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Draft picks vs. Boldin

Mike Burke — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:09:43 +0000

Andy Reid has come out and said that the Eagles attempted to go after Anquan Boldin but the Cardinals wanted a 1st, 3rd, and 5th round draft pick. This is a lot to give up for one player and is the main reason the Eagles didn’t end up landing Boldin. They were able to land Jeremy Maclin as he fell down the board and ended up going 19th overall. In the 5th round they were able to get a steal at tight end in Cornelius Ingram. Packaging up two other fifth round picks they were able to trade for Ellis Hobbs who is a corner that also has great kickoff return skills.

So let’s take those three players and compare them to Boldin. Who would you rather have? Sure Maclin and Ingram haven’t proved anything yet but they sure as hell could. Only time will tell. Although I really did want to see Boldin end up as an Eagle before the draft, I’m happy that he did not.

Eagles second day picks

BirdsFan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:10:09 +0000

If you watched the second day of the draft, you may have been frustrated by how the Eagles traded back on multiple occasions. However, I think most people are viewing Sunday and the draft as a whole a success for the Eagles.

The Eagles took the following players Sunday:

5 17 (153) C. Ingram TE Florida
5 21 (157) V. Harris CB Va Tech
5 23 (159) F. Tupou OT Oregon
6 21 (194) B. Gibson WR Wash St
7 4 (213) P. Fanaika OG Arizona St
7 21 (230) M. Fokou OLB Maryland

Ingram and Harris are good additions and should definitely make contributes to the team somewhere down the line, and we know that Maclin and McCoy should be able to step in and make an impact right away.

Take a look at Todd McShay’s draft review and look at the compliments he gives to the Eagles for the picks they made.

Eagles take McCoy with second pick

BirdsFan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:11:30 +0000

With their second selection in the NFL draft, the Eagles assessed their need at the running back position by selecting LeSean McCoy out of Pittsburgh. McCoy was the best available running back on the board so it is definitely a nice addition after missing out on the “big three” running backs that were taken in the first round. McCoy doesn’t have the exact size and power the Birds wanted but he is an explosive player with good hands.

I think it is a nice addition to the offense. He is a play maker that should definitely be able to make some plays at the professional level. It seems like the Eagles are really trying to provide Donovan the play makers he’s been asking for.

Will the Eagles trade back?

BirdsFan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:56:20 +0000

There is a lot of talk lately concerning players the Eagles might trade for and how they may bundle their picks to do things. What there isn’t a lot of talk about is whether or not the Eagles will actually use the 21st overall pick to draft a player. We’ve all seen it before, the Birds get us all excited as their first round pick finally comes up, then they trade the pick away. Sadly, this trend could very well happen again this year.

Most experts don’t believe that tight end Brandon Pettigrew will be around for the Eagles to pick up with the 21st pick. Tight end is a big need for the Birds but there Pettigrew is the only one worth the money at that pick. An offensive tackle was a need until the Jason Peters trade so that means they won’t go there. A wide receiver could be a possibility if a guy like Hakeem Nicks is available, maybe even Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The only need left from here is a runningback. This is obviously where most fans want the Eagles to go at pick 21 but it I don’t know if they will. I believe Chris “Beanie” Wells and Knowshon Moreno are a leg up on all the other backs. If neither one is available when the Eagles step to the plate, I can easily see them trading back. Donald Brown is talented but I don’t think the Eagles want to pay him the money a 21st selection is worth.

So, it will be interesting come draft day. Will the Eagles use their first round pick or will they let us wait around all day to see what they do and then trade back?

RB Prospect – Kory Sheets

BirdsFan — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:00:15 +0000

Runningback out of Purdue, Kory Sheets, has visited the Philadelphia Eagles. It appears as though the Eagles are assessing a wide variety of talent at running back from projected first rounders to those who will be available in later rounds. Sheets has good size at 6′ 0″ and 210 pounds and also good speed posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.39 at the NFL Combine. During his senior year, Sheets carried the ball 234 times for 1131 yards and 16 touchdowns.

It is interesting to see the Eagles taking this approach. They have evaluated running backs from a wide range of talent. Tom Heckert has said that he doesn’t feel they need to take a RB in the first round although all the mock drafts have them taking one and the fans feel they should as well. I believe they need to go after Moreno, Brown, or McCoy. I’m not a big fan of Beanie Wells. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing them take one of those backs in the first round then a back like Sheets in the third or fourth round if he’s there. Lorenzo Booker has proved nothing, Buckhalter is gone, and B-West needs help.

