DeVonta Smith (Alabama WR) -- DRAFTED BY EAGLES #10!

[philafan4o8]

6 more days until Devonta Smith is an Eagle

[ManchesterEagle]

16 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I want them to take a corner but I also want a WR. I don't think it's an overrated position in terms of importance at all. That's certainly not the case with Howie. If we could trust him to pick a good WR in the second or third then ok great but we know we can't. WR can have a real impact on this team every week, I'm not so sure CB can. 

I think it's way overrated on this board. All the elite WRs in the league. So few have actually won Super Bowls. Hopkins is one of the top 3 WR in the league. Arizona got him for cheap with Kyler Murray in year 2. Did he make a big difference? No. 

Do you need weapons - absolutely. But at WR - we have Reagor, Watkins and Fulgham along with a steady presence in Ward and two top 10 TEs in Ertz and Goedert. I want to see what the young receivers can do if possible. At corner we have literally zero apart from a very good but often injured and declining Slay.

[Bwestbrook36]

53 minutes ago, ManchesterEagle said:

I think it's way overrated on this board. All the elite WRs in the league. So few have actually won Super Bowls. Hopkins is one of the top 3 WR in the league. Arizona got him for cheap with Kyler Murray in year 2. Did he make a big difference? No. 

Do you need weapons - absolutely. But at WR - we have Reagor, Watkins and Fulgham along with a steady presence in Ward and two top 10 TEs in Ertz and Goedert. I want to see what the young receivers can do if possible. At corner we have literally zero apart from a very good but often injured and declining Slay.

I agree, WRs don't turn around bad teams. They are something you add once you have your lines and QB figured out. 

[ManchesterEagle]

24 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

I agree, WRs don't turn around bad teams. They are something you add once you have your lines and QB figured out. 

Yeah weapons definitely help, but it's mostly about the QB and the lines. A WR who has an amazing game may have say 8 catches. Most likely they are running around 70 plays. There's also a danger that a QB gets locked into his number 1 weapon, rather than go through his progressions properly.

 

[Bwestbrook36]

17 minutes ago, ManchesterEagle said:

Yeah weapons definitely help, but it's mostly about the QB and the lines. A WR who has an amazing game may have say 8 catches. Most likely they are running around 70 plays. There's also a danger that a QB gets locked into his number 1 weapon, rather than go through his progressions properly.

 

Makes it easy to play defense when you know the offense is locked in on one receiver. 

[Infam]

6 hours ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

I agree, WRs don't turn around bad teams. They are something you add once you have your lines and QB figured out. 

True, except we were not a bad team at the line - our line was super hurt. If we start our line even without any rookie (and we will draft someone) we are fine.

Actually more than fine, more like top 5 in the league with big time depth. That we will need more down the road is irrelevant. If there is anything where everyone gets turned into gold it's our OL, here is to Stout the best OL-coach in the NFL without a doubt.

And our rookie QB without OL nor proper preparation did look like a star to me.

[ManchesterEagle]

13 hours ago, Infam said:

True, except we were not a bad team at the line - our line was super hurt. If we start our line even without any rookie (and we will draft someone) we are fine.

Actually more than fine, more like top 5 in the league with big time depth. That we will need more down the road is irrelevant. If there is anything where everyone gets turned into gold it's our OL, here is to Stout the best OL-coach in the NFL without a doubt.

And our rookie QB without OL nor proper preparation did look like a star to me.

Agreed the line is in a much better state than people make out. We do need to add somebody inside in this draft given Brooks' injuries and that Kelce is close to retirement, but we are strong and deep.

The D however needs a lot of help. Schwartz, despite the fact that people give him little credit, has just about held it together over the past few years, but the wheels were starting to fall off last year. It desperately needs some young talent.

WR - there is a lot of uncertainty. But Ward is solid and Reagor, Fulgham and Watkins are all young and looked really good at times last year. Let them develop. At corner we have zero at CB2 or in respect of depth. That is more of a lead.

I'm not against taking Smith if he's there - but the D needs help big time.

