All the speculation of whether the Eagles will trade into the top 10 to grab Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe, or Andre Smith is over. The Eagles have solidified their offensive line with Bills Pro Bowl LT Jason Peters. The Eagles gave up the 28th pick, a second-day pick (presumed to be a 4th-round pick), and a 2010 late-round pick to acquire Peters.
I’m extremely happy about the move. They’ll have to end up paying Peters whatever money they would had to have spent on a rookie LT like Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe so it makes sense to trade for the 27-year-old with experience and still get to hang onto the 21st pick, which many think will now be used on a RB. Knowshon Moreno, if he slides that far, would be a dream come true and I wouldn’t have any complaints with Donald Brown either. I’m not bummed out about losing out on the chance of getting Anquan Boldin. I’m confident going into the season with a healthy Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson, especially with that all-star line with the Andrews Brothers and Peters. Maybe Reggie Brown can even return to his 2006-2007 form after letting the hammy recover. The Eagles will likely add TE phenomenon Chase Coffman in the second round. It’s all coming together for the Eagles in 2009. The secondary is set, the linebackers are set, and defensive line is set. The offensive line is fixed. Now let’s get us some weapons in the draft. Hopefully those weapons come in the form of Knowshon Moreno and Chase Coffman. My Plan B if the Eagles don’t take a RB at 21 and opt for a defensive player like Robert Ayers or Vontae Davis, Mike Goodson in round 3.
After reading Tom Heckert’s quotes from his pre-draft interview, we were able to tell a few things about what the Eagles are thinking in terms of the draft.
– Left tackle is not a #1 priority. If the Eagles don’t acquire a left tackle in the draft or via a trade, they will go with either Todd Herremans or Shawn Andrews at left tackle and they’re not worried about that. Nick Cole or Max Jean-Gilles can fill whatever hole is left by them at guard. Mike McGlynn looks to be a solid backup at guard as well, so the Eagles are not in “panic mode” to grab a tackle.
– Heckert has emphasized repeatedly that the Eagles have the “ammo” to move up to the top of the round. If the Eagles move into the top 10, there are only two players, in my opinion, worth taking: Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe. If Andre Smith falls to 10, the Eagles could trade up without having to deal both first-rounders to get him, so that may be another option. Heckert seems to be high on him and stated the media unfairly blasted him for him leaving the Combine. Heckert emphasized that he was a good player in college and that shouldn’t change in the Pros.
– Don’t count on a RB in round one or even round two, but don’t rule it out either. The Eagles said they think they can get a good running back in the later rounds. There’s always good RBs in the later rounds. The Eagles appear to be looking for a guy in round 3 or 4. I’m a huge fan of Mike Goodson out of Texas A&M — he’s a Westbrook clone, but there are some concerns about his size (208 pounds). Keep in mind, however, that Westbrook is only 203 pounds. I also like Andre Brown, but he comes with some injury concerns. I think he has the most potential out of the 3rd round backs. I’m not very high on Shonn Greene, he’s too slow for my taste. Rashad Jennings is a decent prospect that the Eagles could land in round 3. Last resort for the Eagles would be Javon Ringer in round 4. He was extremely impressive in college, but has some concerns with his size as well (205 pounds). I would even take a shot on Boise State RB Ian Johnson in round 7 to see how he does in camp. Maybe he could beat out Booker for that 3rd RB spot.
The Eagles schedule has been released and I’m not too thrilled about it. They open on the road against Carolina. That’s no easy game to win with their running game. They’ll open at home the next week against the Saints. Week 3 against KC should be an easy win going into an early bye week, which isn’t good timing for the bye. They have to head out west twice for the Raiders and Chargers.
They have 4 prime-time games, 3 of which are on the road and 2 of them against division rivals. The season ends with Dallas again. This time on their turf. There’s a good chance of starting off 4-1, but after that, the Eagles run into the toughest part of their schedule: @Redskins, Giants, Cowboys, @Chargers, @Bears, Redskins, @Falcons, @ Giants. They should then get two easy W’s over San Fran and Denver at home before closing the season against the Cowboys. I have a feeling that that one will have a playoff spot on the line once again.
