NFL Draft 2021: Why Eagles don’t view Landon Dickerson pick as a similar situation to Sidney Jones disappointment

[time2rock]

NFL Draft 2021: Why Eagles don’t view Landon Dickerson pick as a similar situation to Sidney Jones disappointment

Updated May 01, 2021; Posted May 01, 2021

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Alabama center/guard Landon Dickerson with the 37th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

 

By Mike Kaye | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

 

 

Every pick in the NFL Draft is a calculated risk.

 

While several months — or sometimes, years — have gone into the evaluation of one prospect, it’s hard to know that any promising projection will work out. When character issues or injury woes get added into those projections, the risk becomes even dicier for a prospect.

 

That’s why there was a bit of an uproar from Eagles fans when the team selected Alabama guard/center Landon Dickerson with the 37th overall pick in the second round on Friday. While Dickerson, by all accounts, is one of the best character players in the draft, he has a laundry list of wear-and-tear on his body at just 22.

 

Dickerson is recovering from his second ACL surgery in five years. He’s also had a history of ankle injuries.

 

His durability — or lack thereof — is a major concern, especially for a top 40 pick. Eagles fans remember the risk/reward play of cornerback Sidney Jones in 2017, and that’s why they don’t want to experience repeated history with Dickerson.

 

Jones was selected in the second round after receiving first-round pre-draft hype. However, he suffered an Achilles tear during his pro day at Washington and missed all but one game of his rookie reason. Jones became a regular in the training room during his three-year stint with the Eagles before being waived following last year’s training camp.

 

It’s understandable for those who lived through the Jones debacle to feel a bit uncomfortable with the Dickerson pick. But, the Eagles’ brass doesn’t view Dickerson and Jones as similar situations.

 

"I think going in [with Sidney] we kind of said, ‘Hey, this is a guy, he’s not going to play this year and we’re just going to get him right,’” GM Howie Roseman said Friday. "That’s not what we were thinking about with Landon.”

 

NJ Advance Media spoke with a longtime NFL scout, who was granted anonymity due to the inability to openly speak about another team’s players or his team’s draft strategy, shortly after the pick. The scout said Dickerson would have been a first-round pick had he not been recovering from knee surgery.

 

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Dickerson is expected to be available for training camp this summer, but Dickerson told the Philadelphia media that he wasn’t committed to a particular timeline for his return.

 

The scout raved about Dickerson’s intangibles as a leader and noted his impressive versatility and ability in pass protection. Dickerson was only charged with one sack over the past three seasons by Pro Football Focus. During his college career, Dickerson started at all five offensive line positions.

 

"We think this is a special player and a special person, and we don’t think that there is any chance that this guy would be available at the 37th pick without those concerns,” Roseman said. "When we think about what kind of player this guy can be and what kind of person this guy could be for our football team, it just was really exciting for us.”

 

Personality and versatility don’t matter when a player can’t get on the field.

 

Dickerson only played 38 games over five college seasons. If he can’t magically become more durable, the risk of spending an early second-round pick will lead to even louder criticism for a front office — led by Roseman — that has gained the reputation of taking unnecessary risks with top selections.

 

Roseman is focused on Dickerson’s upside, but he also acknowledges the potential downside of such a gamble.

 

"I think you understand there is risk/reward in it,” Roseman said. "I think, again, we rely on our medical staff to try to figure out the best way to handle these. If guys are (medical failures) and they’re off the board, those aren’t discussed anymore after the medical meeting. Again, we look at this guy as a guy that’s one of the top talents in this draft, a really talented guy and a culture setter for our organization, and we’re really excited to get him.”

https://www.nj.com/eagles/2021/05/nfl-draft-2021-why-eagles-dont-view-landon-dickerson-pick-as-a-similar-situation-to-sidney-jones-disappointment.html

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, time2rock said:

"We think this is a special player and a special person, and we don’t think that there is any chance that this guy would be available at the 37th pick without those concerns,” Roseman said. "When we think about what kind of player this guy can be and what kind of person this guy could be for our football team, it just was really exciting for us.”

Yes for good reason Howie! He's more talented than #37 overall but fell to the second round because those injuries are a major flag. 

This is different to the Jones pick... Jones injury was an incredibly tough one to come back from as a corner where you need agility etc. Playing OL is different and I do think these guys can come back from major injuries more easily. 

But you can't ignore the 4 season ending injuries. You can't ignore the 2 ACL tears. It doesn't matter if this guy bounces back from injury and gets back to 100%! If he keeps getting hurt again and again and again then getting back to full health means nothing. 

[time2rock]

3 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Yes for good reason Howie! He's more talented than #37 overall but fell to the second round because those injuries are a major flag. 

This is different to the Jones pick... Jones injury was an incredibly tough one to come back from as a corner where you need agility etc. Playing OL is different and I do think these guys can come back from major injuries more easily. 

But you can't ignore the 4 season ending injuries. You can't ignore the 2 ACL tears. It doesn't matter if this guy bounces back from injury and gets back to 100%! If he keeps getting hurt again and again and again then getting back to full health means nothing. 

