Solak on the day 3 picks

Shipley - thinks he's JAG. Said he does everything ok, but nothing pops. Liked several other RBs more taken in that round. Thinks maybe the Eagles took him because if Barkley goes down at least he's the type of back who can run and catch and block and isn't one dimensional. They'd be able to use him. Thinks Gainwell will be ahead of him on the depth chart.

Smith - his favorite pick of the day. Likes him a lot. Thinks he's quick, has juice, good after the catch. Will be a good slot WR for the Eagles. Thinks he may even be better in the pros than college because he'll have a defined role in a talented offense. Not sure if he starts the season off as WR3, but will have a role. Thinks adding him and DeJean could mean bye bye Covey.

Trotter - thinks he is explosive down hill, is a smart player. On tape thinks his change of direction was a rough watch. At worst will contribute on special teams.

Keegan - Better in pass pro than run blocking. Did well enough, was solid and steady. Hall for OSU ate his lunch a few times, but overall he seemed pretty good. Should be good OL depth.

Wilson - liked taking a flier on him because of his size. Worth taking a chance on to see if you can find a role for him because of his size. Definitely not a tight end. Doesn't play like one, doesn't move like one.

McMahon - a hobo's version of Cam Jurgens. Gets beat with power constantly. Has absolutely no future at guard. Not big or strong enough. Could maybe be a backup center down the road.

13 minutes ago, GoEagles614 said:

Will Shipley, Ainias Smith, Isaiah Rodgers and Cooper DeJean provide more positional value than Covey, while having return capabilities. 
 

Wilson, Smitty, AJ, and Parker are all outside WRs. 
 

Smith, Campbell, and Covey bring inside guys. I’d see them calling Will Shipley here as well shaving off snaps from traditional slot only guy. Carrying 4 on gameday plus Shipley might be a very real possibility. I’m not sure Covey gets that nod. 

Everyone needs to keep in mind the reason we paid Barkley and his 4.3 speed and his exceptional catching ability is because he can lineup anywhere on the field - Barkley is better than 90% of the 4th WR’s in the NFL when in comes to pass catching and run after the catch ability.

 

We are loaded this year.   Let’s keep this team healthy! 

Interesting stat: Johnny Wilson led this years stated eligible receivers in yards per game as an isolated receiver. Basically, he was playing X and winning, and wasn’t relying on wide receiver screens and cheap routes to get his yards. 

Underdog fantasy has a nice video on him. I’ll try to find it. 

 

23 minutes ago, GoEagles614 said:

Will Shipley, Ainias Smith, Isaiah Rodgers and Cooper DeJean provide more positional value than Covey, while having return capabilities. 
 

Wilson, Smitty, AJ, and Parker are all outside WRs. 
 

Smith, Campbell, and Covey bring inside guys. I’d see them calling Will Shipley here as well shaving off snaps from traditional slot only guy. Carrying 4 on gameday plus Shipley might be a very real possibility. I’m not sure Covey gets that nod. 

 

I can't envision any good scenario where Parker makes the team.  He's fully cooked. 

The Eagles have apparfently signed Gabe Hall, DT from Baylor as a priority free agent. He was number 135 on Daniel Jeremiahs top 150 list. So, they were not done today. He was projected to go in the 4th or 5th round......another Howie win ?

32 minutes ago, Ace Nova said:

@e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! convinced me of that a few years ago.  And tbh I tend to believe him. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I have eyes and am unconvinced. He’s also 31 years old and can’t separate if he has a 1-2 second head start on most CBs. His signing was my biggest head scratcher of the offseason. I pray he doesn’t make this team. 

6 minutes ago, Pliny said:

The Eagles have apparfently signed Gabe Hall, DT from Baylor as a priority free agent. He was number 135 on Daniel Jeremiahs top 150 list. So, they were not done today. He was projected to go in the 4th or 5th round......another Howie win ?

Talked about him a few pages back. Would have been happy taking him in R5, so I’m thrilled that we got him as a UDFA. 

1 hour ago, Ace Nova said:

Nah. Devante Parker is solid.  Ask @e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! about him.  He almost had my throat a few years ago when discussing his skill set. 😅

I mentioned Robbie Anderson years ago when wentz was here before 2020. Parker was good back in 2019 where he went off for 1202 and 9 tds. I remember saying for a mid round pick at the deadline he would be a good addition IN 2019 because Jeffery was injury prone and DeSean was out and hurt. That was like 5 years ago. Not now at 31. Injuries have caught up to him and he gets no separation anymore. He never had great separation to begin with but he used to be able to use his body and what athleticism he had to come down with it. Similar to when we took shots with Jeffery down the field. He was actually good in 2019 when i said it. And in 2019 when he was playing well it would’ve helped. Heck his 2020 he was still better than any WR on the eagles. He had 800 yards and 4tds and if he didn’t miss two games he was on pace for 905 and 5 tds (not spectacular but he also had Tua as a rookie who replaced Fitzpatrick) which would’ve been the eagles best wr that year. 

