Really interesting what if:

What happened: Eagles traded up from 12 and threw in a 3rd to get Devonta Smith at 10.  This left us with 15, 16, and 19 as first round picks in 2022.  The Giants, who wanted Smith, traded back from 11 and received 2021 1st (Toney), 2021 5, and 2022 #7 overall and 2022 #112 overall.

What could have happened: Eagles take the deal the Giants got from Chicago.  We likely draft Toney (maybe Paye).  Without Smith as the leading receiver and Toney as a bust, we likely miss the playoffs, there is NO debate about Hurts as the QB of the future, and we have picks #7 overall from the Bears, a top 10 pick of our own, and the Dolphins first round pick.  More draft capital, but we have the stench of a wasted 2022 first round pick.   

7 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

Really interesting what if:

What happened: Eagles traded up from 12 and threw in a 3rd to get Devonta Smith at 10.  This left us with 15, 16, and 19 as first round picks in 2022.  The Giants, who wanted Smith, traded back from 11 and received 2021 1st (Toney), 2021 5, and 2022 #7 overall and 2022 #112 overall.

What could have happened: Eagles take the deal the Giants got from Chicago.  We likely draft Toney (maybe Paye).  Without Smith as the leading receiver and Toney as a bust, we likely miss the playoffs, there is NO debate about Hurts as the QB of the future, and we have picks #7 overall from the Bears, a top 10 pick of our own, and the Dolphins first round pick.  More draft capital, but we have the stench of a wasted 2022 first round pick.   

I've posted this thought many times and wished the Eagles had made that trade with the Bears. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Smith. But it would be Smith vs. whomever they took last year, plus whom they could get at 7 this year, plus whomever they could have gotten with the 3rd rounder they gave up last year to move up for Smith. 

 

I think the Eagles would have taken Quity Paye and not Toney. Paye had a nice rookie year, and has a ton of upside. DE is a position of need. 

 

Maybe trade down with #7 and pick up a few more picks. All interesting to contemplate. 

 

In terms of running the RPO      

1. Foles On a level by himself in terms of Eagles QB’s. 
2. Hurts    
3. Wentz   
4. Minshew, came from the Air Raid like Zappe. 
 Btw, just about every offense reads the linebacker, including the Air Raid, Run & Shoot, West Coast, Stanford, Erhardt-Perkins Patriots, Bruce Arians No risk it, no biscuit.  Including an RPO, isn’t all that strange or difficult unless the team is strictly Air Raid like Western Kentucky since they don’t really run the ball…, like ever. 

 

 

 

 

Anyone ready to go on record with official predictions?

I feel very confident the first pick will be Jordan Davis. Just a gut feeling. Eagles love investing in DT. He has high upside. Howie's probably drooling.

18th... thinking either Booth or Burks. Will decide later.

Not saying these are the guys I want, but who I think will be the pick.

3 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Anyone ready to go on record with official predictions?

I feel very confident the first pick will be Jordan Davis. Just a gut feeling. Eagles love investing in DT. He has high upside. Howie's probably drooling.

18th... thinking either Booth or Burks. Will decide later.

Not saying these are the guys I want, but who I think will be the pick.

Hamilton and Olave. 

18 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Anyone ready to go on record with official predictions?

I feel very confident the first pick will be Jordan Davis. Just a gut feeling. Eagles love investing in DT. He has high upside. Howie's probably drooling.

18th... thinking either Booth or Burks. Will decide later.

Not saying these are the guys I want, but who I think will be the pick.

15 - Davis or Williams. There's also a chance neither of them are there. I agree with Davis being the pick if he's there though.

 

18 - Booth or trade down

 

2 hours ago, austinfan said:

COVID also screwed up the pre-season. This year should be more normal, and Sirianni doesn't have to do installs, so they can focus more on execution.

 

I don't think COVID really had much of any impact on pre-season last year at all.  Sirianni is again doing away with mandatory OTAs this offseason.  They Eagles will again be going with minimal preparation prior to the season compared to other teams.  If the trade off is that they don't have as many injuries the early season rust might be worth it.  

1 hour ago, austinfan said:

Well, with a running QB, the RPO is a read option as well as a pass option.

That is, Hurts can first read the LB/S, and go run/pass, but if he goes pass, and his read is covered, he can pull it down and run - because this is all happening in a couple seconds, it has the same impact as a read option, because the DE only reads the QB keeping the ball, not whether it's a pass or run. So it forces him to stay home. If the DE bites, then Hurts can run even on a RPO where he keeps the ball, because why pass for 5 yards if the right side is open for a run?

With someone like Foles, it's a run/pass option, and if the defense disguises the coverage of the pass option, the play is dead. Which is what limits the RPO for most offenses.

I suspect with most QBs who can run, some of this is built into the scheme - if the field is open take off, because it's always safer than throwing the ball on a short pass.

 

Foles had probably the best Super Bowl performance any QB has ever had...Hurts got absolutely exposed in his playoff game.

15 hours ago, Texas Eagle said:

He’s pretty small which is my main concern aside from his level of competition. Wouldn’t mind him for a late round backup.

