2 hours ago, BigEFly said:

I have been watching him and I do like the way he snatches the ball and his body control.

yup & the kid can scoot. ill be interested to see how he does this upcoming season if there even is one for college 

So the day after I'm giving the draft a C+.  I think we need to contain our excitement over late round speed WR.  I'm happy that Howie was able to work the board and get extra picks and add volume to the draft class.  I love that they are focused on adding speed.  Let's see if they can actually play or we just drafted 2 extra Shelton Gibson's.

The success of this draft is going to come down to what CeeDee Lamb turns in to vs. Jalen Reagor and Jalen Hurts.  I would be MUCH happier if we had a complete WR in CeeDee Lamb to go along with 2 late round speed demons.  Imagine having blowing the top off a defense and having CeeDee work underneath and across the middle.  

The hope is Reagor becomes the next Steve Smith and Hurts develops enough to bring a 1st rounder down the road.  If that's the case I don't really care what CeeDee does.  

So much hinges on the return we get from Hurts be it in packages this year/filling in for an injured Carson/trade down the road.  Anything less than a 1st for him is a failure unless it's a player for playe trade.  Jalen Hurts is the reason we don't have CeeDee Lamb and that's the bottom line.  I know it's beating a dead horse but if the Cowboys don't get Lamb then they take another position in the first.  Then they 99.9% don't get Diggs in the 2nd.  Changes their entire draft which looks darn good right now (sorry to give the Cowboys credit).

 

For now I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to Howie but this is it.  This draft is going to define Howie as a GM and shape the Eagles for the next 5 years.  It's truly a boom or bust draft.  Is Howie a genius or just some guy who knows how to trade 5th and 6th round picks.

6 minutes ago, EaglePhan1986 said:

I think Goodwin and Ward are far from locks. Can’t put Boston as a lock either. 
 

Desean, Reagor, and Sanders are the only locks imo. 

Listening to Doug and Howie I think it's safe to say Ward is a lock.  I know a lot of posters on here don't want to hear it but I agree and think he is.  

Boston is a lock no question in my mind.  

15 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

No F'ing way.

Yeah... that's afan alright.

 

I like Hurts as a QB who can run.  He's not a RB.  But, I do wonder what he could provide if they decided to have both he and Wentz on the field at once.  He'd have to be enough of a threat as a runner as well as a thrower... and/or as a receiver in some way, or else it hurts to have them both out there, rather than helps.

7 minutes ago, RLC said:

Traditionally, a good draft has one impact starter, one solid starter, one role player.

2019: Sanders, ???, Dillard/Edwards/Rush. The position with an impact starter is RB, but if that becomes Dillard (TBD) we're ok here. 2 UDFAs.
2018: None, Goedert, Maddox/Sweat/Pryor. No big-time starter hurts the class even if Goedert is good. No UDFAs that hit.
2017: None, Barnett, Gerry/Clement/Johnston/Ward Jr.. This was a bad class even if some UDFAs provided some depth. 3 UDFAs.
2016: Wentz, Seumalo, Vaitai/Mills. Excellent class. No UDFAs that hit.

Since Howie has taken over, we've gotten some good UDFAs and have been able to find solid role-players at the back-end of the roster. There's still been a lack of impact starters which is what most of us remember (Jones, Douglas, JJAW).

For 2020 to become a good class, we essentially need Jalen Reagor to become a healthy Will Fuller, one of the OL to become a starter by 2022, an LB to start and someone else to emerge. That's in a realistic range of outcomes regardless of what Jalen Hurts does. 

If we get nothing out of Hurts or end up only trading him for a 2nd down the road and CeeDee Lamb becomes a top WR this draft is a huge F.

1 hour ago, EaglePhan1986 said:

I think PTW has a better chance of being the future LT. Did I hear correctly that he has some injury concerns? Perhaps he gets red-shirted. Driscoll is a guy who can come in and be a backup at 4 positions right away and perhaps be a future starter at guard. He’s a Todd Herremans. Eagles love those players and develop them very well. 

My worry about Driscoll is he pulls a John Urschel move at some point. Extremely smart and already has an MBA.   Stays long enough to get a decent nest egg as a back up but understands the wear and tear of playing as a starter and realizes with that nest egg, he can make money easier with his mind. 

The more I think about the Hurts pick, the more I fear that he wasn't picked to be Wentz's backup but rather his replacement.

6 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

So much hinges on the return we get from Hurts be it in packages this year/filling in for an injured Carson/trade down the road.  Anything less than a 1st for him is a failure unless it's a player for playe trade.  Jalen Hurts is the reason we don't have CeeDee Lamb and that's the bottom line.  I know it's beating a dead horse but if the Cowboys don't get Lamb then they take another position in the first.  Then they 99.9% don't get Diggs in the 2nd.  Changes their entire draft which looks darn good right now (sorry to give the Cowboys credit).