I know i went on about Anderson (who was good that year add on was on a 2 year contract which i said for 2 years I’m fine with) when the eagles decided reagor, desean, Hightower and quez were enough. I remember when @Ace Nova kept telling me that DeSean Jackson was gonna come back and be good in 2020, stay healthy and that Alshon Jeffery was going to be enough as well in 2020. And then both of them got hurt and weren’t good anymore  😅

If this was four or five years ago, I would say Parker can probably be a pretty solid WR. He’s not that anymore. Injuries and just decline have basically made him a shell. Although do think he can still be a somewhat effective red zone threat with his size but don’t see him making the team if that’s all he can do as a 4-5th wr. Then again Julio didn’t do much last year and they kept him  

Ainias Smith had a pretty bad injury in 2022, described as a broken fibula and "separated” ankle. He needed two surgeries and was in a cast for six months. That would explain why he didn’t look as fast in 2023. I have no idea if this is an injury that will affect him moving forward, but maybe there’s a chance he gets a little more juice the further away he gets from that injury. 

33 minutes ago, Pliny said:

The Eagles have apparfently signed Gabe Hall, DT from Baylor as a priority free agent. He was number 135 on Daniel Jeremiahs top 150 list. So, they were not done today. He was projected to go in the 4th or 5th round......another Howie win ?

Just saw that.

Hes a big body, 6'5" 295, seems like hed be a good fit in a 34 front as a 5 tech DE.

Also google says hes 41 years old🤔

Also signed McCarren Castles a pretty athletic TE from Tennesee

And milton RB georgia.

And a safety from LSU Sam Luke i know nothing aBout🤷‍♂️

1 hour ago, bpac55 said:

Devin White, Nakobe Dean, Jeremiah Trotter Jr, Zack Baun and BVS. Is it possible they keep 5 LB? Could Deans spot be in trouble?

Baun is easily expendable, new guy who isn't anything special 

2 hours ago, bpac55 said:

Sure, he's listed as a WR. His 4 garbage time catches aren't going to convince me he's ever going to contribute on offense. He's not on this team because he's a WR. He's on this team because he's a PR. 

He is probably a top 5 PR and very secure with the ball, going into his 3rd year. What’s his trade value ? Right now we have Rodgers, Smith, Campbell and DeJean and good chance 1 of these guys could step in but only if they fill some other role and are used at least to eat snaps or in certain situations 

I applaud the Eagles for finally drafting some talent for the back end of the defense.  If the combination of Mitchell, DeJean, CJGJ and Sydney Brown can induce more turnovers and get the ball back for the offense, that’s definitely a big positive.  The Eagles haven’t produced very many interceptions over the past few seasons.

40 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

I have eyes and am unconvinced. He’s also 31 years old and can’t separate if he has a 1-2 second head start on most CBs. His signing was my biggest head scratcher of the offseason. I pray he doesn’t make this team. 

Talked about him a few pages back. Would have been happy taking him in R5, so I’m thrilled that we got him as a UDFA. 

Let me just point out. I’m almost positive when I was talking about Parker it was during the 2019 season and for a trade deadline acquisition. The Dolphins were not doing very well. They wound up finishing 5–11. And the reason why I wanted the Eagles to go after him was because he was playing really well that year. He could beat guys deep with his size and pull it down. He never had deep speed. But he had his size to go up and bring it down.  And I thought they could do it for a conditional third at the time where it was based on his performance. also, DeSean Jackson was out with injury again. And Alshon Jeffery missed time and wasn’t the same player anymore that he was in 2017 and 2018. They needed help at WR. Which they really did cause it was like lawn chair furniture by year’s end in 2019.

I think Parker is probably done now. He’s had some injuries. He can’t get separation anymore. And it wasn’t like he had great separation when he was younger. Maybe it’s just because he went to New England and their quarterback situation has been a mess the last two years. But he hasn’t looked anywhere close to what he was in 2019 and 2020. If you were getting that Davante Parker, I think you would be getting a very solid player. I think we would be happy as him being our no. 3 if that’s the Parker you were getting. I don’t think he has that 5years remove and at 31. 

