Yikes. We knew the eagles were absolutely mindblowingly horrible at evaluating WR talent but 30 years? God help this team. 

Some spot on analysis and accurate grade of the Eagles draft.  Most ridiculous draft pick in 20 years covering.... accurate.  Most shocked Ray Didinger has ever been.  Accurate.  The rationalization will continue, I’m sure, but I’m not gonna partake.  This was a total disaster on many levels.

This makes the reaction to the Brandon Graham pick seem like nothing.  After all, that was a player preference deal.  This is something that will hurt the team on multiple levels, and for both the short and long term.  It’s incredible to me that they could be this short sighted.  And if Lurie can’t provide even strategic high level oversight into decisions, I.e. prevent the employees from doing some "really dumb” or really damaging, he should step back and hire a new Banner.  Just delegate to someone he can really trust.

The Eagles made some nice picks on Day 3.  I really liked Wallace, I think he will develop into a good starter.  That said, it doesn’t matter.  They fell behind in round 1 and blew the whole thing up in round 2.  Round 3 just continued the spiraling.  And fast receivers in rounds 5 and 6 don’t amount to much all that often.  Hopefully the linemen become contributors down the road.  The Eagles generally know how to draft and develop lineman.  Maybe they get lucky and one of the LBs can play.

————————————

Philadelphia Eagles: D grade

Quote

Goals Entering the 2020 NFL Draft: The Eagles did nothing to cure their receiving woes in free agency, so they should think about spending two early selections on the position. Even moving up for CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy would be a great decision. Aside from receiver, the positions of major need are cornerback, linebacker and safety. Some offensive line depth should be added as well. 

2020 NFL Draft Accomplishments: I've been covering the NFL Draft for 20 years after building this Web site in the fall of 1999. In those 20 years, I've never seen a draft pick worse than the Eagles' selection of Jalen Hurts. I tried, but can't think of one. I discussed this with FantasyJabber in this video, so I won't rehash it: 

 

The NFC East is a very tight three-horse race, and the Eagles need as many quality starters as possible to beat the Cowboys and Giants. Hurts won't allow them to do that. Their inability to find a starter in the second round, or use that pick to move up for CeeDee Lamb automatically disqualifies them from having a grade above a "C," especially when their reluctance to part with No. 53 allowed the Cowboys to secure Lamb. Making matters worse, the Eagles gifted the Cowboys their new starting center on Day 3. 

Elsewhere, Jalen Reagor may end up being a good player, but he was a slight reach at No. 21. Some teams expected Reagor to be available on Day 2 after his poor combine performance. Still, that was an acceptable pick if the Lamb situation is disregarded. However, Reagor wasn't the only reach, as Davion Taylor can be described as such at No. 103. 

I won't completely fail the Eagles because they made some nice selections on Day 3, including K'Von Wallace, Shaun Bradley, Casey Toohill and Quez Watkins. However, Philadelphia allowed Dallas to improve twice during the 2020 NFL Draft, which was just a disastrous series of events. 

See NFL Draft Grades for every single Eagles pick. 
 

 

34 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

Yes, crap happens. That's why you don't make such asinine statements.

Meh, I don't really have an issue with Doug saying it's the new norm.

1 hour ago, Karma_is_a_guy said:

Thinking about the most charitable way to look at drafting Hurts. I don't buy the future draft capital argument, because even a 1st round pick in 2021 or 2022 would essentially be a wash with a current #53 pick. It's possible he could be used like Taysom Hill in 1-4 plays every game. That, too, seems like an under use for someone who was arguably one of the top 5 QBs in this year's draft. Hurts deserves a shot at being a starter somewhere. One thing the Eagles do is overspend for the backup QB position, and given there is a 50/50 chance that QB will start at least one game, that might be a position worth spending on. If drafting Hurts frees up cap room next year and the following year, that could prove to be worth spending a second round pick for. Or maybe the Eagles are hedging their bets that Wentz won't be able to remain healthy. Or maybe they saw that a NFC East rival was fixing to snap him up, and it was a blocking move. So this could be seen as a cost-saving move looking ahead to the next two years when the Eagles may be facing cap strain.