Exactly.  It is a huge gamble to take a player saddled with his injury history ... odds are not in his favor of staying healthy.  If he does ... awesome.  If not, it just turns into yet another wasted high pick (we have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy too many of those which is why this roster is sorely lacking in talent).  Anyway, fingers crossed this time it works out for us.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

3 minutes ago, time2rock said:

Exactly.  It is a huge gamble to take a player saddled with his injury history ... odds are not in his favor of staying healthy.  If he does ... awesome.  If not, it just turns into yet another wasted high pick (we have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy too many of those which is why this roster is sorely lacking in talent).  Anyway, fingers crossed this time it works out for us.  

And that's why I have an issue with this pick. It's a high end resource used on a player that is such a gamble. That's 2 years in a row that you could argue the Eagles have wasted a 2nd round pick. Add in Jones and its no wonder this roster is in the state it is in. 

[birdman#12]

It seems to me to be a inconsistent policy........they drafted Jones despite his injury, they stayed away from DK Metcalf because of his college injuries, and now they take Dickerson despite his injuries.

Everybody loves the kid's talent.  And IF he stays healthy, he'll be really fun to watch.  But for a team with the eagles injury history over the last 3 years, and an assortment of needs, it's just hard to justify using a high pick for a high risk player.

Obviously, Howie will justify anything he does with spin and the standard "special guy and special player" comments.  But the eagles had/have needs, they were in a position to address those needs WITHOUT reaching......with players available who were rated for the eagles draft position.   

I've defended Roseman over the years with many of his decisions, but this draft made me truly question how he interprets the eagles needs.  I have no doubt that he'll sign a CB or two with a  one year contract, that could work out this year.  But that also pushes the need down the road again.  The eagles have had a CB problem for YEARS.  It would have been nice to see them address it with a high draft pick.

[time2rock]

44 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

And that's why I have an issue with this pick. It's a high end resource used on a player that is such a gamble. That's 2 years in a row that you could argue the Eagles have wasted a 2nd round pick. Add in Jones and its no wonder this roster is in the state it is in. 

In retrospect, that 2nd last year may just end up being a very good choice (if Hurts ends up playing well enough to lock down the starting QB position).  We'd have a starting QB on a rookie salary that will be a huge boost to turning around our cap situation and allow us to add parts elsewhere to fortify the roster.  We shall see.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

57 minutes ago, time2rock said:

In retrospect, that 2nd last year may just end up being a very good choice (if Hurts ends up playing well enough to lock down the starting QB position).  We'd have a starting QB on a rookie salary that will be a huge boost to turning around our cap situation and allow us to add parts elsewhere to fortify the roster.  We shall see.  

Oh I agree on retrospect it might do... But that wasn't the plan when they drafted him. The plan was he was a cheap back up. 

[time2rock]

27 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Oh I agree on retrospect it might do... But that wasn't the plan when they drafted him. The plan was he was a cheap back up. 

Agreed.  It is like Howie stumbled onto good luck by accident with this one.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Just now, time2rock said:

Agreed.  It is like Howie stumbled onto good luck by accident with this one.  

Oh without doubt. I mean look he deserves credit (to some extent) if it works out but he didn't draft Hurts with the intention of him becoming the starter. They wanted a cheap long term back up. 

[Miami]

Sydney was a wuss.  Didn't want to hit.  This guy runs over people.  And then gets up and does it again because he enjoys it.  Night and day.  If he can block like JP, that's saying something because people would disappear when JP blocked them.

[eggs]

12 hours ago, time2rock said:

Exactly.  It is a huge gamble to take a player saddled with his injury history ... odds are not in his favor of staying healthy.  If he does ... awesome.  If not, it just turns into yet another wasted high pick (we have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy too many of those which is why this roster is sorely lacking in talent).  Anyway, fingers crossed this time it works out for us.  

Yeah - not good to have the future leader of the OL likely to be out half the time. 

[AberdeenEagle]

20 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

And that's why I have an issue with this pick. It's a high end resource used on a player that is such a gamble. That's 2 years in a row that you could argue the Eagles have wasted a 2nd round pick. Add in Jones and its no wonder this roster is in the state it is in. 

Got to admit I had Landon on my wish list of 4 players when round 2 was starting. He is a beast. The injury history is a concern but Sidney Jones was soft in character, didn't want to play physical and just washed out. Comparing the two is unfair. Wasted pick? The injuries are a concern but I'm hoping this is our centre for the next 8+ seasons. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 minute ago, AberdeenEagle said:

Got to admit I had Landon on my wish list of 4 players when round 2 was starting. He is a beast. The injury history is a concern but Sidney Jones was soft in character, didn't want to play physical and just washed out. Comparing the two is unfair. Wasted pick? The injuries are a concern but I'm hoping this is our centre for the next 8+ seasons. 

Actually I think you can make an argument to say the situation with Dickerson is worse than the situation with Sidney Jones. Sidney Jones unfortunately tore his Achilles at his pro day but didn't come out of college with medical concerns. Sure Sidney may have been soft and sure that may have led to him not wanting to play physical and washing out but what good is being a tough character if you can't stay on the field? Dickerson has had 4 season ending injuries in 5 years! Doesn't matter how tough he may be (and I have heard that he's a beast of a guy and a really high character guy) but it means nothing if he can't stay on the field.

