ROUND 2 (#37): Eagles select Landon Dickerson (Alabama G/C)

[Freshmilk]

2 hours ago, Infam said:

He'll be guard while Kelce is here, but no way Seumalo beats Dickerson for center. Just no way.

Dickerson is a better guard than Seumalo as well.  I suspect he remains at guard because he would be helping both the center and the tackle next to him.  Can't wait to see him pulling and motoring LBS and DBs.

[DeathByEagle]

I grade this pick an A-. Great value in this spot

Only reason it is not an A+ is due to the injury history.

[Road to Victory]

21 hours ago, Infam said:

I got to say a torn ACL scares me a hell of a lot more an a corner than it does on a center.

Good point. ACL tears happen mostly when cutting. I think the biggest fear for a lineman is someone rolling up on them from behind or someone chopped their knees. Those type of blocks can lead to injury but usually not an ACL tear.

[Robmarina9]

I think this Dickerson draft  is good., inspite of the medical injury concerns.- Rimington trophy winner.. Lets face it. The Eagles seem to endure a lot of injuries even to healthy draft picks and also to free agent trades. So there is no guarantee that picking a healthy body, would mean injury free the 1st season. It looks like a Stoutland recommendation, and with his Alabama roots. If  one had to quibble, Eagles might have traded back to later in the 2nd and still got Dickerson, and could have picked up an extra 3rd rounder. With  two 3rd rounders again,, then they could have then taken Aaron Robinson at 70 and Milton Williams with that extra 3rd round pick later in the round.. Or they could have taken Andre Cisco @ 65 with the trade down, if t was a high enough 3rrd. Then taken Robinson  or  Williams.@ 70. (Hopefully Robinson)

So that would have meant an extra S Cisco and CB Robinson was drafted, rather than McPherson. Aaron Robnson is the more highly rated CB than Mcpherson, as the Giants traded up to get him at 71.

That would have been ideal.. I haven't read that anyone was looking to pick Dickerson where the Eagles picked him at 37. or Milton Williams at 73. That would have been ideal to get 2 extra DB's drafted higher than they actually ended up with.

It seems like Roseman had enough ammunition and enough high draft picks to trade up or down to execute  - all of the above, yet, the team is still lacking  quality DB's, which arguably was the biggest need in the roster going into the draft?? 

[brkmsn]

The bottom line is most fans felt we needed to find Kelce's replacement in this draft. Just because we found Kelce in the 6th round does not mean we can count on waiting that long (in a draft) to find our future center. People are comparing healthy Dickerson to Q. Nelson and Dickerson has the versatility to play anywhere on the line as well. That means we can plug him in at G while we still have Kelce. I mean, Kelce could decide he wants to play again next season. 

I agree that CB was our most immediate need heading into the draft and we may have waited too long to find a player (CB) that will have an impact this season. After the Smith trade, we only had two day 2 picks. In other words, when you factor all the needs on this team, we didn't have enough day 1 and day 2 picks this year to fill them all. Fortunately, we should be in good shape next year to address any glaring needs we have when 2021 concludes. 

[vaff]

Brian Baldinger kinda, sorta likes this guy:

 

Quote

"He’s my favorite player in the draft. He’s as close to [Colts All-Pro left guard] Quenton Nelson as I’ve seen in the last three years. He just wants to be great. Nobody knocks more people down in college football than this guy. He’s as nasty as they come. He’ll start the fight and finish the fight. [Nick] Saban has called him the best leader they’ve ever had. He’s just a culture builder. Going in to play the Cowboys, you want this guy leading you out of the tunnel. He’ll make everybody around him better. Everybody. Just like Quenton Nelson did in Indy.

"I know there are injury questions about him. But I didn’t have any problem with them rolling the dice on this kid in the second round. Because if he stays healthy, he’ll be the best lineman in this draft. He might take over for [center Jason] Kelce this year. He’s 50 pounds heavier than Kelce. He’s much more physical. We all love Jason. But he’s flirted with retirement a couple of times and his body isn’t getting any fresher. His strength is on the perimeter and getting to the second level. This guy has Jason Peters-type power. He just knocks people in the dirt. Like over and over again. When you’re going against Dexter Lawrence and all these big nose tackles in the league now, I don’t see anybody backing this guy up. You look at all those [defensive tackles] in the SEC that are 320, 330, 350, he didn’t have a problem with any of them.

"I think he can be the best center in football. But if you want to put him at guard, I’m OK with that. The way he pulls and runs and knocks people down, he looks like [Hall of Fame guard] John Hannah out there.”

https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-draft-baldinger-dickerson-kelce-20210503.html

[D-Shiznit]

^ His ability is unquestioned, if he stays healthy he will be a multi-time All-Pro. It's all about the health with him.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, D-Shiznit said:

^ His ability is unquestioned, if he stays healthy he will be a multi time All-Pro. It's all about the health with him.