[Bwestbrook36]

3 hours ago, ManchesterEagle said:

Agreed the line is in a much better state than people make out. We do need to add somebody inside in this draft given Brooks' injuries and that Kelce is close to retirement, but we are strong and deep.

The D however needs a lot of help. Schwartz, despite the fact that people give him little credit, has just about held it together over the past few years, but the wheels were starting to fall off last year. It desperately needs some young talent.

WR - there is a lot of uncertainty. But Ward is solid and Reagor, Fulgham and Watkins are all young and looked really good at times last year. Let them develop. At corner we have zero at CB2 or in respect of depth. That is more of a lead.

I'm not against taking Smith if he's there - but the D needs help big time.

A QB can be helped by having a better Defense too. You don't want Hurts going into his first full year trying to score 30 points a game just to be competitive. That can mess him up too

[Portyansky]

3 hours ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

A QB can be helped by having a better Defense too. You don't want Hurts going into his first full year trying to score 30 points a game just to be competitive. That can mess him up too

You mean like Dak? At least with the weapons available they know he can put up those numbers.

If Hurts is surrounded with enough weapons and flops, then the writing is kinda on the wall.

Unfortunately both units need a lot of help, but would be nice to know if the most important position is solid. That's 1 of the reasons I was upset we traded back. I have a feeling Chase will be there at 6. With that said I don't think Smith is the answer. Chase, Pitts, Waddle in that order.

[brkmsn]

1 hour ago, Portyansky said:

You mean like Dak? At least with the weapons available they know he can put up those numbers.

If Hurts is surrounded with enough weapons and flops, then the writing is kinda on the wall.

Unfortunately both units need a lot of help, but would be nice to know if the most important position is solid. That's 1 of the reasons I was upset we traded back. I have a feeling Chase will be there at 6. With that said I don't think Smith is the answer. Chase, Pitts, Waddle in that order.

The thing is, everybody is just kind of assuming that Fulgham was a mirage, Reagor and JJAW are busts, and nobody else we currently have can possibly develop into a good WR. 

 

 

[philafan4o8]

3 hours ago, brkmsn said:

The thing is, everybody is just kind of assuming that Fulgham was a mirage, Reagor and JJAW are busts, and nobody else we currently have can possibly develop into a good WR. 

 

 

Whiteside is a bust. Period. He cannot be an outside WR in this league, which is what the Eagles drafted him to be. Interesting enough, Jason Avant thinks that Whiteside would be a good slot WR if he continues to develop mentally and sharpen his skill set.

Reagor is not a bust, crazy to see any eagles fan come to that conclusion at this point. Show showed flashes of why he was selected in 1st round. But he needs to show a major leap in year 2.

Fulgham, no one knows what he is. Man was productive in 4 games last year then disappeared. Yes snaps were taken away but some rumors stated his practice habits were not great and he did drop a few passes in the final games when he was in the game. He need to be consistent, then the eagles can count on him.

the problem is that every one of our WRs are not proven (have question marks) therefore Wr is still a huge need. Cannot go into next season with the guys we currently have hoping the coaching staff just magically makes them all good.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, philafan4o8 said:

Whiteside is a bust. Period. He cannot be an outside WR in this league, which is what the Eagles drafted him to be. Interesting enough, Jason Avant thinks that Whiteside would be a good slot WR if he continues to develop mentally and sharpen his skill set.

They've surely got to look at moving JJAW inside to slot? At the very least give him a go there and see. I doubt he'll be a huge success there but any production out of him would be better than what they've had so far. 

[ManchesterEagle]

9 hours ago, Portyansky said:

You mean like Dak? At least with the weapons available they know he can put up those numbers.

If Hurts is surrounded with enough weapons and flops, then the writing is kinda on the wall.

Unfortunately both units need a lot of help, but would be nice to know if the most important position is solid. That's 1 of the reasons I was upset we traded back. I have a feeling Chase will be there at 6. With that said I don't think Smith is the answer. Chase, Pitts, Waddle in that order.

 

7 hours ago, brkmsn said:

The thing is, everybody is just kind of assuming that Fulgham was a mirage, Reagor and JJAW are busts, and nobody else we currently have can possibly develop into a good WR. 

