fact, nobody on his offensive line aside from the C, routinely plays with a hand on the ground. You can’t get consistent run blocking leverage, out of a two-point stance.
Pro coaching will get more run blocking out of him. The question is will he be kicked inside to G. Better still, with his relatively short arms, it might be smart to see if he can snap a football.
Round 5 (#168 overall): WR John Hightower
I went with the highlight reel here, because his only game video, shows a guy who wasn’t a factor in a double digit comeback win.
There isn’t much to say here. He has 4.4 speed if he’s running a straight line. He may break 12 tackles if he plays a decade, and he’s not going to break a single ankle that he wasn’t born with. He adds value as a KR, but we took care of that need in the first round. He’s definitely Practice Squad material, but odds are long against him making the active roster this season.
Round 6 (#196 overall): MLB Shaun Bradley
Watches entirely too much football while he’s on the field. Lacks aggression, and doesn’t initiate or dictate the action, which is a key to success when playing inside. Waits for blocks to find him, and then he sticks to them like he’s made of velcro. Physical traits are meaningless when you leave your heart in the locker room. Even his highlight video is COMEDY . Pure FARCE!
Round 6 (#200): WR Quez Watkins
Yet again went with the highlight video, because the game video is underwhelming. So is his highlight reel, but the alternative was to post a picture of television static.
We have here, yet another fast guy who returns kicks, doesn’t block, and can’t break tackles. This one however, gets alligator arms across the middle. (That’s on the game video.) He’ll compete for a Practice Squad spot, but that seems like where he’ll max out.
Round 6 (#210): OTPrince Tega Wanogho
Note: This is the same game, but a different video than was used for 4th round pick Jack Driscoll. Driscoll was circled in the first one, Wanogho is circled here.
The guy looks good in pass protection, and he gets out nicely on Quick Screens and up to the second level. His hand placement needs some work, but that’s true of almost all offensive linemen coming out of college. Many sources had him being picked earlier, but his run blocking is probably what held him back.
As with teammate Driscoll, Wanogho’s run blocking will vastly improve if he’s taught to routinely put his hand on the ground and uncork his height, before he steps into his blocks. He also needs to sustain his run blocks to the whistle. Too often he disengages, and leaves defenders able to influence the play.
He’s drawn comparisons to (grrrr!) former Eagles LT Jason Peters, back from when Peters was switching from TE to OT. If the time is taken to coach Wanogho up, this guy could be a rose that grew from concrete.
Round 7 (#233): DE Casey Toohill
Mike Mamula’s name was invoked earlier in this Report, and will be yet again here. Like Mamula, Toohill has a great motor, but he’s underpowered. He’s not fluid enough for OLB, but not strong enough to beat blockers. He also stops his feet too often when asked to work in space. Doesn’t seem to have a “thing”. Meaning there’s no bullrush, or swim, or spin, or club or anything that he relies on. Seems to think effort alone is enough to reach the QB, which would explain why it took 5 years to amass just 14 sacks in his career.
*****
On the whole, this wasn’t a Draft that was meant to produce starters in 2020. In fact, I doubt there is a single one of these players who will start a single game, that isn’t necessitated by injury.
This is a re-stocking, so that later we don’t have to shop out of desperation, when resources may not be as plentiful. We’ve opted not to take advantage while our opponents are trying to sort out their new coaches. Instead, we’re building for the day when they’re good, so that we can meet them nose to nose, if we can’t already be better.
This was a shitty Draft for those who’s only cooking is done with a microwave. For those of us who own a pressure cooker and a couple of crock pots, good eats are a-brewin’.
Notable Free Agent signings:
RB Mike Warren
Nicknamed “Truck” by his teammates, I already had Warren on my 2020 Draft Wish List. He gives the Eagles a guy who can gain tough yards between the Tackles, and has nice hands for a 226 pound RB. Sets up blocks well on Screens, and is no fun to tackle. His pass protection needs refinement, but he’s more than wiling to stick his nose in there. He was productive despite playing in a gimmicky read-option offense. Playing in a real system, with TE’s and an offensive line that won’t allow penetration on every other handoff, should help Warren show off his skills enough to make the 55 man roster.
LB Dante Olson
Runs a 4.8 40 and looks slower when running. The issue is that he’s actually a LB, not a the modern LB/S tweener. The guy plays with thump and ballcarriers tend to stop where he meets them. Speed may keep him off most NFL rosters, but a team that only asks him to scrape and perform zone coverage from Tackle to Tackle, could get a real steal here.
OUR earliest pick is 21st this year. There is no way to guarantee which Draft prospect will and won’t be available, by the time we get to select. It is mainly for that reason, that I never attempt to predict the Draft. The other reason is BAA.
What is BAA? The Eagles don’t use a “Needs” based Draft philosophy. They instead take a “Best Athlete Available” approach. Meaning, they’ve ranked every player in the draft pool, and will take the highest ranked player on their board, REGARDLESS of his position, whenever an Eagles pick comes up. The Eagles are not alone in this. Most of NFL teams use BAA as their draft strategy these days. The Eagles have made exceptions, but this is generally our M.O.
Understand, this is NOT a mock draft. This Wish List is what the Eagles Draft would look like, if I were the GM. By the way, expect to see me reach once or twice. If a guy is a great fit, you go get him. Period. End of story. Don’t listen to media pundits try to determine where a guy “should be” picked. Just go get your guy. When he becomes a perennial All-Pro, you won’t care that some twit said he should have been drafted in later round. Get. Your. Guy.
