I don’t see Andy drafting a receiver in the 1st round unless literally all the 1st-round OL talent is off the board. Hopefully, they can make a play with their 19th pick for Roy Williams, Anquan Bolden, or Chad Johnson, but assuming that doesn’t happen, and the Eagles stay put at 19, let’s look at the options. Ryan Clady and Chris Williams should be off the board by the time the Eagles are up, which would leave Braden Albert or Jeff Otah available.
So here are my predictions:
1st Round – Jeff Otah or Branden Albert. If they’re off the board (along with Clady and Chris Williams), then the Eagles should go for Devin Thomas or James Hardy.
2nd Round – DaJuan Morgan if the Eagles take a receiver in the first round. If they pass on a receiver in the 1st round, I think they address it in the 2nd round and select Malcolm Kelly (if available), Early Doucet, or Eddie Royal (also a return specialist).
3rd Round – If DaJuan Morgan wasn’t selected by the Eagles in round 2 and Kenny Phillips wasn’t selected by the Eagles with the 19th pick, the Eagles have to address safety and the 3rd round is the round to do it. I say they go after Thomas DeCoud or Tom Zbikowski. If they take a S and OT in the first two rounds, Earl Bennet should be the receiver they’re targeting in the 3rd round.
After hearing nothing but criticism and skepticism that the Flyers wouldn’t move past the Capitals, the Flyers have proved all the naysayers wrong. In game 7, after being up 3-1 in the series, the Flyers were finally able to close out the series by beating the Capitals in overtime 3-2. The Flyers missed a huge 2-man advantage opportunity late in the 1st period. The period ended 1-1. Each team had two more goals in the 2nd period. Ovechken had a nasty slapshot, it was an absolute laser-beam off his stick. The Flyers then dodged about 50 bullets in the 3rd by missed chances. Finally, in overtime, Lupul was able to grab a rebound and put it right in the net uncontested. Flyers win 3-2.
Marty Biron played a great game: 39 saves. You have to give a lot of credit to Timonen: 2 assists and great defense on Ovechkin. Upshall and Kaponen had the other 2 goals.
Montreal is next! The consensus: Huge underdogs, but not an insurmountable series.
Who knows what will happen by the time the draft rolls around. These are merely rumors, but it appears that the Eagles could make a move to possibly grab Chad Johnson, Anquan Bolden, Roy Williams, or Jared Allen. Here are some links to stay on top of the situation:
Anquan Bolden wants out of Arizona [Yardbarker] — Bolden wants an extension, the Cardinals aren’t ready to make the move. The Eagles appear to be in the situation.
Eagles make move for Jared Allen [Yardbarker] — A 1st- and 2nd-round pick is the asking price. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles make the move on draft day if the Eagles miss out on the WR they want. The Eagles have already offered Lito Sheppard and picks (but not a 1st-round pick that Kansas City is seeking). [Delco Times] The Vikings are the front-runners for Allen’s services.
Why are the Bengals being idiots? [All Philadelphia Sports] — If the Bengals scoff at an offer of Lito Sheppard and the 19th pick, they are the worst originzation ever. This guy shares my opinion. [The Add Show]
Eagles trading up to 11th? [GCobb.com] — I doubt the Eagles would trade up for Devin Thomas, nor would they need to since he should be available at 19 and if not, it’s not a big deal: there are other solid WRs at the same level (Thomas, Sweed, Kelly, and Hardy are all in the same class — all are solid, but they all have some shortcoming). I do, however, see them trading up for Ryan Clady or Chris Williams.
In case you haven’t heard, Chad Johnson wants out of Cincinnati and he said he’s not going to show up for anything. Yet, the Bengals insist that they’re not trading him. They turned down two 1st-round picks from Washington; albeit, the 2009 pick was conditional: it would be a 2009 3rd-round pick that could escalate into a 1st-round pick if Johnson set certain performance marks.
I think it’s absolutely foolish if the Bengals are not considering offers. This could be a ploy to get more value for Johnson, especially if numerous teams (Dallas, New York) are expressing interest. Chad Johnson is a cancer for them: was the T.O. situation good for the Eagles, was Randy Moss outstanding in Oakland? No, the Bengals need to realize they can’t please the disgruntled receiver and that it’s in their best interest to cut their losses and get what they can for him.
What I’m interested in knowing is if the Eagles would be willing to one-up the Redskins’ offer and see if they could catch the Bengals’ interest. Would the Eagles consider giving up Lito Sheppard and the 19th pick for Chad Johnson? And if that offer is made, would the Bengals consider it?