39 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

I mentioned Robbie Anderson years ago when wentz was here before 2020. Parker was good back in 2019 where he went off for 1202 and 9 tds. I remember saying for a mid round pick at the deadline he would be a good addition IN 2019 because Jeffery was injury prone and DeSean was out and hurt. That was like 5 years ago. Not now at 31. Injuries have caught up to him and he gets no separation anymore. He never had great separation to begin with but he used to be able to use his body and what athleticism he had to come down with it. Similar to when we took shots with Jeffery down the field. He was actually good in 2019 when i said it. And in 2019 when he was playing well it would’ve helped. Heck his 2020 he was still better than any WR on the eagles. He had 800 yards and 4tds and if he didn’t miss two games he was on pace for 905 and 5 tds (not spectacular but he also had Tua as a rookie who replaced Fitzpatrick) which would’ve been the eagles best wr that year. 

I know i went on about Anderson (who was good that year add on was on a 2 year contract which i said for 2 years I’m fine with) when the eagles decided reagor, desean, Hightower and quez were enough. I remember when @Ace Nova kept telling me that DeSean Jackson was gonna come back and be good in 2020, stay healthy and that Alshon Jeffery was going to be enough as well in 2020. And then both of them got hurt and weren’t good anymore  😅

If this was four or five years ago, I would say Parker can probably be a pretty solid WR. He’s not that anymore. Injuries and just decline have basically made him a shell. Although do think he can still be a somewhat effective red zone threat with his size but don’t see him making the team if that’s all he can do as a 4-5th wr. Then again Julio didn’t do much last year and they kept him  

Fantastic answer my man.  Yeah I don’t remember the specifics - but it’s been fun! 
 

What do you think of Paris?  

Just now, Ace Nova said:

Fantastic answer my man.  Yeah I don’t remember the specifics - but it’s been fun! 
 

What do you think of Paris?  

Tbh he doesn’t stay healthy either outside of 2022. I know the eagles loved him the year he came out. I mean maybe in this offense he hits. He had good talent. Just don’t think you should rely on him staying healthy even in a no. 3 role.

Frankly I’d see what Tyler Boyd or Hunter renfrow wants now that the draft is over. If they are cheap then bring them in to compete with Parker, ainias smith and Campbell. Frankly i think both Boyd and renfrow have more potential upside than Parker and Campbell. I think Boyd would cost more than renfrow though. I feel like Renfrow’s issue has been the Raiders the last two years with their quarterback situation and their offense with Josh McDaniels, then Hunter Renfrow the player.

This story by kruk is just wilddddd 

 

6 minutes ago, The guy in France said:

He is probably a top 5 PR and very secure with the ball, going into his 3rd year. What’s his trade value ? Right now we have Rodgers, Smith, Campbell and DeJean and good chance 1 of these guys could step in but only if they fill some other role and are used at least to eat snaps or in certain situations 

Covey is a WR that has stuck around the NFL for two years because of his return ability. While he's been here, he has been working with the WR position group. He hasn't had a ton of opportunities at WR in games but that doesn't mean he can't contribute there. It's actually more indicative of how the Eagles utilized their slot receiver. It's also not an uncommon path for a slot receiver.

While we did bring in a few guys that can return punts, some of them figure to have significant roles. While I personally don't feel like return duties are detrimental to a player's health, I sometimes feel like I'm the only one. I complained about using Mahe when we had better returners in Westbrook and Sheppard already on the roster, but virtually everybody feared that adding full-time PR to either of them would guarantee missed games, so they settled for a PR that was half as effective.  This time, we're talking about a guy that led the NFL in punt return yards and averaged 14.4 yards per return. I know these other guys are all better than Mahe, but I'm not so sure they are better punt returners than Covey. The ones we added in the draft showed PR ability in college, but let's not pretend that Covey wasn't equally dynamic, if not more, as a return man in college. 

The bottom line is, PR is a spot on the team. In the NFL, if you have a larger role on offense or defense, they usually take away your return role because of irrational injury fears (as if punt returners are getting hurt more often than anybody else). If somebody without another significant role beats him for the PR job, then replace him. But it's stupid to go with a lesser NFL PR for no good reason. 

Just a reminder that Covey played WR in college:

						Receiving				Rushing				Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
Career	Utah					184	2011	10.9	11	49	300	6.1	0	233	2311	9.9	11
*2015	Utah	Pac-12	FR	WR	12	43	519	12.1	4	6	4	0.7	0	49	523	10.7	4
*2018	Utah	Pac-12	SO	WR	13	60	637	10.6	1	21	172	8.2	0	81	809	10.0	1
*2019	Utah	Pac-12	JR	WR	4	10	77	7.7	0	3	22	7.3	0	13	99	7.6	0
2020	Utah	Pac-12	JR	WR	4	19	264	13.9	3	5	3	0.6	0	24	267	11.1	3
*2021	Utah	Pac-12	JR	WR	14	52	514	9.9	3	14	99	7.1	0	66	613	9.3	3

 

I'm not for handing anybody his job until they earn it. 