Were I the GM, these are the playerswho would be Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020:
Round 1 (#21 overall): LB Kenneth Murray – WR is deep, but there is a scarcity of NFL cailber LB’s in this draft. Murray is a three down MLB with enough size (6’2 240), to handle the run in this division. He has sideline to sideline speed, and is even an effective blitzer. With a defensive line in front of him that will demand a double-teamed DT on nearly every snap, Murray would be free to flow to the football, or could be used to corral scrambling QB’s.
Round 2 (#53 overall): CB Jeff Gladney – At 5’10 191 pounds, he’s not an imposing specimen, but he’s also not ankle-biter. He’s sticky in coverage and attacks the run. The video below will show him giving WR CeeDee Lamb all that he can handle. If things don’t pan out with CB Sidney Jones this year, Gladney is a great insurance policy going forward.
Round 3 (#103 overall): WR Denzel Mims – As deep as this position is, it would be foolish to run right out and get a WR. This guy has been on my (and apparently a LOT of local people’s) radar for a couple of months now. Sporting a straight-forward style that just looks like Philadelphia, he’s a 6’3, 210 pounder, who can run, will block, and make the odd circus catch here and there.
Round 4 (#127 overall): WR/RB Antonio Gibson – Yes, two receivers in a row! The Eagles badly need a kick return threat. Gibson not only fits that bill, but he can also contribute on Offense, and in all four aspects of Special Teams. Odds are slim that the Eagles would keep 6 WR’s, but at 6’ 2, 220 pounds (the NFL site has him erroneously listed at 6’0) , with his ability to effectively carry the football, he might challenge RB Boston Scottfor his roster spot. Seriously, watch the video.
Round 4 (#145 overall): DE Marlon Davidson – Huge for the position (6’3, 303 pounds). Can play both inside and outside, but is definitely a DE not a DT. Generally sets his edge well, but still can get pressure on the QB. Watching this video reminded me very much of DE Vinny Curry in 2017.
Round 4 (#146 overall): RG Damien Lewis – This guy is a bully in the run game. Honestly, watch the video (RG #68). It’s easy to score points when the defensive line is too tired, and too beat up to rush the QB, or fill gaps. Also, with RG Brandon Brooksanxiety issue, and his rehabbed arm, it’s not a bad idea to have some insurance.
Round 5 (#168 overall): RB Mike Warren – This is a reach pick. Almost everyone says that he can be had after the Draft, but why gamble? He’s a big RB who plays to his size, has good hands and can be split out wide. The Eagles need a short yardage inside runner, and this guy is one of just a couple of those in this Draft. (A.J. Dillon is big, but runs soft. Sewo Olonilua already makes questionable off the field decisions.) Pull the trigger and get the guy we need. After all it’s just gambling a 5th round pick, not a kidney.
Round 6 (#190 overall): C Zach Shackleford – This is also a reach pick. Many suggest that he can be added as a free agent after the Draft, but as I said: If the guy has what you need, go get ‘im! Shackleford is a battler inside, with intangibles like leadership and football intelligence. He isn’t the biggest or the strongest, or the fastest. Then again, people said those same things about C Jason Kelce didn’t they? In years to come, Shackleford could prove an absolute steal.
As I said, a couple of my guys here are reaches, and that’s okay. The Chargers received no consolation prize for drafting Ryan Leaf where everyone thought he should go. That’s because the idea is to get a guy who contributes. If the player picked contributes regularly, then the pick was a good one.
Adding this draft class of complimentary players to the Eagles roster, would not only patch the holes and provide depth, but also sets up the team for the 2021 Draft.
WELL before the Eagles won Super Bowl 52, we knew that TE’s Trey Burton and Brent Celek weren’t coming back to Philadelphia. Burton was about to be a free agent and command a nice chunk of change on the open market. TE Zach Ertz was the headliner in Philly, and there wasn’t enough cap space to sensibly have two high-priced TE’s.
So when the Chicago Bears backed a dump truck full of money (4 years, 32M$) up to Burton’s door, no Eagles fan had hard feelings about it. Absolutely nothing in his history suggested that he should have made even half of that, so the feeling was ‘Sure. He should take the money and run.’ We generally wished Burton well, (as long as he wasn’t playing against us), and everyone turned the page.
Well, the Bears just cut Burton after two seasons where he didn’t deliver on a deal that he was never, ever going to live up to. Honestly, Burton isn’t a starting TE. He’s more of a TE 2A/TE 2B type.I mean, statistically speaking, Zach Ertz had Burton’s entire career in 2018. So Burton won’t see another ridiculous payday, which means he’s not going to end up starting anywhere.
But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t valuable. Even highly valuable! Burton plays Special Teams. That’s kick coverage and hands team. He has collegiate experience at QB, HB, WR and TE. For the Eagles he’s lined up all over the place, and we do love to move our TE’s around. Which we can do, because we have a genuine TE 1 in Ertz.
This means that TE Josh Perkins (whom I like), would be the odd man out, but if you had to pick between Burton and Perkins… I mean c’mon, with Burton the Eagles get a Swiss Army knife who’s a better blocker. The only question is, would Burton be okay with the role of TE 3, behind TE Dallas Goedert? If so, then bringing him back here would be a great move for him, and for the team.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 