Opening Day is in less than a week!  Whoo!  Let’s go Phils!  I added a bunch of Jimmy Rollins Wallpapers.  Here are the previews:

I added another Brian Westbrook Wallpaper.  Here is a preview:

The focus of Eagles fans has been Brandon Pettigrew, but I would be surprised if the Eagles use a top pick on a position like TE.  It’s just not worth a first-round pick.  Tight end is very deep this year.  The Eagles are looking at Cornelius Ingram and Jared Cook as potential second-round picks.  They could even wait as much as the third round before taking a tight end.  A guy that could potentially be a tremendous steal is Chase Coffman, who I talked briefly about in my last article on a review of Walter Football’s mock draft for the Eagles.

Take a look at this guy.  It seems like this guy can catch anything and as we know, Andy could care less about an elite blocking TE like Pettigrew.  All Andy cares about is if the guy can make catches and Chase Coffman can certainly do that.

I always find what Walter Football has to say about the Eagles draft interesting.  He usually throws some curve balls from what you’re used to seeing at other mock drafts.  Let’s see who he has the Eagles taking with their first 5 picks:

21 – Robert Ayers – (DE) – Tennessee
28 – Alex Mack – (C) – California
53 – Duke Robinson  – (OG) – Oklahoma
85 – Javon Ringer – (RB) – Michigan State
117 – Chase Coffman – (TE) – Missouri

It looks like he has a pretty good grasp on the Eagles needs: offensive line, running back, and tight end.  His curveball: the Eagles taking Robert Ayers with the 21st pick.  Here’s my reaction to his picks.

ROBERT AYERS: I don’t know if the Eagles will be targeting a DE early.  It seems to me like the Eagles are happy with the way Victor Abiamiri is developing as he is sharing time with Juqua Parker, who also had a very solid season as well.  On the other side of the line the Eagles have their stud Trent Cole, and then have reserves Chris Clemons and Bryan Smith, who they jumped on a bit early in the 3rd round of last year’s draft.

Ayers is a solid player.  Here’s a link to his highlights and you can read up on his draft profile here.  Ayers is currently ranked 17 on Mel Kiper’s big board and his stock is rising.  I don’t think defensive end is a pressing need, so I would pass on Ayers to address a bigger need or would take Illinois CB Vontae Davis.

ALEX MACK: I previously wrote that the Eagles could target Duke Robinson with the 28th pick, but the Eagles could get their hands on him in the 2nd round and that’s what Walter has happening.  There are some questions about his work ethic and Robinson may be a bit raw.  Alex Mack, however, has been hailed as the best center prospect in the last several years.  The Eagles could upgrade Jamaal Jackson and Alex Mack would be a great pick at 28.  The Eagles signed Jamaal Jackson to a 7-year extension back in 2006, so they may not be thinking of adding a center and they also drafted Mike McGlynn in last year’s draft, who is able to play at center or at guard.

DUKE ROBINSON: Robinson could be available to the Eagles in the 2nd round so he may not be worth a 28th pick since he kind of has that “Winston Justice bust aura” about him.  The best RBs are off the board as is TE Jared Cook, so boosting the line is the way to go the way Walter Football’s mock draft is playing out.  Just to note: Walter has Wells going to the Jets and Knowshon to the Cards.  They’re the only RBs taken in the first round of his mock draft.  The Browns then grab Donald Brown at the top of the 2nd round followed by LeSean McCoy to the Giants a few picks after the Eagles are on the clock in round 2.

JAVON RINGER: I am a big Javon Ringer fan.  He’s amassed over 3,000 yards rushing and nearly 500 yards receiving in his last 2 seasons and he scored 22 TDs last season.  I’ve seen him play a few games live and he was tremendous.  A very exciting RB to watch.  I think he’s going to be a very solid back in the NFL.  He ran a 4.42 at his Pro Day which is incredible.  His style is very similar to Brian Westbrook, so he would be a great match for the Eagles since he is good at catching the ball out of the backfield.  The Eagles don’t necessarily need to find a starter in this year’s draft, so they’re not going to kill themselves by passing on Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, and Donald Brown.  Javon Ringer would be a great guy to plug in there when Westbrook needs some plays off or games off.  Worth Watching: Highlights 1, Highlights 2, Highlights 3, and Highlights 4.