2 hours ago, ManuManu said:

 

Interesting. He does look way slower than he is because of his size. I was really surprised when he ran a 4.5. I’ve seen him listed as high as 245 lbs haha 

1 hour ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Tbh he doesn’t stay healthy either outside of 2022. I know the eagles loved him the year he came out. I mean maybe in this offense he hits. He had good talent. Just don’t think you should rely on him staying healthy even in a no. 3 role.

Frankly I’d see what Tyler Boyd or Hunter renfrow wants now that the draft is over. If they are cheap then bring them in to compete with Parker, ainias smith and Campbell. Frankly i think both Boyd and renfrow have more potential upside than Parker and Campbell. I think Boyd would cost more than renfrow though. I feel like Renfrow’s issue has been the Raiders the last two years with their quarterback situation and their offense with Josh McDaniels, then Hunter Renfrow the player.

Interesting - should make for a really competitive camp.  

7 hours ago, bpac55 said:

It comes down to roster construction and roster spots. The bottom line here is that the Eagles have added multiple players who are extremely talented returners and will also play larger roles on offense and defense. Covey is a PR and PR only. Now, maybe no one stands out and is worth saving on the active roster so the Eagles can afford the luxury of just having a roster spot devoted to a PR, but I'd rather them go heavy at a position and utilize players who can contribute in more than one way. 

Edge/OLB- Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, BG, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Oren Burks/Julian Okwara- 7

LB- Devin White, Nakobe Dean, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Zach Baun- 11

DT- Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, Jordan Davis, Thomas Booker/Noah Ellis/Marlon Tuipulotu/PJ Mustipher- 16

DB- Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo, Isaiah Rodgers, CJGJ, Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, Tyler Hall, Avonte Maddox, Eli Ricks/Zech McPhearson/Josh Jobe/Mekhi Garner- 27

Rick Lovato, Jake Elliott, Braden Mann- 30

QB- Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett and Will Grier (I think they trade McKee during camp) 33

RB- Saquon Barkley, Will Shipley, Kenny Gainwell, Kendall Milton or Tyrion Davis-Price- 37

WR- AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Parris Campbell, Ainias Smith, one of Devonta Parker, Johnny Wilson, Britain Covey- 42

TE- Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, CJ Uzomah- 45

OL- Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Matt Hennessy, Fred Johnson, Trevor Keegan, Dylan McMahon- 54

Right there puts the roster at 54, and that's light on the OL and doesn't account for any camp surprises, other FA additions. So I've already gotta trim one player. Is Britain Covey as the PR and only the PR more valuable than one of the top reserve CB? Is he more valuable than DeVonta Parker or Johnny Wilson (both who bring a whole different skillset to WR)? Is Covey more valuable than Burks or Okwara who will be pass rushers and core ST players?

The Eagles are stacked with talent. Keeping a player who only does one thing doesn't make sense to me.

They'll keep at most 3 backs on the active roster with Saquon here. 6 receivers. Parker isn't making this team.

Glad to see they addressed the CB position with 2 top picks.  A weakness becomes a pretty rich situation in a hurry.  Wonder if Bradberry will make it thru the camp.

Somewhat surprised they did not address OT,  Guess that they like Steen as the designated RT of future.  Adding competition at the RG position as back-up when the move happens.

Despite the talks of weak LB group, no major addition there.  True to the established way of looking at this group, they will let competition among some vets and young players to see what emerges.  

The race to sign UDFAs is on.  Let's see what haul may bring and perhaps some surprises.

 

7 hours ago, mattwill said:

Interesting question … is it rhetorical?

Not entirely. It is in keeping with that Athletic article I cited that argued, trade back, never up. The trade was something I think the Eagles had to do but I think in terms of the talent added that Washington got more value.

I like the UDFA's. TE RB S, DT. It would be great to see 3 or 4 make the team. We need fresh legs and lower cost players.

When do we pick our Nasty Nate's? 

More free agency?

What shall we do to fill the empty spaces? How should we complete the team?

8 minutes ago, just relax said:

Not entirely. It is in keeping with that Athletic article I cited that argued, trade back, never up. The trade was something I think the Eagles had to do but I think in terms of the talent added that Washington got more value.

Washington was starting with an inventory of picks with higher value because they stunk.  In any case let's hope their picks disappoint and our picks overachieve