"Only the best" Mock (12-17-2021)

[Infam]

Amazing what a difference a week made. Always was a Hurts believer, felt like I was the only one happy when he got drafted, but to play a game and everyone has in the back of his mind: I have just seen the new franchise QB of the Eagles? Damn.

So Wentz gets traded to the Colts, I went with Wentz + pick#73 +3rd in 2022 for Indys #23 and #55

And, brace yourself this one hurts: Zach Ertz to the Patriots for a third rounder (#80). 

 

1- DeVonta Smith, WR: Let's be honest here, it is likely that all three top receivers are gone before we even pick. Would it be worth it to trade up for a guy like Smith? Yes, I think it would make sense to even trade up some. A star WR is incredibly hard to find, so now that we might pick early for a change we better make it count. Now if we did get Smith in the first, that would be the jackpot in my opinion. He's the best, and we would never look back on this pick, I have no doubt. Smith and Reagor would be punishing for any defense, I can promise you that.

Devonta Smith 'The Best WR in The Country' 2020 Highlights - YouTube

1- Pat Freiermuth,  TE: Oh but a TE? We have a TE already? Look, if we get rid of Ertz and put it all on one guy, that is just irresponsible. If anything happens with Goedert, everyone would say: oh god, bad planning. And let's get real here: You can put both Freiermuth and Goedert in the slot, and they are so good that they can run all the routes a slot would run. At the speed a slot would run them at. But at frikking 6"5'. And both are excellent and willing blockers, which would really help the runs of Hurts and Sanders. Blocking TEs are very hard to find, especially ones that have good hands and run clean routes, so yeah. Sign me up on this one.

Pat Freiermuth Penn State Highlights ||| "The Best TE in College Football” - YouTube

2- Jevon Holland, S: He might be gone late in the first, but you can go with Andre Cisco here too. Still, if both were available, Holland would be the perfect fit for our defense. He is really good in coverage, and he is a willing blocker. McLeod and Holland would complement each other well, and this would be an excellent duo moving forward. 

 Oregon Safety Jevon Holland 2019 Highlights - YouTube

2- Creed Humphrey, C: Give Kelce one more year to go out on a high note. Sit Hurts old Center (who is the highest rated center in college) behind him and let him learn a year from Stoutland and Kelce. But the moment he is on the field, you already have a bonus of familiarity between your QB and the center. It's just perfect, really.

The Impact of Oklahoma Center Creed Humphrey | Stadium - YouTube

3- Jamie Newman, QB: Look, I know you all hate these QB-Factory picks, but hear me out on this one! Dual threat running QBs mean a lot of fun, but it comes with a risk. Even if you just miss a game, or part of a game here or there, it still means there has to be someone to step in. Listen, I like Sudfeld too, but he cannot even remotely step in and run a kind of offense Hurts runs. That's just not happening. Now this guy, he needs some coaching. He needs to improve his footwork. But he can run the ball, and he can fire it deep, and if he eventually would be the guy that can step in and keep things going, just for a while - that is worth a third in my book. Really is. Gadget plays alert! 

CFB Analysis: Jamie Newman - YouTube

5- Cameron McGrone, LB: I almost feel bad to have this guy in the fifth. He was written about as a guy with a first round ceiling, sky high potential. But that's just it, the draft has not valued potential at LB too much, and that makes him a potential round 4-5 pick. If he was, with this dude, we would pick a winner. I can see him make it all work with some more experience, he just needs more starts, in terms of traits he already got it all.

THE BEST LINEBACKER IN THE BIG 10 || Cam McGrone Highlights - YouTube

5- Israel Mukuamu, CB: In recent drafts he was sliding some, and I have no idea why. I really, really like the play of him. He has incredible length at 6"4' and is fighting for the ball. He probably isn't your CB1 type, but he would have a decent role in the defense, just by solving certain matchups better than anybody else.

Israel Mukuamu | DB | South Carolina | 2020 CFB Future Stars - YouTube

6-  Evan McPherson, K: Not giving up on ours yet, but it is time to have a bit of... friendly competition? Let's get this one, he actually has a shot.

Alex McPherson 2020 Summer Showcase Tour - YouTube

 

So what was I thinking? You can say about Roseman what you want, and I said quite a few things about missed opportunities myself. But even with Wentz and Ertz gone, two guys I really thought would be core pieces of our offense for a long time: we still have 4 excellent pieces to form an offense around. Hurts, Sanders, Reagor and Goedert. So I added the hardest position to fill first, and that is the outside WR. With Smith, you have two guys that will be 22 next season on the outside for cheap, and that would be.. powerful. Now add Freiermuth, himself 22 next season, and you have all six positions in 11 filled with excellent, young players.

So yeah, really like the idea of two 6"5' TEs, at 256 and 260, making blocks and running routes. And Smith and Reagor and Hurts and Sanders... I mean holy sh..

