2 hours ago, Eagles1960 said:

You make a lot of sense. As far as 1st round picks almost always playing especially with Howie, are they trying to win games or prove a point? A first round pick on a bad team can play all the organization wants him to play. If the Eagles are going nowhere towards the end of the year then you play him.

Howie and Jeff run the team and decide who plays. Howie will always play his top picks. I would like Lemon to have time to heal his hamstring that has been strained twice in 6 months but Howie will force Nick to play him right now before he's ready and acclimated to the pro game. I hope he doesn't hurt the same hammy again. If so he's out for the rest of the year

6 minutes ago, weko said:

Howie and Jeff run the team and decide who plays. Howie will always play his top picks. I would like Lemon to have time to heal his hamstring that has been strained twice in 6 months but Howie will force Nick to play him right now before he's ready and acclimated to the pro game. I hope he doesn't hurt the same hammy again. If so he's out for the rest of the year

I think you are partially correct.

None of this stuff escapes in a black and white fashion to the media and fans...but we've heard whispers that Chip Kelly hated the Marcus Smith pick and made a point of keeping him as far from the field as possible. Howie's big offseason expense in 2024, Huff....Vic never let him sniff the field. So strong willed coaches have not hesitated to bench "Howie players" in the past.

That said, I agree with the sentiment that Howie and Jeff have far more day-to-day control than anyone admits. And considering that every single coach on offense is either new and subservient or on thin ice, Howie's picks are going to get major preferential treatment.

Now...in defense of playing Lemon (as much as I criticize him), I think he absolutely should be getting the snaps in the slot. I think he's low on talent and upside, but at least he has some talent and upside. It's not like they have these appealing options behind him that are being denied a chance to shine. The other options suck too.

Agreed, 45. None of us peasants are saying, with any certainty, how much or often Howie dictates that "his” draft picks play. BUT, if he’s doing that ish to the detriment of a game day roster, shame on him and his EGO.

Also, I’m tired of saying it, so, eventually, I’ll stop saying it🤔🦮:

The WR Room, behind Smitty & Wicks, is awful. The TE Room……no words..😝😁.

There were other Eagles 1st round WR picks that didn't do much their first game.

Maclin didn't play (or did but didn't get targeted). 0 targets. His 2nd game: 2 catches for 12 yards. 3rd game: 4 catches for 33 yards. He had a breakout game his 4th game with 6 catches for 142 yards and 2 TDs.

Smitty was instantly our best WR as a rookie next to the garbage they had. His first game he had 6 catches for 71 yards. But then his 2nd game only 2 catches for 16 yards, 3rd game 3 catches for 28 yards, then a breakout game in week 4 with 7 catches for 122 yards.

Maybe Lemon will also break out in week 4.

Agholor had 1 catch for 5 yards. Then 3 for 31, then 0...he was basically underwhelming his entire rookie year, not much better his 2nd. By his 3rd year (Super Bowl winning year) he had a total of 62 catches for 768 yards and 2 TDs.

Looking at 2nd round WRs: DeSean Jackson was great right away with over 100 yards two games in a row. Jordan Matthews had 2 catches for 27 yards then 1 catch for 17 yards.

We'll see with Lemon, too early to know one way or another. If he's a 4th option behind Smith, Wicks and Goedert and a rookie developing it may be a long runway of growth.

1 hour ago, NOTW said:

There were other Eagles 1st round WR picks that didn't do much their first game.

Maclin didn't play (or did but didn't get targeted). 0 targets. His 2nd game: 2 catches for 12 yards. 3rd game: 4 catches for 33 yards. He had a breakout game his 4th game with 6 catches for 142 yards and 2 TDs.

Smitty was instantly our best WR as a rookie next to the garbage they had. His first game he had 6 catches for 71 yards. But then his 2nd game only 2 catches for 16 yards, 3rd game 3 catches for 28 yards, then a breakout game in week 4 with 7 catches for 122 yards.

Maybe Lemon will also break out in week 4.

Agholor had 1 catch for 5 yards. Then 3 for 31, then 0...he was basically underwhelming his entire rookie year, not much better his 2nd. By his 3rd year (Super Bowl winning year) he had a total of 62 catches for 768 yards and 2 TDs.

Looking at 2nd round WRs: DeSean Jackson was great right away with over 100 yards two games in a row. Jordan Matthews had 2 catches for 27 yards then 1 catch for 17 yards.

We'll see with Lemon, too early to know one way or another. If he's a 4th option behind Smith, Wicks and Goedert and a rookie developing it may be a long runway of growth.

No one is saying that he is a bust, not even his biggest critics. No one is saying it's a foregone conclusion that he will be a bust.

