1 hour ago, mattwill said:

I understand your sentiment, and for the purposes of discussion add this alternative approach for consideration.  

BTW these two approaches are not either/or but rather both/and.

With his eight picks in this Draft, and especially with the four picks in the 5th Round, Howie can assess the Board at any pick and as the Draft is unfolding see where "leverage points” are developing and capitalize on those leverage points.  In the simulator mock below at 32 one such leverage point clearly developed.  Specifically, there were five bona fide BPAs still on the Board. The first trade down yielded an additional current year pick and a pick swap.  The second trade down also yielded an additional current year pick and a pick swap. As a result Howie approached pick 96 with two of his priority targets already selected and picks 96, 103, and 107 in hand, plus all four 5th round picks.  Superb ammo to move up, no need to move down, and as I did the opportunity to add two 2026 picks so that he has the same loaded ammunition to be able to move up for a desired target or even put together a trade with a team willing to give up a future Round 1 pick like we got Carter with.  

Bottom-line, the more ammunition he has in his arsenal each year the more flexibility he has to take the necessary steps to get the player he wants and still have plenty of picks to get subsequent players or repeat the "move to the next Draft” process  

I actually think he'll go the other way and deplete draft capital from 2026 to be more aggressive and selective.  We already have a projected 12 picks on 2026.

 

1 hour ago, garingovt2000 said:

So far is it Marcus Mbow, Anthony Belton, and Josh Conerly Jr. who are confirmed to have scheduled visits?  Or am I missing some peops? 

Conerly seems promising… just needs to start lifting with Lane in the barn. Probably a year or more away, due to anchoring but he’s pretty young.

 

3 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

I like to thank trutv for existing for these 4 days every year. 

 

42 minutes ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

I actually think he'll go the other way and deplete draft capital from 2026 to be more aggressive and selective.  We already have a projected 12 picks on 2026.

 

The other fairly recent year where we played the comp pick game, that’s what I remember Howie doing. So I agree with you that it’s likely he’ll go that route again.

@HazletonEagle

As everyone reflects on Graham's career, everyone recalls the rookie year injury...but no one mentions that he had the dreaded microfracture surgery.  

I recall speaking to a very good orthopedic surgeon at the time (2010)...I suppose his perspective may have been on point for 2010, but is certainly dated now.  He said that any ACL tear permanently changes the biomechanics of the knee.  It's possible to have a full recovery after ACL surgery, but it usually starts a 5 year countdown after which he wouldn't advise a team to commit to said player.  And microfracture surgery was usually reserved for knees that looked even worse.

Here we are, 15 years later.  He never really had knee problems after that.

Kind of amazing.

Interesting prospect alert

Jalen Travis

6 foot 8 and 339 pound OT.  Just under 35 inch arms.  5.14 40.  26 reps and pretty impressive 35 inch vert.  Don't think he did the shuttle or 3 cone.  Seems like good prospect for Stout U

 

 

Dude glides when he runs 

 

 

3 hours ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

I actually think he'll go the other way and deplete draft capital from 2026 to be more aggressive and selective.  We already have a projected 12 picks on 2026.

 

Early in the Draft I agree with you in principle, especially in Day Two.  But I think the 4th rounder and the four 5th rounders will be prime fodder for adding one or two picks back to 2026.

in addition I don’t see any players in the #22 through #31 window who are marginally better than the other players in that window. So trading up will more than likely result in a different player, but probably not a better player.

JMO

Edit:  let’s make this into a Prop.  I’m setting the line on adding or subtracting from the number of 2026 draft picks during the three day Draft.  Right now that number is presumed to be 12, but with the Ojulari signing it could drop to 11.  Just for grins I’m setting the over/under line for this prop at +0.5.  What say you?  

My money is on the over.

1 hour ago, RememberTheKoy said:

 

 

No content.

53 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

@HazletonEagle

As everyone reflects on Graham's career, everyone recalls the rookie year injury...but no one mentions that he had the dreaded microfracture surgery.  

I recall speaking to a very good orthopedic surgeon at the time (2010)...I suppose his perspective may have been on point for 2010, but is certainly dated now.  He said that any ACL tear permanently changes the biomechanics of the knee.  It's possible to have a full recovery after ACL surgery, but it usually starts a 5 year countdown after which he wouldn't advise a team to commit to said player.  And microfracture surgery was usually reserved for knees that looked even worse.

Here we are, 15 years later.  He never really had knee problems after that.