Small would be a concern. Likely his O line at Western Kentucky wasn't Mailata/Dickerson/Johnson size.

15 hours ago, The Blackfish said:

 Western Kentucky was a highly schemed Air Raid offense.  Since the Air Raid is based off the West Coast they just basically removed the running plays, and they only use 4-5 different formations per game with 4 receivers that can run routes and catch the ball. 
 Bailey Zappe=Taylor Heinicke. 

What little I saw of Heinicke he didn't look all that bad. Again, what I saw if you were to put Heinicke and Hurts with the same 10 offense players, I'm not sure who would win a passing competition. Hurts would certainly have more rushing yards.

2 hours ago, austinfan said:

Well, with a running QB, the RPO is a read option as well as a pass option.

That is, Hurts can first read the LB/S, and go run/pass, but if he goes pass, and his read is covered, he can pull it down and run - because this is all happening in a couple seconds, it has the same impact as a read option, because the DE only reads the QB keeping the ball, not whether it's a pass or run. So it forces him to stay home. If the DE bites, then Hurts can run even on a RPO where he keeps the ball, because why pass for 5 yards if the right side is open for a run?

With someone like Foles, it's a run/pass option, and if the defense disguises the coverage of the pass option, the play is dead. Which is what limits the RPO for most offenses.

I suspect with most QBs who can run, some of this is built into the scheme - if the field is open take off, because it's always safer than throwing the ball on a short pass.

 

Especially if the QB is a crappy passer.

1 hour ago, Original Sin said:

 

Those are the odds for the NFL.  Then you factor in the Eagles choosing a WR ad that 5% looks pretty darn good!

1 hour ago, eagle45 said:

Really interesting what if:

What happened: Eagles traded up from 12 and threw in a 3rd to get Devonta Smith at 10.  This left us with 15, 16, and 19 as first round picks in 2022.  The Giants, who wanted Smith, traded back from 11 and received 2021 1st (Toney), 2021 5, and 2022 #7 overall and 2022 #112 overall.

What could have happened: Eagles take the deal the Giants got from Chicago.  We likely draft Toney (maybe Paye).  Without Smith as the leading receiver and Toney as a bust, we likely miss the playoffs, there is NO debate about Hurts as the QB of the future, and we have picks #7 overall from the Bears, a top 10 pick of our own, and the Dolphins first round pick.  More draft capital, but we have the stench of a wasted 2022 first round pick.   

You forgot the Colts' pick as well.   So, we'd have #7, #15 (Dolphins), #16 (Colts) and whatever the Eagles pick ended up as.  BTW, I think Paye is the pick, not Toney with the trade back.  

10 hours ago, bitbased said:

15 - Davis or Williams. There's also a chance neither of them are there. I agree with Davis being the pick if he's there though.

 

18 - Booth or trade down

What pick will they use to get their de/edge ? Thinking Karlaftis has to be 1 of the first 2 picks if our draft order remains the same. Mafe, Ojabo and Ebikitie probably off the board by 51 but Bonitto probably still available and pretty good. Davis being available but creates a conundrum because you almost have to take him even though dt not the priority as high as de, cb and wr which will be the first 3 picks if he’s not there, if he is I think they forego the cb until 3rd round or later

5 minutes ago, The guy in France said:

What pock will they use to get their de/edge ? Thinking Karlaftis has to be 1 of the first 2 picks if our draft order remains the same. Mafe, Ojabo and Ebikitie probably off the board by 51 but Bonitto probably still available and pretty good. Davis being available but creates a conundrum because you almost have to take him even though dt not the priority as high as de, cb and wr which will be the first 3 picks if he’s not there, if he is I think they forego the cb until 3rd round or later

They cannot be obsessed with getting a particular position in this draft.  They need to focus on getting quality players.  There's no position, especially on defense, that can't be upgraded with a great player being selected.  Literally, every position is on the table.   They just need to find the best player on the board when their turn comes.

Wyatt at 15 and trade out of 18. Not my opinion but what Howie might do. 

5 minutes ago, NITEF4LL said:

Wyatt at 15 and trade out of 18. Not my opinion but what Howie might do. 

If there is truth to the character concerns, Eagles will pass. Whose the last guy they took with that flaw? Mills in the 7th?

Someone at Embiid size should not be able to shoot like this. He’s hitting like every shot he can get off. 

2 hours ago, Sack that QB said:

Anyone ready to go on record with official predictions?

I feel very confident the first pick will be Jordan Davis. Just a gut feeling. Eagles love investing in DT. He has high upside. Howie's probably drooling.

18th... thinking either Booth or Burks. Will decide later.

Not saying these are the guys I want, but who I think will be the pick.

I think the chances of the Eagles not drafting a DT or DE in round 1 are around 5% or less….with DT being twice as likely.

I think it’s Davis and booth. If either isn’t available then a trade back for a lower receiver or CB (or DT / edge) 

DT and Corner or DT and Safety 

Howie said they didn’t want to be followers and instead be followed. So

 

RB, RB

Sixers are shooting like poo-poo kah-kah.