Looking at the Line, you got Mailata-Seumalo-Kelce-Brooks-Johnson, with Dillard-Humphrey-Herbig-Driscoll on the Bench. Sounds pretty good to me, this is progress. Adding the Center Hurts had at college will help him to get up to speed, even imagine it would help to set the line if everyone knows the QB totally has your back. Works both ways, too. But he is just a good, athletic, smart center, so he would really fit in very well.

If the board fell this way we do miss out on a top CB for the future, but if Smith was gone when we pick we could take Surtain and miss out at receiver instead. With drafts streaking hard at a position like that recently, one of these two is probably available. Now when it comes to value reaching for the CB or WR with the later first round pick instead of picking a stud like Freiermuth would be a crime! The kind of WR or CB you most likely get there will not be anywhere close to this dude. But sure, if someone worthy fell (Surtain?) that's a different story.

At least we would get to form a really good safety duo, which would certainly help too. And I think the DL looks pretty good this year. Say if we keep them all, Cox-Hargeave-Jackson and Graham-Barnett-Sweat.. we don't even need too much more on the defense to look pretty good.

 

 

[Ray75]

No worries! I won’t bash this mock. A lot of good prospects.

Personally I don’t see the need to draft a backup TE and QB that high but that of course is your opinion.

I prefer both Cisco and Moehring over Holland but we need a safety nonetheless with Rodney out for at least 8-10 months.

Humphrey would be awesome though.

Overall good mock!

[RUEagle]

Switch that TE to a CB or S and it’s decent. 

[Rob331]

I like the trades with one If and one BUT. The if is IF Hurts looks like the answer for the rest of the season. Remember, it looks like the league has caught up with Lamar Jackson and Hurts and Kyler Murray. The BUT is that I think we get the two picks for Wentz without any add ons so we keep our 3rd. 

I agree, we don need another starting CB unless you want to gamble on Jaquet or Riley and I think Freiermuth (boy we'll see some misspellings of that this year) will be there in the second so I'd go WR, CB in the 1st and TE and C in the 2nd. In the 3rd it's certainly a S and a LB. 

I'm also counting on a couple of compensatory picks - a 6th and a 7th. 

Thanks - good read and thought provoking. 

[eaglesfan0075]

I have to say it's an interesting mock. I personally wouldn't think to draft TE that high with Goedert hitting his prime among all of our other pressing needs, but maybe you could make a BPA argument at that juncture? I also wouldn't draft another QB that high in this draft given that this is going to be a rebuild draft where we try to establish our new core of young players. We have to roll with Hurts in this scenario and keep his confidence up. In my opinion, bring in a veteran QB to be the backup and use that valuable draft pick on a potential immediate starter.

I do like that it's a bit more unconventional, out of the box, but maybe a bit much for my taste.

[Infam]

13 hours ago, eaglesfan0075 said:

I have to say it's an interesting mock. I personally wouldn't think to draft TE that high with Goedert hitting his prime among all of our other pressing needs, but maybe you could make a BPA argument at that juncture? I also wouldn't draft another QB that high in this draft given that this is going to be a rebuild draft where we try to establish our new core of young players. We have to roll with Hurts in this scenario and keep his confidence up. In my opinion, bring in a veteran QB to be the backup and use that valuable draft pick on a potential immediate starter.

I do like that it's a bit more unconventional, out of the box, but maybe a bit much for my taste.

To me, a starter that breaks mentally because of a second (or third) round pick behind him is not the franchise QB I want here. Simple as that.

[eaglesfan0075]

4 hours ago, Infam said:

To me, a starter that breaks mentally because of a second (or third) round pick behind him is not the franchise QB I want here. Simple as that.

Valid point, but don't you think that 3rd round pick could be better allocated at a different position other than QB. Especially since we just drafted one in the 2nd round. I expect Hurts to respond appropriately in that scenario compared to Wentz, but it doesn't necessarily justify the use of that pick on a QB IMO. The TE in round 2 I could potentially understand if you're making the case for BPA (and filling a lower tier need), but not the QB in Round 3 (even lower need)

Trading Wentz and making Hurts the starter, just to use another high draft pick on a QB doesn't seem like the best use of resources in my opinion. 

[Infam]

16 hours ago, eaglesfan0075 said:

Valid point, but don't you think that 3rd round pick could be better allocated at a different position other than QB. Especially since we just drafted one in the 2nd round. I expect Hurts to respond appropriately in that scenario compared to Wentz, but it doesn't necessarily justify the use of that pick on a QB IMO. The TE in round 2 I could potentially understand if you're making the case for BPA (and filling a lower tier need), but not the QB in Round 3 (even lower need)

Trading Wentz and making Hurts the starter, just to use another high draft pick on a QB doesn't seem like the best use of resources in my opinion. 

I think you severely undervalue the worth of a good backup. In this scenario Wentz gave us a first, to spend a third at that position seems just fine. Whenever we need someone to step in it would be a guy with comparable skillset and not Sudfeld. And yes: you get security in case of injury. You get a few gadget plays on top of it.

This style of Hurts is dangerous, and could well lead to some missed time. And then there is the cap: Even really poor backup QBs cost some decent money, so you free up quite a bit with a drafted backup. And he could always turn out to be really good, then it was amazing value no matter what.