But if you suspend the pom-poms for a minute and allow yourself the independent ability to like and dislike draft picks based on your own preconceived and observed opinions/notions...if a player you never liked as a prospect and saw them as a lower talent, lower upside selection with a questionable fit managed to flash absolutely nothing through an injury compromised training camp / preseason and had -8 yards across 1 preseason and 1 regular season game....you wouldn't be expecting great things from the guy.

On top of that, the lower upside players who never had a chance to be anything special and are more confined to specific roles (ie a small shifty slot WR with no deep speed)....part of their value is their early refinement and ability to contribute earlier in their rookie contract versus being on a slower developmental curve. So every game that passes in which a lower upside first round pick doesnt contribute does bake in a level of immediate disappointment.

47 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

No one is saying that he is a bust, not even his biggest critics. No one is saying it's a foregone conclusion that he will be a bust.

But if you suspend the pom-poms for a minute and allow yourself the independent ability to like and dislike draft picks based on your own preconceived and observed opinions/notions...if a player you never liked as a prospect and saw them as a lower talent, lower upside selection with a questionable fit managed to flash absolutely nothing through an injury compromised training camp / preseason and had -8 yards across 1 preseason and 1 regular season game....you wouldn't be expecting great things from the guy.

On top of that, the lower upside players who never had a chance to be anything special and are more confined to specific roles (ie a small shifty slot WR with no deep speed)....part of their value is their early refinement and ability to contribute earlier in their rookie contract versus being on a slower developmental curve. So every game that passes in which a lower upside first round pick doesnt contribute does bake in a level of immediate disappointment.

Some are not necessarily using the word bust, but calling him a failure already.

The 2nd sentence in the bolded, that's interesting. You're using the phrase "pom-poms" which has a negative connotation like a blind homer. All I've said is we don't know yet, it's too early either way. I also said he may not work out, and that the first 2 picks in this draft were disappointing. A lot of people wanted different guys. The 2nd part about "independent ability" is also interesting because that seems to be subjective. If I have the independent ability to not overreact and call players failures too early, and point out historical evidence as examples, that's "pom-poms" and not "independent." But being negative, pessimistic, overreacting to things too soon is your version of independent, I guess "keeping it real" or "just being realistic."

If you didn't like the pick at the time and still don't like it, great. I didn't care for the pick either, I wanted an OT, a better TE or a safety. But the kid may work out, we don't know yet.

Our 2025 draft is early awful and my hope is that it is upside down and some of the later guys are proven in future years.

Lemon missed a lot of time but he looked like a small child out there.

Stowers may be a Gio Carmazzi type who is just not tough enough to play in a ruthless and violent sport.

Look at the tape. Even on the TV feed, he is getting open on a few routes. It will take time to siphon his full potential. I hope he can be a Robert Woods type.

I feel Lemon will come through in around 3-4 weeks, but damn Darius Cooper looks legit out there, big body, big catch ability...

On 9/16/2026 at 2:12 PM, weko said:

Howie and Jeff run the team and decide who plays. Howie will always play his top picks.

I can see the Owner and GM drafting players they like, but deciding who plays is a bit much as far as I'm concerned, that should be done by the coaches.

Those 2 are arrogant know-it-alls, let's see how much they know when they find out that Lemon was a horrible 1st Round pick, I didn't watch the remainder of the draft after that selection.

16 hours ago, EagleVA said:

I can see the Owner and GM drafting players they like, but deciding who plays is a bit much as far as I'm concerned, that should be done by the coaches.

Those 2 are arrogant know-it-alls, let's see how much they know when they find out that Lemon was a horrible 1st Round pick, I didn't watch the remainder of the draft after that selection.

I'm still in shock they took him in the 1st round. He is short slight of stature slow with short arms and small hands. A 1st round WR needs to have speed to play outside. A slot receiver has a positional value of a 3rd or 4 th round pick. He was super productive in college and a gamer with a lot of dog in him. If you love those traits maybe you take him 2 nd half of the 2 nd round but his attributes are not 1 st round worthy. He could be a productive slot with 30-50 catches and 400-500 yards a year. They will have to stop calling these absurd behind the line throws for that to happen and exploit his route running ability. The kid can be productive. He just can' t play outside and was never worthy of being taken in round one

He should/could be better than Reagor. But, that’s not asking much, as that draft pick was straight trash.

Give him at least a full season.

Unlike that Stowers pick. P. U.

On 9/26/2026 at 2:06 PM, LacesOut said:

He should/could be better than Reagor. But, that’s not asking much, as that draft pick was straight trash.

Give him at least a full season.

Unlike that Stowers pick. P. U.