Not really...it also depends on which team’s 1st we are talking about.  And in order to get such value, it means he did something to help us in the meantime.  

26 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

He didn’t look draftable to me so the rest doesn’t matter so much to be honest. 

True, if that's the case.  But it was just one game.   That said, I've not watched him at all.

8 minutes ago, Br3 said:

Yikes. We knew the eagles were absolutely mindblowingly horrible at evaluating WR talent but 30 years? God help this team. 

In terms of the analysis, he’s not wrong. They’re fast long shots, but I really like the process of taking shots on those kinds of players with picks that already have long odds of making it. 

6 minutes ago, RLC said:

GMs/Coaches say things through their actions, not words.

Some examples

• We don't trust Wentz for 16 games
• Our WRs were slow as hell last year
• Our team in general was too slow
• We desperately needed a CB who could cover

It seems to me like this group is always fixating on something.  They are figuring it out all over again every time.

This year it was "speed” - let’s take every player with an awesome 40 time.  We know how that usually works out.  "He’s got some rocket ship in him” was even more important this year than prospects that were "all twitched up” with "tools in his body.”  

Im tired of the cliches and always chasing the next shiny object.  It’s time for some adult leadership in the personnel group.

looking at the Jets draft, it’s obvious to me we kept the wrong guy.

Look at how Baltimore drafts every single year.  Who is the up and comer in that organization?  What experienced guys are out there and available?  The clock has started for change.  Once the decision making actually becomes harmful, it’s beyond just losing the talent acquisition battle every year in the draft.

 

29 minutes ago, greend said:

I'm great how about you?

Good to hear. Yeah as well as can be thanks - all things considered.

Eagles should still look to add a veteran presence at RB, LB, and DE. Probably WR too. At this point they won’t be the most talented options but they should at least provide quality, reliable depth. You want to add guys that had a similar impact as Chris Long, Torrey Smith, Corey Graham, and Blount did in 2017. 

18 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

I am talking specifically about the backup QB role.

And how many washed up QBs are good enough to win games? Otherwise they'd still be starting somewhere.

There's maybe a half dozen I'd trust against a good defense (i.e. under pressure), and they're expensive.

We've see a few in Philly. We've beaten a lot more.

15 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

I am talking specifically about the backup QB role.

True.  You are guaranteed that that guy isn't good enough to consistently start in the NFL.  With a guy like Hurts, you have a chance that the guy is better than that.  

6 minutes ago, John_C said:

It seems to me like this group is always fixating on something.  They are figuring it out all over again every time.

This year it was "speed” - let’s take every player with an awesome 40 time.  We know how that usually works out.  "He’s got some rocket ship in him” was even more important this year than prospects that were "all twitched up” with "tools in his body.”  

Im tired of the cliches and always chasing the next shiny object.  It’s time for some adult leadership in the personnel group.

Athleticism translates. We took the most athletic class in the draft. Will we miss? Of course. I'll take athletes in all 7 rounds over a long period of time and see what happens. Give me that over Joe Douglas' affinity for Rasul Douglas and Derek Barnett.

13 hours ago, Giddyunc said:

No. States Rights like, The Constitution

You mean the document that counted black people as 3/5ths a person, that constitution?

At RB... 

Devonta Freeman, Carlos Hyde, Bilal Powel, Isaiah Crowell, and Lamar Miller are all RBs that could potentially be signed to cheap 1 year deals and help improve this offense instantly. 

6 minutes ago, austinfan said:

And how many washed up QBs are good enough to win games? Otherwise they'd still be starting somewhere.

There's maybe a half dozen I'd trust against a good defense (i.e. under pressure), and they're expensive.

We've see a few in Philly. We've beaten a lot more.