There’s really not a back in this draft that I don’t like.  The Eagles will definitely draft a running back, probably not in the first round, but they will definitely add a solid RB at some point in the draft and I think that will come in round 3. In round 3, Javon Ringer would be my first choice, followed by Shonn Greene, and then Mike Goodson.  I wouldn’t complain about any of them.

CHASE COFFMAN: Andy Reid said in an interview that he prefers tight ends who know how to catch first and foremost.  He doesn’t necessarily care about blocking as much; he says his coaches can teach a kid how to block, but you can’t really teach a TE to catch — they either have those skills or they don’t.  You can take that as a hint that Reid may not be thinking of taking Brandon Pettigrew with his 21st pick.  Coffman would be a great TE addition in the fourth round.  You have to love what NFL Draft Countdown says about him:  he runs great routes, has a good burst off the line, has good hands, runs hard after the catch, does well over the middle, and is a fantastic red-zone threat.

FINAL REACTION: If this is how the Eagles draft ended up I would be very happy.  We added a LDE.  We boosted the offensive line with Alex Mack and Duke Robinson.  We added a tremenous RB and TE in the later rounds.  Instead of overpaying for a TE and RB early, we got quality guys in round 3 and 4.  Well done.  Less than 30 days until the draft and I cannot wait!

I just wanted to throw out some draft scenarios that the Eagles could go.  The main focus of Eagles fans has been on offensive tackle, but most of the best tackles will be taken by the time the Eagles are on the clock at 21, so why not take the best offensive guard in the draft: Duke Robinson?  We all know Andy Reid loves his big linemen and at 6’5″, 335 pounds, Duke must make Andy’s mouth water.

Even better is the fact that he should be available to the Eagles at 28.  Most mock drafts have Robinson going in the late first-round or early second-round, so he would be a great target for the Eagles at 28.  If the Eagles like him enough, they could throw in a 5th rounder to move up a few spots if they think he’s about to be snagged.   This could help Shawn Andrews move over to tackle if that’s necessary.  A starting line of The Duke, The Andrews Brothers, Jamaal Jackson, and Jean-Gilles?  That’s a lot of beef.  And the Eagles still have that 21st pick to grab an elite offensive weapon like a Brandon Pettigrew, Knowshon Moreno, Darrius-Heyward Bey, or LeSean McCoy.

The fact that The Duke could be available at 28 makes the draft more exciting for me because instead of having to trade both first-round picks to move up to grab an elite tackle, the Eagles can fill 3 positions of need (OL, RB, and TE) with their first three picks without having to trade up in the first round of the draft.

So I ask you, what draft scenario do you like best and why?  Leave some comments.

Scenario 1:
21 – Brandon Pettigrew (TE)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Shonn Greene (RB)

Scenario 2:
21 – Knowshon Moreno (RB) or LeSean McCoy (RB)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)

Scenario 3:
21 – Knowshon Moreno (RB) or LeSean McCoy (RB)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Hope for Hakeen Nicks (WR) or Kenny Britt (WR) to fall to the 53 or try to trade up.
85 – Hope for Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE) to fall to 85 or try to trade up again.

Scenario 4:
21 – Michael Oher (OT)
28 – LeSean McCoy (RB) or Donald Brown (RB)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)

Scenario 5:
21 – Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)
85 – Mike Goodson (RB)

Scenario 6:
21 – Vontae Davis (CB) – Vernon Davis’s brother who is a beast of a CB out of Illinois.  Think Sheldon Brown’s replacement in 2-3 years or help assist Brown move to safety.  Highlights.  Profile.  Thanks to Iggles Blog for the idea.
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)
85 – Mike Goodson (RB)

Please vote on this at our poll (the link takes you right to it).