 

 

Chase or Pitts would have been the right pick if we were still at 6. But they may well not be there. Miami wouldn’t necessarily have moved down unless they had the offer from us ready.

Everybody is assuming that Chase will immediately be an all pro, but there are question marks. 
 

I like the idea of getting more weapons for Hurts, but he has a very good O-Line and possibly the best one/two TEs in the league.

I want Reagor, Fulgham and Watkins to all have the chance to develop.

 

 

[Portyansky]

1 hour ago, ManchesterEagle said:

 

Chase or Pitts would have been the right pick if we were still at 6. But they may well not be there. Miami wouldn’t necessarily have moved down unless they had the offer from us ready.

Everybody is assuming that Chase will immediately be an all pro, but there are question marks. 
 

I like the idea of getting more weapons for Hurts, but he has a very good O-Line and possibly the best one/two TEs in the league.

I want Reagor, Fulgham and Watkins to all have the chance to develop.

 

 

 

If healthy easily top 5. I don't think Ertz plays another down as an Eagle. And Goedert has been having yearly injuries as well.

I think with the play extending scramble abilities of Hurts, our WRs will benefit, bc what we have seen so far, they simply can not get open fast enough. Not sure if it's coaching, QB play, inability or a combination. 

[ilikepargo]

Chase is the best WR in this draft.  If he's there at 12, he's the pick.  But he won't be.  He's a nice thing that we can't have.

After Chase, Smith is the better choice.  He has the better movement skills, the better understanding...  He gets open.  If we were to take Waddle over Smith, we'd end up regretting it.

That said, there are other solid WR prospects that will be available in the 2nd and 3rd.  And we have guys that can still develop and become decent players.

CB is the bigger problem for us.  Outside of Slay, we have nothing there.  And this year we've got a shot at a truly top guy.  I'd take either Surtain or Horn over anyone not named Chase or Pitts.

 

[Portyansky]

4 minutes ago, ilikepargo said:

.... I'd take either Surtain or Horn over anyone not named Chase or Pitts or Fields.

 

FYP 

[brkmsn]

5 hours ago, philafan4o8 said:

the problem is that every one of our WRs are not proven (have question marks) therefore Wr is still a huge need. Cannot go into next season with the guys we currently have hoping the coaching staff just magically makes them all good.

Not one WR prospect in this draft is "proven" and they all have question marks (Chase hasn't played in over a year, Smith is lighter than scouts like, Waddle is coming off an injury that still kept him from doing much at the pro day, Will be Pitts be a WR or TE in the NFL?). Every year there will be a draft prospect that is selected with high expectations only to see his rookie season wiped out with an injury. It can happen to any player, drafted by any team. In other words, when you pick a player there will always be questions until a player has been given enough time to prove himself. 

If I had to guess, I would predict that all 4 of the prospects I listed will be very good NFL players. I also believe that Fulgham and Reagor will as well. I think we saw a couple things from Watkins late last season that we can be excited about. Even JJAW played well in his last game. 2020 was a very bad season for the Eagles offense. How much blame each of us puts on the WRs varies. I, personally, feel too many other factors led to the mess, which resulted in low WR production. You can go back and watch the tape --- WRs were getting open repeatedly and just not being targeted properly. 

While I will happily support any WR we draft in round 1 ( I would assume at #12 it would be either Chase, Smith, PItts, or Waddle) as they all have intriguing abilities, I would much rather address our glaring need at CB2 with our 1st pick and give our new coach a chance to put our current WRs in a position to succeed --- which is something I don't feel Doug had done. It's reasonable to expect Reagor and Fulgham to improve, but who do we project as our outside CB opposite Slay? We haven't brought back LeBlanc or NRC which leads us to believe Maddox is destined to be the slot CB next season. 

[Bwestbrook36]

2 hours ago, ManchesterEagle said:

 

Chase or Pitts would have been the right pick if we were still at 6. But they may well not be there. Miami wouldn’t necessarily have moved down unless they had the offer from us ready.

Everybody is assuming that Chase will immediately be an all pro, but there are question marks. 
 

