4 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

Exactly why he reminds me of Westbrook. Started off as primarily a receiving 3rd down back, eventually his running talent caught up and he became the man we all knew and loved. I see a similar path here. Gainwell is also going to be an asset in the return game. 

Did he return punts or kicks in college?

Be interesting to see who comes out of camp as the returners.

Huntley and Scott returned some kicks last year.

Reagor of course can return punts and I assume he'll be the guy going forward on PR.

If ward is back at PR again I may tear out my hair😡

11 minutes ago, RLC said:

Drafting in the top 10 next year will be good if the goal is to get an EDGE/CB/OT/S.
We're going to love a few players: Hamilton, Thibodeaux, Stingley...

Agreed, but hopefully a couple guys emerge this year in CFB that project as franchise QB prospects.  If not, they should have a shot at another blue chip type prospect, and then will have additional picks that they should convert into new starters.  

This draft may have been their best in 10 years, and next years draft will determine if they team will return to contention.

IMHO, keep Mailata at LT.  Train Dillard at RT in TC.  Driscoll maybe a better backup at RT at this point.  Let them battle it out.  Dillard won't be a swing T, as that will only confuse him and make things worse.

Dickerson is the future C.  Let him recover from his injuries and learn in the 1st season.  Then insert him when Kelce retires.

Seumalo stays at LG and the first back-up at C.  When that happens, Dickerson gets some game experience at LG.

Somewhat odd that the Eagles haven't officially announced their UDFA class yet.  Given that we still have extra roster spots and didn't add a single secondary player after the draft, I assume a couple more signings are still to come.  

Not too many interesting CBs still out there but a couple safeties are intriguing.  Wouldn't mind adding another DE and OT as well.  

Just on Mailata. This off-season, he has the chance to review his tape from last year and work on improving his game and body based on real experience.  It will be the first time he's had the chance to do it, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep his upward trajectory going.

9 minutes ago, UK Eagle said:

Just on Mailata. This off-season, he has the chance to review his tape from last year and work on improving his game and body based on real experience.  It will be the first time he's had the chance to do it, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep his upward trajectory going.

Solid point.  It's a huge opportunity for him to learn from his mistakes, learn opponents tendencies against him, adjust his workouts/body to withstand a full season and so on.

This is a huge step for him.

23 minutes ago, John_C said:

Agreed, but hopefully a couple guys emerge this year in CFB that project as franchise QB prospects.  If not, they should have a shot at another blue chip type prospect, and then will have additional picks that they should convert into new starters.  

This draft may have been their best in 10 years, and next years draft will determine if they team will return to contention.

IMO, the best-case scenario for this season is something along the lines of 6-11 with a top 15 offense with a good Hurts showing, but a bottom 10 defense dragging us down. This allows us to draft a blue-chipper in the top 10, while also not having to trade all our picks for a QB. The inverse would be more problematic.

5 minutes ago, RLC said:

IMO, the best-case scenario for this season is something along the lines of 6-11 with a top 15 offense with a good Hurts showing, but a bottom 10 defense dragging us down. This allows us to draft a blue-chipper in the top 10, while also not having to trade all our picks for a QB. The inverse would be more problematic.

Agreed, but the Eagles are in a decent spot all things considered. If Hurts doesn't blow and the offense is solid, we can focus heavily on defense with our picks, especially at the secondary positions.

If Hurts does blow, we have an early pick to hopefully get a top QB and can still add quite a bit to the secondary and pick up and end or two. 

As it stands we have a lot of invested into both the OL and the DL. Our skill position players are young. There is a decent foundation here. Let's hope Hurts shows he can actually be a QB and suddenly our future might not be so bad.

6 minutes ago, RLC said:

IMO, the best-case scenario for this season is something along the lines of 6-11 with a top 15 offense with a good Hurts showing, but a bottom 10 defense dragging us down. This allows us to draft a blue-chipper in the top 10, while also not having to trade all our picks for a QB. The inverse would be more problematic.

My ideal situation is IF we do end up with 3 1st round picks that we use 2 of them on blue chip talent and the 3rd is used to trade back and pick up a 2023 1st.  One thing to consider with 3 1st round picks is depending on where they land, you also have to hand out 3 1st round contracts which could get expensive.  Grab one of the top D-Line prospects and a top CB (Derek Stingley or Sevyn Banks please).

Having 3 1st round picks really puts us in the drivers seat to maneuver and continue adding top level talent.

All of this is of course unless there is a can't miss QB prospect.  I don't see one right now who is a franchise changing quarterback.  New England got their guy this year at 15.  Kellen Mond (who I think is going to be a great pro) went in round 3 I believe?  I don't want them to think they NEED to pick a QB in the 1st.

Howie on the radio said Donahoe wanted Alim McNeil as a NT who got taken right before Williams but they are happy they got USC DT in rd 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, devpool said:

If mailata wins the competition, dillard could spend time learning to play RT. If he spends an entire season at the position and still can't do it then he can go when his contract is up. I don't see the benefit in making mailata ride the pine behind Johnson while being a better LT than dillard. 

His one game at RT he had what, 3 days to prepare? Give him some reps there in TC, start getting him comfortable. If he loses out to mailata make him practice exclusively at RT during the season. If Lane gets hurt too early and dillard isn't up to speed you put mailata at RT and dillard at LT. I would be shocked if dillard beat mailata based on in game performance but it would be better for the team if he actually contributed 

Yup.   Best man plays at LT, Best man plays at RT, and the 3rd guy in the line is the swing OT.  If Dillard is incapable of playing the right side at a sufficiently high level, then should the need arise, you flip Mailata back to RT where he has shown he can play, and put Dillard at LT.   Yes, that messes with two positions, but it does not create the same glaring weakness as Dillard at RT (in this scenario).   Ideally, he could learn to play the right side with more reps in OTAs, TC, etc.   