Let’s take a look at The Duke — The highlights aren’t as sexy as a Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, or Darrius Heyward-Bey, but he sure knows how to plow over some DTs and hit people.

Word on the street says there’s a 99% chance the Eagles take a running back in the first round.  With Buckhalter going to the Broncos and Westbrook coming off a season full of knee problems at 30-years-old, it’s safe to assume the Eagles will use one of their first two picks to take a RB despite the “Eagles never use a 1st-round pick on a RB” mentality.

The Eagles should essentially have their choice of Beanie Wells, Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, or Donald Brown.  I’ve written about the first 3 backs on this site before, but I haven’t read too much on Donald Brown, who apparently the Eagles really like.  Donald Brown is a 5’10″, 210 pound UCONN RB.  Here’s his draft profile.  Let’s take a look:

He looks pretty good, but he’s still the #4 RB in my book.

It’s about that time of year when most of you fantasy baseball players will be conducting their draft.  When you are conducting your draft, please visit my site: www.FantasyLinks.info/mlb/

I have the rankings of every position on 1 single page and have linked the names to their Yahoo profile so you can easily refer to stats and other news on the player.  It also includes a print sheet that you can print out and cross off as players are draft.  It’s a really great resource to give you a huge edge during the draft.

I’ll just throw out some sleepers out there for you.  They’re not sleepers so much as you sometimes see them going early in a draft as people are onto them.

I’m targeting Pablo Sandoval as my catcher.  The 22-year-old,  in 41 games with the Giants last season posted 24 RBIs are 24 Runs while batting .345.  I expect a .300 20 HR, 100 RBI, 90 Run season from him this year.  Hitting in the 3-spot for the Giants, who don’t have as bad a line up as some would believe, will produce big numbers.  He also has 1B, 3B, and C eligibility.  You may want to jump on him early because the secret is out.

My next player to get is Cameron Maybin.  This 21-year-old was traded from the Tigers to the Marlins with some other players for Miguel Cabrera.  He got into the Marlins lineup in September and just tore it up in the bigs.  In 8 games he batted .500, scored 9 runs, and had 4 stolen bases (again, in just 8 games).  That projects rather well over a full season.  He will presumably be their leadoff man and will have Hanley Ramirez out there batting him in.  Look for a 100 run and 40 steal season from Maybin.

Another player I like is Cleveland OF Shin-Soo Choo.  He played 94 games with the Indians last year and batted .309 with 14 HRs, 66 RBIs, 68 Runs, and 4 stolen bases.  Over a full season he projects a .300 average with 20 HRs, 90 RBI, 90 Runs, and 10 SBs  — quality numbers out of a late-round player.

Good luck on your draft and I hope you find my site helpful.  Bookmark it!

Fantasy Links .INFO (MLB)

I’m certainly glad the Eagles addressed their issues at FB instead of ignoring that position for another season.  With a look at their depth chart, you can see how the Eagles offseason plans are coming into fruition.  What’s interesting to see there is that Todd Herremans has been moved to the starting LT and Max Jean-Gilles has moved into the starting LG.  I love Jean-Gilles.  He plays with a mean streak and he just wants to go out there and hit people.  He was having a tremendous season taking over for the injured Shawn Andrews before he was injured himself.  Let’s hope that he will come back strong next season.

Assuming Shawn Andrews and Max Jean-Gilles come back healthy, maybe the Eagles offensive line isn’t in as bad of shape as some of us assume.  I have no objections to the starting line of: Todd Herremans (LT), Max Jean-Gilles (LG), Jamaal Jackson (C), Shawn Andrews (RG), and Stacy Andrews (RT).  The Eagles have two promising prospects that they drafted last year to act as reserves this year: LT King Dunlap and LG Mike McGlynn.  And they also have Nick Cole.  He looked questionable early in the season, but ended strong.

It would be great to add a player like Eugene Monroe in the draft, but that’s just not going to happen.  I doubt the Eagles would consider or even be able to find a team to trade into the top 10 to get him and Monroe won’t be going any later than 6 to the Bengals.  After looking at the Eagles offensive line a bit more, maybe OL isn’t the #1 priority.  Maybe the Eagles should just stay put at 21 and 28 in order to take a TE and RB.