FWIW, there’s a pretty good chance he wont match Reagor’s rookie year production.

That was the "best” season of Reagor’s career. He was force fed opportunities in year 1 and 2 because of his draft status and then they gave up.

Lemon is being force fed too. First round picks generally get that for 2 years and then it stops unless they do something with it.

On 9/26/2026 at 10:19 AM, weko said:

I'm still in shock they took him in the 1st round. He is short slight of stature slow with short arms and small hands. A 1st round WR needs to have speed to play outside. A slot receiver has a positional value of a 3rd or 4 th round pick. He was super productive in college and a gamer with a lot of dog in him. If you love those traits maybe you take him 2 nd half of the 2 nd round but his attributes are not 1 st round worthy. He could be a productive slot with 30-50 catches and 400-500 yards a year. They will have to stop calling these absurd behind the line throws for that to happen and exploit his route running ability. The kid can be productive. He just can't play outside and was never worthy of being taken in round one

I agree with your sentiment, but I wouldn’t be so rigid as to slap a value on specific positions. Some WR’s that make a living in the slot can have HOF careers and be offensive centerpieces. There’s round 1 value there.

To your point…has an Eagles offense, in my lifetime, ever utilized the slot receiver in a fashion that gives it round 1 value? No, not even close.

As I’ve posted before, something also frustrates me about a low-upside first round pick who is on a delayed development/productivity plan. We overdrafted Lemon because he was productive in college and won the Biletnikoff award (and because the entire WR room after Devonta was an ugly question mark in April). Lemon was also someone who also happens to fail the eye and measurable test for the position. That’s someone who should be doing more early, since he’s not going to be giving you the high level upside later.

Man this kid is starting really slow, but I’m trying to be hopeful. They’re going to get nothing out of Stowers this season and so far isn’t getting much out of Lemon, but I do have a feeling that eventually this kid is going to show us something.

On 9/28/2026 at 1:44 PM, EazyEaglez said:

Man this kid is starting really slow, but I’m trying to be hopeful. They’re going to get nothing out of Stowers this season and so far isn’t getting much out of Lemon, but I do have a feeling that eventually this kid is going to show us something.

I think he is doing okay. He’s trying, he’s blocking, he’s getting open and on the rare occasion Hurts goes his way he makes the catch. The screen plays aren’t his fault that’s just an awful set up and decision to keep trying to.

That said yeah we’d s absolutely like more from our first round draft pick.

Lemon is getting open. Qb1 doesn't see him or the oline can't block long enough for him to deliver the ball to Lemon. Stop with the fn screens. F!

47 minutes ago, Godfather said:

Lemon is getting open. Qb1 doesn't see him or the oline can't block long enough for him to deliver the ball to Lemon. Stop with the fn screens. F!

This. He was actually open a lot in that game. Some of it is being overshadowed by that same stupid screen that they are trying to force feed.

Lemon just needs more screen passes thrown his way. That will clear out his head, his hamstring, and the OLine issues.

More. Screens. 🦅🥸🦮

2 hours ago, LacesOut said:

Lemon just needs more screen passes thrown his way. That will clear out his head, his hamstring, and the OLine issues.

More. Screens. 🦅🥸🦮

I went to the mnf game in Chicago. On the play Hurts threw a pick left at him, I watched him the whole play. My seats were in the end zone behind him and I was surprised to see him line up out wide left so I isolated on him at the snap. I was stunned how small he looked. Flashbacks of Pumphrey. He was just tiny. A 9th - 10th grade body size.

7 minutes ago, weko said:

I went to the mnf game in Chicago. On the play Hurts threw a pick left at him, I watched him the whole play. My seats were in the end zone behind him and I was surprised to see him line up out wide left so I isolated on him at the snap. I was stunned how small he looked. Flashbacks of Pumphrey. He was just tiny. A 9th - 10th grade body size.

Well ... he's 5-11, 192 lbs. You might need better seats next time. Pumphrey was 5-8, 176. DJax was 5-10, 169. D. Smith is 6-0, 170 lbs.

56 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

Well ... he's 5-11, 192 lbs. You might need better seats next time. Pumphrey was 5-8, 176. DJax was 5-10, 169. D. Smith is 6-0, 170 lbs.

Problem is he doesn't move like Djax or D. Smith.

5-11 192 isn't exactly a unit for a guy with possession WR speed.

1 hour ago, eagle45 said:

Problem is he doesn't move like Djax or D. Smith.

5-11 192 isn't exactly a unit for a guy with possession WR speed.

I'd like to see the 5"11" measurement in person. He looks much shorter

1 hour ago, weko said:

I'd like to see the 5"11" measurement in person. He looks much shorter