 

 

Oh... wait... they won't be in person for OTAs.  Because, the union is more worried about 'getting what they want' than actually helping their membership.   Stupid move by the union.  Fight for a 2nd bye week, not to push to make OTAs the enemy.   They are cutting off their nose to spite their face.   Just stupid, short sighted move.   

A 2nd bye likely eliminates a PS game, which would likely shorten TC by a week, which would get them the same extra week off, but in the middle of the season, when their bodies are more banged up... and if they were really smart, they'd push for that second bye week to come before any Thursday games, so that there would never be a situation where a team has to play on such short rest.   They'd be playing on extended rest... twice as a result of a Thursday game.  

 

Think of it... every week they get 6-7 days between.  A Thursday game comes and they get 11 days on the front end, and 10 days on the back end.  Plus they'd get another bye where they'd get 13-15 days between them.    And the Thanksgiving matchups would get the same, and 2 teams would get 7 days as they match up again on the Thursday after, but then get 10 days after that... so a minor delay.   THAT would have a larger impact on their bodies, would ADD money to the NFL coffers, as they'd be getting an extra week of matchups... Right now it will be 18 weeks, this would make it 19 weeks of games.  And when there's more money in the coffers, the players get a bigger slice, not because it's a bigger percentage but because all the slices of a bigger pie are bigger.   And they could funnel some more money to the retirement and long term care for players, once again, because there'd be more money available.   Add the expanded playoffs and there's 25 weeks of football - with the week in between the CGs and the SB.

 

 

I would LOVE another Runyan on this team. With this off-season, it’s finally starting to feel like this team has a personality and a direction. 

8 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

 

Is he Surtain? 

1 minute ago, Bacarty2 said:

They picked a Franchise QB(we dont have one of those

They had great cap space(it's currently awful)

They had a young team(we're old as F currently)

 

But sure man, 2021 is EXACTLY like 2016. 

Hash tag 5 wins in 2021.

Instead of the Gold Standard this team is more like Fools Gold.

56 minutes ago, Peppersmacks said:

Somewhat odd that the Eagles haven't officially announced their UDFA class yet.  Given that we still have extra roster spots and didn't add a single secondary player after the draft, I assume a couple more signings are still to come.  

Not too many interesting CBs still out there but a couple safeties are intriguing.  Wouldn't mind adding another DE and OT as well.  

Can they afford the cap space? Mosh was saying they can't even sign their picks. 

9 hours ago, eagle45 said:

I have a couple concerns with this.  

1.  If you make Dillard the swing tackle, you are officially declaring him a bust.  The guy does one thing well, and that is use his top-notch athleticism to kick back and mirror speed rushers.  Mailata has never played football and has bounced between LT and RT.  Pryor is a horrible athlete and bad OL who has at least maintained replacement level play between LT, LG, RG, and RT.  He's literally been everywhere on short notice.  And Dillard is an elite athlete, first round LT who humiliated himself as an RT.  Be it a mental or physical issue, throw versatility out the window.  He's a LT or he is nothing.

2.  Mailata has been a hidden gem.  But the hype train has gone so far off the rails that few are seeing clearly when they evaluate him.  At the end of last year, he was definitely carrying a spare tire that was not present in his rugby highlights.  He legitimately struggled with some speed rushers around the edge...and it shouldn't all be blamed on newbie technique that will instantly and easily fix itself.  He's a big, strong, nasty OL...and despite his excellent athleticism for his size, I wonder if a shift away from the blind side to RT may suit him well.

3.  When Johnson gets hurt, that would then lead to a situation with Mailata at LT and Dillard at RT.  Do we really want that mess?

4. Maybe it's not in the cards and Dillard just isn't good enough, but having the bookend OT's figured out with Dillard/Mailata makes our upcoming draft burden so much easier.  If we need a RT, that's another first round pick we have to burn.  

 

The thing with Mailata is that he needs to play more than anyone else on the roster. It’s the only way to unlock his potential. And let’s be real — Mailata has the highest upside of any OL on the roster. He’s THAT physically gifted.

It would be a serious mistake to bench him unless he is clearly outplayed by everyone else. We are in a rebuilding year. There is never going to be a more opportune time to allow this kid to develop on the field.

4 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

Instead of the Gold Standard this team is more like Fools Gold.

 

6 minutes ago, Bacarty2 said:

Depends what you consider better. 

Dude who catches 75 balls in 16 games or the better route runner, better hands who plays 4 games in 16 games cause he's 160lbs and gets hurt. 

Smith doesn't have much if an injury history he's been durable.

Pinkston at 173 pounds never really suffered any injuries due to taking hits, he tore an achilles non contact.

Glew  at about 170 pounds never really got hurt either, at least not from any contact.

This isn't the 80s where ronnie lott and Steve atwater are patrolling the middle lighting dudes up.

Smith will be fine 

19 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

 

Marlon Tuipulotu.is basically McNeill lite. Similar bodies, athleticism, McNeill is more talented and was ranked higher by them, but there isn't a huge gap between them.

Both will probably end up as rotation DTs, both are best suited to NT on run downs and will sit on obvious passing downs.