I like the idea of getting more weapons for Hurts, but he has a very good O-Line and possibly the best one/two TEs in the league.

I want Reagor, Fulgham and Watkins to all have the chance to develop.

 

 

It would definitely be more benificial for the team in the long run

[brkmsn]

13 minutes ago, Portyansky said:

 

 

I think with the play extending scramble abilities of Hurts, our WRs will benefit, bc what we have seen so far, they simply can not get open fast enough. Not sure if it's coaching, QB play, inability or a combination. 

I think Hurts willingness to spread the ball around and not favor 2 or 3 guys all year will be the big factor. His mobility probably doesn't offer anything we didn't already have with Wentz in extending plays. As a rookie, Hurts still bailed too early at times:

 

[philafan4o8]

1 hour ago, brkmsn said:

Not one WR prospect in this draft is "proven" and they all have question marks (Chase hasn't played in over a year, Smith is lighter than scouts like, Waddle is coming off an injury that still kept him from doing much at the pro day, Will be Pitts be a WR or TE in the NFL?). Every year there will be a draft prospect that is selected with high expectations only to see his rookie season wiped out with an injury. It can happen to any player, drafted by any team. In other words, when you pick a player there will always be questions until a player has been given enough time to prove himself. 

If I had to guess, I would predict that all 4 of the prospects I listed will be very good NFL players. I also believe that Fulgham and Reagor will as well. I think we saw a couple things from Watkins late last season that we can be excited about. Even JJAW played well in his last game. 2020 was a very bad season for the Eagles offense. How much blame each of us puts on the WRs varies. I, personally, feel too many other factors led to the mess, which resulted in low WR production. You can go back and watch the tape --- WRs were getting open repeatedly and just not being targeted properly. 

While I will happily support any WR we draft in round 1 ( I would assume at #12 it would be either Chase, Smith, PItts, or Waddle) as they all have intriguing abilities, I would much rather address our glaring need at CB2 with our 1st pick and give our new coach a chance to put our current WRs in a position to succeed --- which is something I don't feel Doug had done. It's reasonable to expect Reagor and Fulgham to improve, but who do we project as our outside CB opposite Slay? We haven't brought back LeBlanc or NRC which leads us to believe Maddox is destined to be the slot CB next season. 

The coaching staff did not put the WRs in a good position to succeed. We can agree there.

Yes, technically every player in the draft is not proven. But you draft some of them high with the thought process that they have high potential and will be starters. Every man on the 53 man roster has room to improve but the question is their ceiling. When you look at this WR core there is a lot to be desired.

CB is a larger NEED than WR that is also correct but that does not mean not following your board and taking a CB over WR because of the need. Devonta Smith should not be ranked lower than any of these CBs on any draft board. That said, if he is on the board at 12 and so are all the corners, I am taking Smith.

The CB class is very deep this year and I personally think the drop off from the tier 1 and tier 2 corners is not as big a drop off from tier 1 and tier 2 WRs.

Eagles will go offensive or defensive line anyways so I guess all of this talk is for nothing lol

[Captain F]

2 hours ago, ilikepargo said:

 I'd take either Surtain or Horn over anyone not named Chase or Pitts.

 

1000000000% agree.  One of these 4 guys needs to be an Eagles. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, What The F said:

1000000000% agree.  One of these 4 guys needs to be an Eagles. 

What about Waddle? Or should I say what route would you go if Horn, Surtain, Chase and Pitts are off the board?

[Captain F]

1 minute ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

What about Waddle? Or should I say what route would you go if Horn, Surtain, Chase and Pitts are off the board?

Id seriously consider a trade down into the mid teens maybe? Im not sold on Waddle. Unless he's the pick around 15ish? 

[ilikepargo]

8 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

What about Waddle? Or should I say what route would you go if Horn, Surtain, Chase and Pitts are off the board?

After those 4...  Smith.  Then maybe Waddle.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 minute ago, What The F said:

Id seriously consider a trade down into the mid teens maybe? Im not sold on Waddle. Unless he's the pick around 15ish? 

I like Waddle a lot. I like Smith a lot. But both come with concerns and a question around whether they fit what we need.