One of the points I think is overlooked frequently.  Top backup QBs in the league have cost about 5-9 million a year over the past few years (and that includes Chase Fing Daniels).  Not to mention that price is absolutely going to go up with teams playing more games going forward.  

14 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

In terms of the analysis, he’s not wrong. They’re fast long shots, but I really like the process of taking shots on those kinds of players with picks that already have long odds of making it. 

I like the idea of howie trading some of those lower round picks to teams for WRs on their practice squads or 2-3rd year lower depth chart WRs who already have NFL tape and have shown they can play in this league.
 

Howie needs to recognize his strength is trading. He is absolutely abysmal at talent evaluation and rolling the dice on random wrs from small schools just because they are fast is not a recipe for success...as evident in his previous low round wr draft selections

18 minutes ago, John_C said:

It seems to me like this group is always fixating on something.  They are figuring it out all over again every time.

This year it was "speed” - let’s take every player with an awesome 40 time.  We know how that usually works out.  "He’s got some rocket ship in him” was even more important this year than prospects that were "all twitched up” with "tools in his body.”  

Im tired of the cliches and always chasing the next shiny object.  It’s time for some adult leadership in the personnel group.

looking at the Jets draft, it’s obvious to me we kept the wrong guy.

Look at how Baltimore drafts every single year.  Who is the up and comer in that organization?  What experienced guys are out there and available?  The clock has started for change.  Once the decision making actually becomes harmful, it’s beyond just losing the talent acquisition battle every year in the draft.

 

His name was Joe Douglas and his partner was Andy Weidl.

7 minutes ago, DEagle7 said:

One of the points I think is overlooked frequently.  Top backup QBs in the league have cost about 5-9 million a year over the past few years (and that includes Chase Fing Daniels).  Not to mention that price is absolutely going to go up with teams playing more games going forward.  

How long until Hurts develops into a good backup? This year is gonna be a cluster F for rookie QBs. 

Ignore the top tweet about Dallas. You’ll feel better reading the draft grades and the write up for Philly...

1 hour ago, bpac55 said:

So the day after I'm giving the draft a C+.  

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.

Let’s put down the belief the Eagles could have drafted Lamb.   Likely trading partner the Jets wanted a king’s ransom and that possibility went away the second their OT slipped to them.  Second possible trade partner, the 49ers. Never would happen once Kinlaw slipped to them.  Next up, the Falcons. I am sure they took Howie’s call but I have serious doubts there was an offer and if their was a response, it was more than our second. Clearly, they were targeting a CB in a draft that was weak at CB.  Scarcity matters here because what other team was targeting a CB? Dallas.  No way you slide in that situation or you end up with a Marcus Smith. Wasn’t going to happen. No trade partners, no Lamb.  You assume Atlanta would trade their pick for our first and second.  I think that is inaccurate for the reasons stated above.

Further, Lamb doesn’t offer speed.  He has quick feed and great body control.  Not really what the Eagles were shopping for.  When Howie suggests he did look at a trade up, he may well have meant Ruggs or Jeudy, not Lamb.  He never said he tried to get Lamb   With Cooper and Galloway, Lamb was a better fit for the cowpads than the Eagles.  

Hurts value isn’t being turned into a number one after three seasons.  His value is the likelihood of being a Foles level backup.  Personally, I hope he never sees the field because Carson can’t but statistically, that is unlikely.  Getting flipped for a high pick means he performed and performed well when forced to step in.  That performance is what grades Hurts.  Now, do I like the idea of Carson, Hurts and Ward on the field at the same time?  That’s what Payton has with Hill and Brees squared.  DP and Press like their trickery  

Cowpads may have been lucky getting Diggs.  Good value at that position in the second.  But why was he available in the second.  Tad slow.  Not overly quick  overplays some plays   Misses some tackles   Might work for your number two but I believe Doug, Ron and Joe are already scheming on how Reagor/DJax, McLaurin and Slayton will have fun with him   And of those receivers, the best at feints? Reagor and DJax    With Heath gone, they are relying on tackling liability Dix at S.  Should be fun  Frankly, Boobie and Scott are going to have fun with Diggs.  