[eaglesfan0075]

7 hours ago, Infam said:

I think you severely undervalue the worth of a good backup. In this scenario Wentz gave us a first, to spend a third at that position seems just fine. Whenever we need someone to step in it would be a guy with comparable skillset and not Sudfeld. And yes: you get security in case of injury. You get a few gadget plays on top of it.

This style of Hurts is dangerous, and could well lead to some missed time. And then there is the cap: Even really poor backup QBs cost some decent money, so you free up quite a bit with a drafted backup. And he could always turn out to be really good, then it was amazing value no matter what.

I understand, but it's worth spending a little bit more of cap space and save the pick IMO. Guys like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston signed deals to be backups. The former actually played well in relief of Derek Carr. I'd rather just pick up someone like that than use a premium pick on a QB again.

We might not make many signings in FA, but I'd imagine they can afford to make one and sign a veteran QB after clearing up space by trading some of our own vets like Ertz, maybe one of our veteran DL like Cox or Malik Jackson?

[Infam]

On 12/19/2020 at 8:14 PM, eaglesfan0075 said:

I understand, but it's worth spending a little bit more of cap space and save the pick IMO. Guys like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston signed deals to be backups. The former actually played well in relief of Derek Carr. I'd rather just pick up someone like that than use a premium pick on a QB again.

We might not make many signings in FA, but I'd imagine they can afford to make one and sign a veteran QB after clearing up space by trading some of our own vets like Ertz, maybe one of our veteran DL like Cox or Malik Jackson?

Winstons contract was really uncommon.. come on he even fired his agent right after. Mariota makes 18M in 2 years, which is the going rate. So we pay that, for a QB that will most likely suck a.. and all that for the "premium" third round pick? Sounds like a really bad idea to me.

Rather have a backup with real potential that we can teach. That can take over if needs be. That can see the field from time to time. And have cap to sign or keep someone.

[eaglesfan0075]

23 hours ago, Infam said:

Winstons contract was really uncommon.. come on he even fired his agent right after. Mariota makes 18M in 2 years, which is the going rate. So we pay that, for a QB that will most likely suck a.. and all that for the "premium" third round pick? Sounds like a really bad idea to me.

Rather have a backup with real potential that we can teach. That can take over if needs be. That can see the field from time to time. And have cap to sign or keep someone.

Even if it's not exactly the veteran minimum, I'm sure the Eagles can find a reasonable backup for less than what Mariota is getting. Heck, even the Patriots got Cam Newton for practically the veteran's minimum. Now, I understand the Eagles aren't the Patriots with the appeal of Bill Belichick's coaching and their playoff success, but they should be able to land a respectable backup for 3-4 million per year. Maybe the Bears look to move on from Nick Foles? We know what he's capable of here in this system as a backup QB, and he's now in the stage of his career where he won't be commanding starting $$.

Looking at the 2021 free agent QB list, guys like Jacoby Brissett and Tyrod Taylor could be potential options in that price range. Both have had modest success as starters in the past but now are in the backup phase of their careers. Taylor suffered from a punctured lung when receiving a pain medication injection prior to Week 2; Herbert took the starting job and never looked back. Brissett performed admirably in the absence of Andrew Luck, but the Colts ultimately weren't convinced he could be their starter and thus brought in Philip Rivers.

Jalen Hurts has been playing well so far, but the sample size is small, so guys like Taylor and Brissett may feel confident that they can outcompete him for a starting job. However, I think the trickier part is seeing if Wentz is even tradeable this offseason. That could really go either way. If Wentz stays, make him compete with Hurts for the starting job and if he ends up being an overpaid QB2, so be it.

[Infam]

3 hours ago, eaglesfan0075 said:

Even if it's not exactly the veteran minimum, I'm sure the Eagles can find a reasonable backup for less than what Mariota is getting. Heck, even the Patriots got Cam Newton for practically the veteran's minimum. Now, I understand the Eagles aren't the Patriots with the appeal of Bill Belichick's coaching and their playoff success, but they should be able to land a respectable backup for 3-4 million per year. Maybe the Bears look to move on from Nick Foles? We know what he's capable of here in this system as a backup QB, and he's now in the stage of his career where he won't be commanding starting $$.

Not gonna lie, Foles as backup sure would be pretty cool.

Still, this is the third time I mocked a QB to us in the third. The other two? Patrick Mahomes  and Jalen Hurts. Not saying Newman is as good as they were, but he's got potential and the added benefit that he can play the way Hurts plays. That matters, you can just keep doing what you did if Hurts ever misses a game - and you don't have to completely redesign your offense and change every play.

And then there is the positional value aspect: If you hit on a decent WR that's all great, and I am happy. But if you hit on a QB that's the Jackpot. 

So. 1) Cap 2) Playstyle 3) Value. So yeah, I'll still stick with this idea. I think Newman has real potential and makes perfect sense for us. You are right that there are still two games to play though! This all only holds true in a scenario where Wentz goes and Hurts stays.