Week 1 – September 13 – @ Carolina (1pm FOX)
Week 2 – September 20 – New Orleans (1pm FOX)
Week 3 – September 27 – Kansas City (1pm CBS)
Week 4 – BYE
Week 5 – October 11 – Tampa Bay (1pm FOX)
Week 6 – October 18 – @ Oakland (4:05pm FOX)
Week 7 – October 26 – @ Washington (Monday Night Football)
Week 8 – November 1 – New York Giants (4:15 pm FOX)
Week 9 – November 8 – Dallas (Sunday Night Football)
Week 10 – November 15 – @ Chargers (4:15 FOX)
Week 11 – November 22 – @ Chicago (Sunday Night Football)
Week 12 – November 29 – Washington (1pm FOX)
Week 13 – December 6 – @ Atlanta (1pm FOX)
Week 14 – December 13 – @ New York Giants (Sunday Night Football)
Week 15 – December 20 – San Francisco (1pm FOX)
Week 16 – December 27 – Denver (1pm CBS)
Week 17 – January 3 – @ Dallas (1pm FOX)
The Eagles have four fifth-round picks. I think they will use 2-3 of them in order to move up in the earlier rounds, but what do you do if you have to draft 4 players in the 5th round? I took a look at what Walter Football had to say:
141. Darryl Richard, DT, Georgia Tech
Andy Reid loves taking tons of linemen each April. He’ll get his fix here.
153. David Bruton, FS, Notre Dame
The Eagles signed Sean Jones to play free safety in 2009. The problem is, Jones is a natural strong safety, and he inked a mere 1-year deal. David Bruton could take over for Jones in 2010 if he shows enough potential.
157. Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan
The Eagles could also use some corner depth with Lito Sheppard gone.
159. Kaluka Maiava, OLB, USC
How many fifth-round picks does this team need? I’m actually running out of positions to give to the Eagles. Andy Reid has a tendency to take linebackers in the middle rounds.
We have lost one of the greats today. Harry Kalas has passed away at the age of 73. He will be dearly missed by us all. Phillies baseball will never be the same without him. Here is a tribute to some of his greatest calls:
I’m very high on Chase Coffman. He’s the perfect pass-catching TE for the Eagles and I have a feeling that he’ll be picked up by the Eagles in the 2nd round. I got excited when I read this on Eagles Gab:
A source has told Scout.com the Missouri TE Chase Coffman had an official visit earlier this week with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’ll also be participating on a limited basis at the Kansas City Chiefs’ workout for local draft prospects today. The 6-foot-6, 244-pound tight end hasn’t been able to participate in full workouts during the offseason due to suffering a break of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot but he’s now nearly 100 percent recovered and should be ready for action by the time he reports to an NFL club.
What I’m Hoping For:
(21) Knowshon Moreno
(28) Vontae Davis, Robert Ayers, Alex Mack, or William Beatty.
(53) Chase Coffman
Although I don’t expect the Eagles to add a WR in the first-round, I think they plan on picking up somebody in the later rounds. The Eagles have show interest in Darrius Heyward-Bey. Additionally, Kenny Britt or Hakeem Nicks are also possible targets for the Eagles with the 28th pick. I don’t see that happening. I’m expecting OL and RB with the Eagles first two picks. And if that’s not the case, I’m pulling for Vontae Davis or Robert Ayers on the defensive side of the ball. I then expect the Eagles to go after a TE in round 2 or 3. It could be either Jared Cook, Cornelius Ingrham, or Chase Coffman. Coffman is looking like the pass-catching TE that Andy would love to get. The Eagles may have to spend a 2nd-round pick to get him if they like him enough. I think he’ll definitely be gone by the mid 3rd-round and if the Eagles don’t come away with a solid TE, it would be a huge dissappointment.
Keep an eye on this WR in the draft: Brandon Tate. Tate is a North Carolina receiver, who missed most of this season due to an injury. Although his counterpart, Hakeem Nicks, is getting all the attention and may go as high as late first-round, this 6’0″ speedster (and return specialist) may be a great pick up in perhaps the 4th round.
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