WR Prospect – Deon Butler

BirdsFan — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:44:31 +0000

A wide receiver who’s draft stock has been rising lately is Penn State’s Deon Butler. Butler has already conducted a private workout with the Eagles as well as cross-state rivals Pittsburgh. At 5′ 10″ 170 pounds, Butler does not have ideal size; however, what he lacks in size, he makes up in speed. While participating in the NFL Combine, Butler posted a 4.38 40-yard dash time. Butler was part of a dynamic trio of receivers at Penn State who are widely considered to be the best class of receiver the school has ever had. In his senior season, Butler had 47 receptions for 810 yards and seven touchdowns.

I think many people in the area would love to see Butler join the Birds because there are so many PSU fans around Philadelphia. Personally, I do not think that Butler is the type of receiver the Eagles need right now. Butler has about the same skill set as DeSean Jackson but I think Jackson is a better receiver. The good thing about Butler is that he can be had in the third or fourth round.

CB Prospect – Bradley Fletcher

BirdsFan — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:35:23 +0000

Iowa cornerback Bradley Fletcher has scheduled a visit with the Philadelphia Eagles. At 6′ 1″ and 200 pounds, Fletcher posted a 4.44 40-yard dash time at his Pro Day. In his senior season, Bradley recorded 60 tackles with three interceptions and a forced fumble.

Fletcher obviously has better size than any other Eagles corners and still has optimal speed. It is projected that Fletcher will be taken somewhere in the third round. I think that if the Eagles are going to draft a corner they should go after someone with size who could potential match up with bigger receivers (especially now that it sounds like Braylon Edwards will soon be a Giant). If the Eagles are really interested in Fletcher they could potentially package some late round picks to move up into a late second round or early third round position.

CB Prospect – Vontae Davis

BirdsFan — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:44:34 +0000

The Eagles are evaluating Illinois cornerback prospect Vontae Davis. Brother of NFL tight end, Vernon Davis, Vontae recorded a nice junior season with 78 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions. Davis has pretty nice size at 6′ 0″ 204 pounds and is an all around solid athlete.

Although the Eagles gave Joselio Hanson a contract and brought in Asante Samuel last year, they are still looking for talent at the cornerback position. Eagles corners tend to have a bad history with health so I think having a young guy like Davis who could play a lot on special teams and fill in at corner if needed could be a nice addition.

2009 NFL Draft Running Back Prospects

BirdsFan — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:31:18 +0000

Knowshon Moreno – Georgia – 5′ 11″ 207 pounds
2008 stats: 250 attempts, 1400 yards, 16 touchdowns

Chris “Beanie” Wells – Ohio State – 6′ 1″ 237 pounds
2008 stats: 207 attempts, 1197 yards, 8 touchdowns

Donald Brown – Connecticut – 5′ 10″ 210 pounds
2008 stats: 367 attempts, 2083 yards, 18 touchdowns

LeSean McCoy – Pittsburgh – 5′ 11″ 210 pounds
2008 stats: 308 attempts, 1488 yards, 21 touchdowns

The list from top to bottom is in order of their ranking on ESPN.com. Both Brown and McCoy have visited and worked out for the Eagles. Wells is the biggest of the group while the other three are all almost identical in size. Moreno and McCoy are better pass catchers than the other two but I believe Wells and Brown are more of the bruiser type of runners.

Although I believe any of them would be a good addition, I’d prefer to see either Moreno or Brown be drafted by the Birds.

CB Prospect – Sean Smith

BirdsFan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:15:03 +0000

The Eagles have scheduled a workout with Utah cornerback Sean Smith. Smith is a monster for his position standing 6′ 4″ and weighing 215 pounds. He has speed with his size registering a 4.43 40-yard dash time at his Pro Day event. Smith is a former wide receiver and recorded 5 interceptions in 2008 and 4 in 2007.

Smith has what many other cornerbacks have, tremendous size. He has the ability to match up on receivers who have great size like Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss and take away the jump ball. Smith would be a great addition for the Birds as it seems their corners are always undersized and getting dominated by big receivers.