Agree with this. In some ways it's quite scary but I don't think this guy is going to be in the middle. He's not going to be an OK starter. He is either going to be elite or his medical issues will continue and he won't play a lot. 

[mihailo]

Good thing the Eagles have one of the best medical staff in the NFL to keep this guy on the field... 

 

 

 

I really hope they have learnt something the last few seasons.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, mihailo said:

Good thing the Eagles have one of the best medical staff in the NFL to keep this guy on the field... 

 

 

 

I really hope they have learnt something the last few seasons.

Just making this pick alone suggests that they haven't though doesn't it...

[PoconoDon]

2 hours ago, mihailo said:

Good thing the Eagles have one of the best medical staff in the NFL to keep this guy on the field... 

I really hope they have learnt something the last few seasons.

If this kid gets seriously injured again any time soon, I won't blame the medical staff, I'll blame Howie again. After all, what can a doctor actually do about an injury prone patient? Guys like that seem like they have a genetically programed weakness that nobody can fix. 

They knew he had a proven 80% failure rate to play a whole season (4 out of 5), but still used a 2nd round pick on the guy. I hope that somehow, some way, they're right about him. We'll see.

[Bwestbrook36]

10 hours ago, D-Shiznit said:

^ His ability is unquestioned, if he stays healthy he will be a multi-time All-Pro. It's all about the health with him.

I was pissy with this pick at first...... The major upside and the ability this dude has if the injuries are behind him are well worth the risk at this point the more I learn about him at every level. 

[Portyansky]

On 5/1/2021 at 9:17 PM, Outlaw said:

So you would have drafted a guy in the 4th who went Undrafted? Another hot take (turd) from our resident flat earther. 

Same guy that lost his mind when Eagles didn't select Barmore at 12.

[Portyansky]

On 5/2/2021 at 7:15 AM, Jeep_man said:

I just don't see him at center, when you are nearly 6-7, you are just not center material, especially when you have a QB who is 6-1.. He will be playing guard for the Eagles..

Didn't he play C for Hurts in College?

If Dickerson doesn't take over for Kelce, I think it would be Herbig instead of Isaac. 

[judunno]

On 5/2/2021 at 10:12 AM, TEW said:

Different injuries at different times.

Jones tore his Achilles, which while not career ending is pretty serious for a skill player. And this happened during predraft training, so the time table meant he would miss most of the season.

Dickerson tore his ACL, which is no longer as serious as it once was 15-20 years ago. He should be ready to play by mid season at the latest.

that's just the latest ACL injury 🤕

[ilikepargo]

The health situation makes this to be the ultimate boom/bust pick.  If his body holds up, he may very well turn out to be a better overall player and a better pick than Smith.  If his body doesn't hold up, then it's a waste of a high 2nd round pick.

Obviously I hope that he holds up.  I hope that the doubts turn out to be empty.  I want him to be a great Eagle.

[EazyEaglez]

Ray Diddy loves this guy. Of course he loved Derek Barnett too so there’s that... Anyways I’m always concerned when the Eagles draft a guy with a lot of injuries in his past most.y cause their training and conditioning staff have a hard time keeping players healthy. From Wentz to Jones, Jordan Hicks, and now this guy it just seems like they enjoy taking these risk/reward type picks, but I don’t think it works out as often for them as they think it does. I hope it actually will this time, but I have my doubts. 

[EagleJoe8]

18 minutes ago, EazyEaglez said:

Ray Diddy loves this guy. Of course he loved Derek Barnett too so there’s that... Anyways I’m always concerned when the Eagles draft a guy with a lot of injuries in his past most.y cause their training and conditioning staff have a hard time keeping players healthy. From Wentz to Jones, Jordan Hicks, and now this guy it just seems like they enjoy taking these risk/reward type picks, but I don’t think it works out as often for them as they think it does. I hope it actually will this time, but I have my doubts. 

I think it’s understandable to have doubts. I’m just hopeful that the last 3 years of high amounts of injuries was something more directly related to something the coaching staff was or wasn’t doing. 

[EazyEaglez]

1 minute ago, EagleJoe8 said:

I think it’s understandable to have doubts. I’m just hopeful that the last 3 years of high amounts of injuries was something more directly related to something the coaching staff was or wasn’t doing. 

Even the coaching staff changed tactics though. If you recall when Doug first got here he was big on practicing with pads and the players started dropping like flies. He relented and it never helped. Of course some of this stuff is on the players too. Lane took a long time to get that ankle surgery. I remember Cox getting a late surgery one season too. Even after changing medical staffs they had the same problems too. Don’t know if they’re just snake bitten or it’s truly a philosophical problem from the previous coaching staff, but something needs to change. It was a drastic difference from the Chip Kelly era that even found a way to keep Desean Jackson healthy. 