All signs indicate that the Bengals are saying Chad Johnson plays for us, or he plays for no one, but if the “Lito and the 19th pick” offer comes into Cincinnati, they would be absolutely stupid to not consider it. They would instantly be able to turn their team around by patching up the CB situation with Lito, while at the same time, be able to pick up Sedrick Ellis with their 9th pick, and then Keith Rivers or Jared Mayo with the 19th pick. They could then replace Chad Johnson with a WR in the 2nd round, there will be plenty to choose from: Limas Sweed, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, DeSean Jackson and James Hardy aren’t all going in the 1st round — I can guarantee you that.
The only question is would the Eagles offer the Bengals the 19th pick and Lito Sheppard for Chad Johnson, and would that be what it takes to get Chad Johnson?
“The Sixers have shocked the world.” – Mark Zumoff, amazing, but often ridiculous one-sided Comcast announcer. I love the enthusiasm, but this is Game 1 in the 1st round of the playoffs. Sweet win nonetheless.
Jared Allen is on the block and the Eagles need to act [Inside the Iggles] – Yes, Jared Allen would make that defense a top 3 defense in the league, no question about it. The asking price for him is a 1st and 3rd rounder and the Vikings and Bucs are in the mix. There’s no reason to think the Eagles shouldn’t be involved with Lito Sheppard and/or their 19th pick.
Here’s about 3 reasons the Eagles should NOT draft a WR [Philadelphia Inquirer] – As much as I would welcome the prospect of James Hardy, Limas Sweed, or Devin Thomas as the Eagles 19th pick, the bust potential for 1st-round wide receivers is way too high and WRs rarely contribute to a team in their first year.
Just so we’re clear: NBA refs can review a play if it’s advantageous to the team with the superstar, but they can’t review said superstar’s four steps to the basket. [With Leather]This is bush league:
Iggles Blog came out with an interesting article on who he thinks the Eagles could go after in the draft. CB – maybe if Lito is on his way out. WR – there are no “can’t miss” 1st rounders. Kenny Phillips? Maybe not, you can get a good safety in the 3rd round. He has the Eagles going for Felix Jones. Here’s something to consider:
Jones’ junior season in 2007 statistically has been his best as a Razorback. He ran the ball 123 times for 1,117 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the nation with 9.1 yards per carry. He once again led the SEC in kick returns, with 18 returns for 564 yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the All-SEC First Team as a kick returner and All-SEC Second Team as a running back. Jones and McFadden each gained more than 1,000 yards once again, and, like last year, McFadden finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up… At Arkansas, Jones offered a change of pace to McFadden’s style of running. Maybe a bigger version of Brian Westbrook. While McFadden relies on his size and speed, Jones is more explosive, with times reported between 4.3 and 4.4 in the 40 yard dash. He has excellent vision, shiftiness and speed that make him difficult to defend against and a dangerous threat every time he touches the ball.
Jones is also a very patient runner that will squeeze through holes, or use his quickness to bounce to the outside and spring a big gain. He makes quick cuts and is elusive once he gets into the open field. He has great leverage to earn tough yards, and makes defenders miss. He has good hands out of the back field, make him a viable all-around offensive weapon.
Many scouting reports are advising Jones to stay at Arkansas for his senior year, so he can be the #1 tailback after McFadden enters the draft. Even so, many mock drafts have him being drafted in the mid-to-late first round.
The total numbers for Westbrook’s deal haven’t been disclosed, but some information on the deal has become known, which I’ll bullet point:
– The contract came out to be a whopping 52 pages.
– There is $13 million in “new money.”
– $13 million over the first two season is guaranteed.
– Westbrook will make $21 million over the next 3 seasons.
– Escalators based on individual performance and playoff appearances may raise his salary to $24 million.
– Westbrook’s 2005 contract was for 5 years and $24.9 million with a base salary of $11 million in the final 3 years of the contract and a $1.5 million signing bonus.
In order for the Flyers to make the playoffs, they would have to would have to beet both the Devils and Penguins unless they got some help from Panthers, who would have to beat the Hurricanes. Considering the Flyers were 1-7 against the Devils this year and they have lost 3 straight games against the Penguins, I wasn’t too optimistic about their chances. However, they were able to pull through last night and beat the Devils in convincing fashion 3-0, as well as receiving some help from the Panthers who topped the Hurricanes. The electric crowd in Philadelphia certainly gave the Flyers the extra boost they needed to top the Devils.
The Flyers sit at the 8th seed, but could move into the 7th seed with a win over the Penguins on Sunday, which would mean they’ll be facing either the Penguins or Canadiens in the 1st round depending on who is on top of the standings at the end of the season. Both teams are tied at 102 points with 1 game left to play.
Loading ...