I don’t think we’re getting a first round pick for Hurts unless Wentz misses a big chunk of time again; hopefully he’s a good X factor and does 1-2 short stints as a necessary starter in the next 2-3 seasons.  Getting a first for him means he’s gotten a fair amount of game action at starting QB

You’re giving DAL way too much credit for their draft.  Having Lamb fall to them worked out great and their other strong pick was Biadasz.  I don’t see Diggs being all that good, and they did next to nothing to improve their pass rush.  If LVE can’t come back strong next season I see them being not very good on defense.

13 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

So the day after I'm giving the draft a C+.   Is Howie  just some guy who knows how to trade 5th and 6th round picks?

Agree with the grade.  If the Eagles had taken say-their highest rated corner in the 2nd-the draft jumps a letter for me.  That's how upsetting the Hurts pick remains.

Things I'll never know but suspect:

* Dallas wasn't the team they wanted to get ahead of.  It might be bad depth, but they had it at Jeffery's spot.  They wanted to stretch slot(yes, I know.....) and wide with the depth they didn't have.  They also suck at drafting receivers.  They were likely trying to get ahead of the team right in front of them to take the guy they took.  (DE)  That is what the Eagles do in round 1.

Had they succeeded, they would've had to take a WR in the second-so a Mims would've likely been the pick.

Either Chiasson / Mims or Reagor/Fulton? and people are less psychotic about Roseman.  If Hurts happens later under either scenario it would've been easier to swallow.

Speed was added on Offense.

OL Depth got addressed.

LB's added-though I have to reserve judgment on their ideas there.

Got my S.

More picks (2) = toys (2)-whatever.

The hole in my "Noah's Ark" (2x2) draft plan was at corner.  Which, the way it actually played out, was due and owing to the decision at 53. Ugh. 

Not gonna sugar coat it. He looked like a bum in this game. Like unathletic and stiff. He must have been a great special teamer and the greatest teammate of all time. 

This needs to be taken with a big grain of salt, It's more random thoughts that a researched post. Don't want it to make it sound like I definitively know what I'm talking about. A lot of this is in agreement with @austinfan. Maybe not 100% but close

My feeling on Schwartz's defense, and what he's trying to do. In its base the Wide 9 was originally crafted to stop the run 1st and also collapse the pocket while keeping the back 7 from blitzing. It was meant to slow down the Colts' stretch runs with James as well as disrupt Manning's comfort in the pocket while still having bodies in coverage. So his DEs are as responsible for run support as they are getting to the QB. Graham is a favorite because of how solid he is against the run, and thus in containment. 

Schwartz has also always had good to great DT play. I won't venture to say that DT is more important than DE to him and the front office, but it wouldn't surprise me to hear they have the 2 positions in about equal footing. 

Now the evolution of what we're seeing with Schwartz's defense is (big grain of salt coming up) in his use of sub-packages. For a few years he's wanted to have DE rush from inside. 3 DEs on the field, possibility of blitzing a LB/S hybrid from there. He's been implementing a lot of hybrid nickel where it's hard to distinguish if the 3rd Safety is in all reality more of a SLB with additional coverage responsibilities. But now I can envision a scenario where he goes with 3 DT, focusing on pressure up the middle, and then a stand up rusher that you can rush from a variety of gaps. That's what imo he's trying to build with Avery/Ostman being that player. He just hasn't had the man-power up front to get 3 hard to block DTs along with this (to quote a term from last decade) "fastball."

 

I think the line he is trying to build is a more versatile one than he has had in the past. One pure pass-rush DE for situational use only. Mostly complete DEs that are strong enough to hold the POA, agile enough to contain, and generally good pass rushers. At least one stout enough to be able to rush from inside.

At DT, forget really having a pure NT occupying blocks. Whomever is added has to be in some form a disruptive piece, but again someone who cannot be bullied in the run game. Preferably one or two who can be agile enough to line up like a 5 technique in a traditional 34. Difference being, they'd all have more of a 1 gap responsibility. With Hargrave now, along with a hopefully healthy Malik they'd have the potential to make this a very difficult front to defend as a sub-package. 

 

It's imo Schwartz's way of getting creative while still keeping as many guys in coverage as he can. At times last season pass rush was a significant issue. Part of that was Cox not being fully healthy, but there was also a lack of options available. I think Hargrave solves a lot of that

23 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

I definitely wouldn’t make Goodwin a lock. The investment is so small that we basically got him for a training camp look. 