Kind of amazing.

I think since then,  things like PRP and Hyaluronic acid injections have probably changed the game for athletes to stave off painful/limiting effects of arthritis.

Even more so, probably having the money to pay out of pocket for non-approved procedures like stem cell injections or the PRP procedures they do in Germany...

7 minutes ago, mattwill said:

No content.

Finally!

1 hour ago, eagle45 said:

@HazletonEagle

As everyone reflects on Graham's career, everyone recalls the rookie year injury...but no one mentions that he had the dreaded microfracture surgery.  

I recall speaking to a very good orthopedic surgeon at the time (2010)...I suppose his perspective may have been on point for 2010, but is certainly dated now.  He said that any ACL tear permanently changes the biomechanics of the knee.  It's possible to have a full recovery after ACL surgery, but it usually starts a 5 year countdown after which he wouldn't advise a team to commit to said player.  And microfracture surgery was usually reserved for knees that looked even worse.

Here we are, 15 years later.  He never really had knee problems after that.

Kind of amazing.

BG is one of those freak human beings like Hurts and Saquon with insane lower body strength (combined with core and back) as well as insane balance.  His work ethic and dedication to his craft I’m sure helped a lot here too.  He seems like a guy that never skipped a step of rehab in his entire career too.  Take him coming back and playing in the SB for example (and being productive).  He’s just a special physical specimen.

I was probably 1 of 3 people here cheering for him being selected over Thomas here lol.

3 minutes ago, Wentz_Era said:

BG is one of those freak human beings like Hurts and Saquon with insane lower body strength (combined with core and back) as well as insane balance.  His work ethic and dedication to his craft I’m sure helped a lot here too.  He seems like a guy that never skipped a step of rehab in his entire career too.  Take him coming back and playing in the SB for example (and being productive).  He’s just a special physical specimen.

I was probably 1 of 3 people here cheering for him being selected over Thomas here lol.

I was a big fan of BG that year.  Very big.  

2 hours ago, RLC said:

How do we get him to fall to RD2? I don't think he has enough juice (hence no agility testing) to be anything but a power-rusher. That's fine, but risky in RD1. He'll be able to set that EDGE though.

With those kind of Freakbeast numbers we should also play him at TE.  

7 hours ago, Alphagrand said:

He doesn't seem to use a bull rush at all from what I've seen; makes me worry a bit about his play strength.  Just a bunch of footage of him trying to get around the edge.  

You never do a bull rush, you’re not a DE. Period.

Potential 3rd round or early day 3 dog. Has a better frame and size that would be a welcome addition. Had a very good combine. 

https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2025/01/17/tyrion-ingram-dawkins-scouting-report-nfl-draft

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tyrion-ingram-dawkins/3200494e-4768-2089-a65d-5f51e00746c2

1 hour ago, just relax said:

You never do a bull rush, you’re not a DE. Period.

I love DL who can push the pocket, but it's so hard for DL to consistently win with power in the NFL

29 minutes ago, RLC said:

I love DL who can push the pocket, but it's so hard for DL to consistently win with power in the NFL

You got have that pitch, otherwise they’re just sitting on the fastball.

20 minutes ago, greendestiny27 said:

Potential 3rd round or early day 3 dog. Has a better frame and size that would be a welcome addition. Had a very good combine. 

https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2025/01/17/tyrion-ingram-dawkins-scouting-report-nfl-draft

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tyrion-ingram-dawkins/3200494e-4768-2089-a65d-5f51e00746c2

Would be a great day 3 pick.  With that size I wonder if he could move inside on some passing downs. 

7 minutes ago, RLC said:

I love DL who can push the pocket, but it's so hard for DL to consistently win with power in the NFL

It’s basically what we did in the Super Bowl. The bull rush is 70% of the DL repertory. Everything else works off it.

Get we get the Flyers a 6-5 win tonight, with Ovechkin scoring 5 goals please?

Turns out TSA in Dallas didnt like my superbowl shirt. 

42 minutes ago, just relax said:

It’s basically what we did in the Super Bowl. The bull rush is 70% of the DL repertory. Everything else works off it.

Yup, we killed them. A lot of that IMO was their OL was bad vs. our DL being these amazing pocket-pushers. We weren't able to do this against the other playoff teams. Sweat/Hunt killed Thuney. 

25 minutes ago, ToastJenkins said:

Turns out TSA in Dallas didnt like my superbowl shirt. 

Did it go down like this...?