[AberdeenEagle]

8 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Actually I think you can make an argument to say the situation with Dickerson is worse than the situation with Sidney Jones. Sidney Jones unfortunately tore his Achilles at his pro day but didn't come out of college with medical concerns. Sure Sidney may have been soft and sure that may have led to him not wanting to play physical and washing out but what good is being a tough character if you can't stay on the field? Dickerson has had 4 season ending injuries in 5 years! Doesn't matter how tough he may be (and I have heard that he's a beast of a guy and a really high character guy) but it means nothing if he can't stay on the field.

Oh I hear you , it's worrying. Has he just been unlucky though? ACL tears are freak injuries that aren't the career enders that they used to be.  Adrian Peterson torn ACL and MCL in 2011 and came back as strong as ever.  I can think of a number of soccer players that have had multiple ACL/MCL tears and had the injury prone label that have come back and had long careers. The ankle injuries would concern me more as not heard much on the nature of these. I'm going cup half full and hopeful he stays healthy.  Which reminds me - time for another cup of coffee!

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 minutes ago, AberdeenEagle said:

Oh I hear you , it's worrying. Has he just been unlucky though? ACL tears are freak injuries that aren't the career enders that they used to be.  Adrian Peterson torn ACL and MCL in 2011 and came back as strong as ever.  I can think of a number of soccer players that have had multiple ACL/MCL tears and had the injury prone label that have come back and had long careers. The ankle injuries would concern me more as not heard much on the nature of these. I'm going cup half full and hopeful he stays healthy.  Which reminds me - time for another cup of coffee!

 

To me it isn't whether he can come back from these injuries... Its that they keep happening. ACL, ankles, I mean this guy just keeps getting hurt. 

[AberdeenEagle]

8 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

To me it isn't whether he can come back from these injuries... Its that they keep happening. ACL, ankles, I mean this guy just keeps getting hurt. 

Reminds me of a player Aberdeen had back in the 90's. his nickname was "Tampax"  because he was 1 week in the squad - 3 weeks out! (injured).

After 7 injury filled seasons the poor sod got a trial with a club in Germany,  they took one look at him in the physical and stated he had 1 leg slightly shorter than the other and he needed to where a platform in one boot while playing.... end of injury bug! Guy went on to play for them and a bunch of other clubs in Europe.

Sometimes there is a simple reason! (though I doubt Alabama's medical team are as stupid as Aberdeen's were!) 

[time2rock]

1 hour ago, AberdeenEagle said:

his nickname was "Tampax"  because he was 1 week in the squad - 3 weeks out! (injured).

 

      

[Perforator]

Hope is not a strategy.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

7 hours ago, Perforator said:

Hope is not a strategy.

This year it is...

[time2rock]

The funny thing is, no where in that piece was there any explanation offered as to why they don't view LD in the same way they did Jones (with regard to the injury concerns).  Howie merely offered up, "...with Sidney we said this is a guy that isn't going to play this year and we're just going to get him right.  That's not what we're thinking about with LD".  

Look, without the injury history, I'd LOVE this pick.  His leadership, versatility, level of play when healthy ... they're all excellent.  But you simply can't ignore the lengthy injury history and feel comfortable he is going to shake all of that, especially considering he is coming to a place where EVERYONE seems to get injured at a much higher rate than league average.  

 

 

 

[vaff]

On 5/4/2021 at 10:20 AM, birdman#12 said:

It seems to me to be a inconsistent policy........they drafted Jones despite his injury, they stayed away from DK Metcalf because of his college injuries, and now they take Dickerson despite his injuries.

Everybody loves the kid's talent.  And IF he stays healthy, he'll be really fun to watch.  But for a team with the eagles injury history over the last 3 years, and an assortment of needs, it's just hard to justify using a high pick for a high risk player.

Obviously, Howie will justify anything he does with spin and the standard "special guy and special player" comments.  But the eagles had/have needs, they were in a position to address those needs WITHOUT reaching......with players available who were rated for the eagles draft position.   

I've defended Roseman over the years with many of his decisions, but this draft made me truly question how he interprets the eagles needs.  I have no doubt that he'll sign a CB or two with a  one year contract, that could work out this year.  But that also pushes the need down the road again.  The eagles have had a CB problem for YEARS.  It would have been nice to see them address it with a high draft pick.

DK Metcalf wasn’t cleared by their medical staff. When a team medical staff doesn’t clear a player, they take the player off the board. Teams don’t argue with their medical staff about those things.

[pallidrone]

2 hours ago, vaff said:

DK Metcalf wasn’t cleared by their medical staff. When a team medical staff doesn’t clear a player, they take the player off the board. Teams don’t argue with their medical staff about those things.

Not only that but the injuries were different. Jones had an achilles tear, Dickerson is dealing with multiple ACL tears. Both of these injuries players have come back from and played at a high level.

DK Metcalf fractured his neck and one of his doctors said he would never play football again.