[mihailo]

On 5/2/2021 at 4:57 PM, Road to Victory said:

Good point. ACL tears happen mostly when cutting. I think the biggest fear for a lineman is someone rolling up on them from behind or someone chopped their knees. Those type of blocks can lead to injury but usually not an ACL tear.

Cutting or doing what he did to tear them. 

[time2rock]

On 5/7/2021 at 1:23 PM, ilikepargo said:

The health situation makes this to be the ultimate boom/bust pick.  If his body holds up, he may very well turn out to be a better overall player and a better pick than Smith.  If his body doesn't hold up, then it's a waste of a high 2nd round pick.

Obviously I hope that he holds up.  I hope that the doubts turn out to be empty.  I want him to be a great Eagle.

I think we all feel the same.  I think most of us are also quite concerned that he will have trouble avoiding further injury (considering how extensive his injury history is).  And he's coming to a location where the injury situation has been running wild no less.  Sure hope he proves those of us wrong.  

[EaglesAddict]

As many others have already said, with Dickerson it's all going to be about if he can stay on the field.  His injury history is SCARY.  2 ACL tears (1 in each knee), then 2 ankle injuries, one of which required that "tightrope" surgery that Lane Johnson had to get.  Both ankles and both knees  injured in 4 of his 5 college years.  I mean...geez, dude could have arthritis by age 26 🤕

I wasn't even considering him as a possibility due to all of his injuries.  If I were running the draft, I wouldn't have selected him.  I just hate taking college players who are CURRENTLY injured. I hope he proves me wrong and goes on to have one hell of a career.  There's no question about his heart, mentality and talent...just hope his body can hold up.

[time2rock]

Quote

The 49ers have been devastated by injuries in recent years, culminating in last season, when they lost so many key players to injuries that the team they fielded at the end of the season was almost unrecognizable compared to the team they fielded at the beginning of the season.

This year, the 49ers addressed that fact in the draft.

San Francisco General Manager John Lynch said that in this year’s draft, the 49ers added more weight to prospects’ medical reports, and were more careful about avoiding players whose past indicated they would struggle to stay healthy in the NFL.

"We did tangibly change some things, like our grading process,” Lynch said, via ESPN. "Not what the doctors are telling us, but how it’s delivered just to make it clear. Like, ‘OK, is this grade with a high risk or low risk?’ Just really clarifying that, and I think that was a positive step because it made probably easier. Like we’re not touching these guys, the ones that were really bad.”

Coach Kyle Shanahan said he wanted to avoid players with a history of injuries.

"So, we’re not saying that we’ll never take a risk again or anything, but we definitely wanted to make a point because of what’s happened the last couple of years, at least to try to avoid that,” Shanahan said.

Avoiding injuries could be the most important factor for the 49ers getting back to the playoffs.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/05/19/last-years-injuries-led-49ers-to-avoid-draft-picks-with-durability-concerns/

Seems like a smart strategy (Howie ... read and learn).  

[ManchesterEagle]

On 5/12/2021 at 2:00 PM, time2rock said:

I think we all feel the same.  I think most of us are also quite concerned that he will have trouble avoiding further injury (considering how extensive his injury history is).  And he's coming to a location where the injury situation has been running wild no less.  Sure hope he proves those of us wrong.  

 

On 5/12/2021 at 2:26 PM, EaglesAddict said:

As many others have already said, with Dickerson it's all going to be about if he can stay on the field.  His injury history is SCARY.  2 ACL tears (1 in each knee), then 2 ankle injuries, one of which required that "tightrope" surgery that Lane Johnson had to get.  Both ankles and both knees  injured in 4 of his 5 college years.  I mean...geez, dude could have arthritis by age 26 🤕

I wasn't even considering him as a possibility due to all of his injuries.  If I were running the draft, I wouldn't have selected him.  I just hate taking college players who are CURRENTLY injured. I hope he proves me wrong and goes on to have one hell of a career.  There's no question about his heart, mentality and talent...just hope his body can hold up.

 

6 hours ago, time2rock said:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/05/19/last-years-injuries-led-49ers-to-avoid-draft-picks-with-durability-concerns/

Seems like a smart strategy (Howie ... read and learn).  

Honestly, I'm just shocked this pick didn't get more scrutiny. He's currently injured and his injury history is terrifying. I just don't see how he's worth the risk at the start of the second round, when there were so many talented healthy players still available at positions of need.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

23 minutes ago, ManchesterEagle said:

 

 

Honestly, I'm just shocked this pick didn't get more scrutiny. He's currently injured and his injury history is terrifying. I just don't see how he's worth the risk at the start of the second round, when there were so many talented healthy players still available at positions of need.

I think it's been pretty heavily scrutinised bud. I think a lot of fans have been very critical due to the injury concerns. That said he was out there for walk throughs during rookie minicamp so that's something.