Yup and if its close i would rather think long term and give the pt to the kids to see if they can develop

4 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

My worry about Driscoll is he pulls a John Urschel move at some point. Extremely smart and already has an MBA.   Stays long enough to get a decent nest egg as a back up but understands the wear and tear of playing as a starter and realizes with that nest egg, he can make money easier with his mind. 

Hey getting 3 years of solid play from a 4th round pick is fine with me.  

Gotta hand it to Jimmy on this one

 

 

Just now, Desertbirds said:

The more I think about the Hurts pick, the more I fear that he wasn't picked to be Wentz's backup but rather his replacement.

Nah.  Wentz is getting $30M+ over the next few seasons and no reasonable out of his contract financially until 2023 at earliest.  Let’s add in he’s easily a top 10 QB and entering his prime.

The Eagles want Hurts to be a really good #2 at a cost effective $1M per year for 3-4 years, then they will deal him and start the process over with the next #2

5 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

The more I think about the Hurts pick, the more I fear that he wasn't picked to be Wentz's backup but rather his replacement.

They would have taken Love at 21. 

2 minutes ago, Alphagrand said:

Nah.  Wentz is getting $30M+ over the next few seasons and no reasonable out of his contract financially until 2023 at earliest.  Let’s add in he’s easily a top 10 QB and entering his prime.

The Eagles want Hurts to be a really good #2 at a cost effective $1M per year for 3-4 years, then they will deal him and start the process over with the next #2

It would be easy to trade Wentz.

Just now, EaglePhan1986 said:

They would have taken Love at 21. 

I don't know. The reports are that Doug fell in love with Hurts.

1 minute ago, Desertbirds said:

The more I think about the Hurts pick, the more I fear that he wasn't picked to be Wentz's backup but rather his replacement.

The eagles dont trust Wentz to stay healthy.

Question is....was Hurts worth it to take in the 2nd?  I thought he was a 4th or 5th round pick.

Would someone like Eason later in the draft been a better option?

Would getting someone like a vet QB be a better option?

I know the rationale behind it but felt maybe there is better options for a backup QB especially if you consider yourself a QB factory.

 

6 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Not gonna sugar coat it. He looked like a bum in this game. Like unathletic and stiff. He must have been a great special teamer and the greatest teammate of all time. 

Bradley is IMO the ideal PS candidate. Athletic, but needs to get stronger to play LB. As a 6th rounder, other teams won't lineup to poach him. As a local guy, it's easier to talk him into staying with us. If he doesn't get better by year 2, cut him. 

Just now, Desertbirds said:

It would be easy to trade Wentz.

It would be easy to trade Mahomes too

Keep in mind Carson Wentz has never been pulled from a game in his Eagles career for performance; not for Foles, not for anyone else.  Doug is committed to him, as he should be 

 

3 minutes ago, Alphagrand said:

I don’t think we’re getting a first round pick for Hurts unless Wentz misses a big chunk of time again; hopefully he’s a good X factor and does 1-2 short stints as a necessary starter in the next 2-3 seasons.  Getting a first for him means he’s gotten a fair amount of game action at starting QB

You’re giving DAL way too much credit for their draft.  Having Lamb fall to them worked out great and their other strong pick was Biadasz.  I don’t see Diggs being all that good, and they did next to nothing to improve their pass rush.  If LVE can’t come back strong next season I see them being not very good on defense.

If they don't get a 1st for Hurts then what has to happen for the pick to make sense?  Do we hope that Carson gets hurt so we can say oh well at least we spent that pick on Hurts?  I don't want to harp on this forever but I'm still trying to come to grips with it.  CeeDee was the guy IMO.  Jalen Hurts is the reason they didn't pull the trigger.  I just don't know what has to happen for us to justify the pick.  No one wants to see Carson hurt.

They improved their D-Line with Gallimore and Anae.  Anae is a steal in the 6th.  They lost Byron Jones and took Diggs and Reggie Robinson.  I disagree, I think Diggs has talent to be a good corner in the NFL.  Would you say the same thing if the Eagles took Diggs?  I think we would be high fiving if the Eagles came away with Diggs.  It's a solid draft for them.

 

1 minute ago, RLC said:

Bradley is IMO the ideal PS candidate. Athletic, but needs to get stronger to play LB. As a 6th rounder, other teams won't lineup to poach him. As a local guy, it's easier to talk him into staying with us. If he doesn't get better by year 2, cut him. 

It’s just one game, but it was so bad I’m not sure why we drafted him over any of our later picks. It was dreadful. 

2 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

 

I don't know. The reports are that Doug fell in love with Hurts.

That is a 100% fact. He saw a guy he loved as a person and was intrigued by his skill set. A former QB like Doug is always gonna be giddy about QB prospects.