 

12 minutes ago, EaglePhan1986 said:

At RB... 

Devonta Freeman, Carlos Hyde, Bilal Powel, Isaiah Crowell, and Lamar Miller are all RBs that could potentially be signed to cheap 1 year deals and help improve this offense instantly. 

Not interested. I like the guys we have here. 

There were few RBs I wanted in this years draft compared to recent drafts. But Warren was one of them. 

Scott is pretty well proven at this point. And if Killins is good enough to beat him out then that means Killins is looking evey bit as amazing as his youtube highlights. 

 

3 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

How long until Hurts develops into a good backup? This year is gonna be a cluster F for rookie QBs. 

Yeah can't imagine it's in the cards for this year. But given how he has progressed as a passer and the fact that he is still only 21 I wouldn't be surprised if he's here by 2021 with a ceiling for much more going forward. It's a gamble for sure but plenty of pros that tend to be overlooked.

31 minutes ago, austinfan said:

And how many washed up QBs are good enough to win games? Otherwise they'd still be starting somewhere.

There's maybe a half dozen I'd trust against a good defense (i.e. under pressure), and they're expensive.

We've see a few in Philly. We've beaten a lot more.

Balderdash.

How many rookie QBs come in and win games?

There are maybe a half dozen I might trust against a good defense and they are expensive - typically first rounders

1 hour ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Unless that guy really really sucks, you want that guy to be Clayton Thorson?

Dak wad a 4th

Eason went in the fourth. Those guys are often there

19 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

Let’s put down the belief the Eagles could have drafted Lamb.   Likely trading partner the Jets wanted a king’s ransom and that possibility went away the second their OT slipped to them.  Second possible trade partner, the 49ers. Never would happen once Kinlaw slipped to them.  Next up, the Falcons. I am sure they took Howie’s call but I have serious doubts there was an offer and if their was a response, it was more than our second. Clearly, they were targeting a CB in a draft that was weak at CB.  Scarcity matters here because what other team was targeting a CB? Dallas.  No way you slide in that situation or you end up with a Marcus Smith. Wasn’t going to happen. No trade partners, no Lamb.  You assume Atlanta would trade their pick for our first and second.  I think that is inaccurate for the reasons stated above.

Nice try.  The crowd that believes that there was a reasonable trade available to move up for CeeDee Lamb and to keep him away from the Cowboys will not listen to that.  I tried it on Thursday night and Friday.... I've given up.  I wish you better luck.

Just as I did a few weeks ago trying to find potential WR trade candidates in the last year of their contract, here are some CBs in the last year of their contract. Also listing their age.

This wont be a comprehensive list because some guys wont be worth mentioning. Like SF isnt going to trade Sherman. 

Patrick Peterson, 29, 

Jalen Ramsey, 25 

Joe Haden, 31

DJ Hayden 29

Terrance Mitchell 27

William Jackson 27

Kevin King, 24

Quincy Wilson 24

Quinton Dunbar 27

Chidobe Awuzie 24

Ahkello Witherspoon 25

Kevin Johnson 27

Fabian Moreau 26

Shaquill Griffin 24

Troy Hill 28

Cameron Sutton 25

Cordrea Tankersley 26

Xavier Rhodes 29

Bashaud Breeland 28

PJ Williams 26

Desmond King 15

Corn Elder 25

Jalen Tabor 24

 

Not saying any of them will be available. Just a list based on contracts. Some of them just signed 1 year deals this march. But a guy like Kevin Johnson I think can still end up not making a team and be a good player because his team may not trust his injury history.

Of that list if the rams arent looking much better than last year I can see them unloading some money and wanting to replenish some draft picks. Id guess they might trade Troy Hill to help them hold on to Ramsey. Id be interested in Troy Hill.

Ahkello Witherspoon is a guy whos been in and out of the dog house in SF. He plays well sometimes, and gets beat and benched other times. I think hes a sure improvement over our #2 CB situation.