With pick 21, I would try to package that with a 4th or 5th-round pick to move up a few spots to secure Brandon Pettigrew.  Pettigrew may go as high as 11 to the Bills, but if they pass on him, Brandon Pettigrew should be around for the Eagles.  Assuming that Pettigrew is taken, the Eagles could then target Michael Oher.  And if both are taken, you have to go with Darrius Heyward-Bey.  If the Eagles don’t land Pettigrew, the Eagles may be looking at Florida TE Cornelius Ingram with a later pick.  Ingram was injured last season, but he had a tremendous Pro Day.  At 6’4″ and 245 pounds with good speed, he would be a great pick.  Check out Ingram’s draft profile.

With pick 28, I’m going after a RB.  My boy Knowshon Moreno may go as early as 16 to San Diego or he may fall down the draft board and be drafted in the late first-round.  Beanie Wells may be around as well and although the Eagles need a big back, he doesn’t really fit the Eagles style. For some reason I just think Wells has bust written all over him.  A guy the Eagles should take a hard look at is Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy, who should certainly be available at 28.  McCoy is a bit small at 5’10″, 205 pounds, but he is very LT-esque with his tremendous vision and insane cuts.  Check out LeSean McCoy’s draft profile.  36 TDs in 2 seasons, that’s impressive.

Watching Material:

For weeks the Eagles blogosphere has been demanding that the Eagles front office sign FB Leonard Weaver.  The Eagles went into the 2008 season with no real answer to fill the void left by Thomas Tapeh, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings, and it hurt them.  We thought Tony Hunt could be the guy.  That didn’t work out.  We thought Dan Klecko could be the guy.  That didn’t work out, though it was amusing seeing a guy the size of a defensive tackle (huge belly and all) make a catch and try to run with the ball.

Well we finally have a legit FB with Leonard Weaver.  Weaver can block, run for short yardage, and even catch the ball out of the backfield.   Last season, Weaver had 30 carries for 130 yards and 22 receptions for 222 yards.  That’s quality production out of a FB.  Weaver just got a one-year, $1.75 million deal from the Eagles, but the deal could be worth as much as $2.5 million with incentives based on playing time, carries, and receptions.  Weaever even turned down more lucrative offers from other teams because he felt the Eagles were a better offensive fit for him due to the similar west-coast offense that Seattle runs.

Eagles add some versatility at fullback [Philadelphia Inquirer]

In other Eagles news, the Ravens officially announced that they have signed LJ Smith to a one-year deal.  Good ridance.

In my last article, I addressed the possibility of the Eagles drafting Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey.  I think the possibility of that happening is very slim.  The Eagles could have their eyes set on Virginia OT Eugene Monroe, who is a lock to go in the top 10.  However, according to the draft value chart, the Eagles could trade both first-round picks and a fifth-round pick to trade into the top 10 if they find a willing trade partner (Cincinnati at 6 and San Fransisco at 10 are possible trading partners).  If the Eagles can make the move, I think they should do it.  All the top tackles will be long gone by the time the Eagles are on the clock at 21 and they desperately need to find Tra Thomas’s replacement.

If the Eagles are forced to stay put, Darrius Heyward-Bey may go to the Jets (17), Bears (18), or Bucs (19), so it’s time to look at other some other options the Eagles have to boost the offense.  Brandon Pettigrew would be ideal, but let’s go a bit deeper in the draft.  Who could the Eagles target in rounds 2 and 3?  I already posted an article praising the skills of Texas A&M RB Mike Goodson, who reminds me very much of Brian Westbrook with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Another guy you should get familiar with is North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks.  Nicks is 6’1″, 212 pounds.  He’s not nearly as explosive as Heyward-Bey, so he’s not really a vertical threat, but he reminds me a bit of Calvin Johnson with his long arms, leaping ability, and great route running.  He’s just a tremendous option for the Eagles in the 2nd round.

Watching Material: