I blogged previously how the Eagles should think about picking up Jordan Shippley in round 3 in order to replace Kevin Curtis. The Bengals ended up being the ones who got their hands on Shipley with the 21st pick in round 3.
It was unrealistic that the Eagles would spend a third-round pick on Shipley since the Eagles have a lot of needs other than WR, but I’m glad to see the Eagles invest a 5th-round pick in a player who can be just as good as Shipley (although totally different type of players).
Cooper is 6’3″ 222 pounds, so he has great size and can be another great possession receiver for the Eagles. He had 51 receptions, 961 yards, and 9 TDs this past season (see stats). Cooper ran a 4.52 at the combine. He is also drawing praise for his blocking on special teams.
One player that I’ve grown to love is Jordan Shipley. I know we’ve exhausted the WR argument. With DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and up-and-commer Brandon Gibson, the Eagles are stacked at the position. This past offseason, the Eagles had too many receivers, they had a hard time figuring out who to cut and who to keep.
However, with Kevin Curtis constantly ailing, it has me thinking whether the Eagles should depart with White Lightning and turn to White Lightning 2.0 in the upcoming draft. Texas’s Jordan Shipley is an elite NCAA WR. He’s had three straight games with double-digit receptions and has eclipsed the 100 yard mark 3 times in 5 games this season.
Shipley is currently the 7th ranked receiver on NFL Draft Countdown’s WR rankings. There’s a solid chance that he’ll be available in round 4 and possibly round 5. My question to you is whether you say happy trails to Kevin Curtis and his bum knee and draft his replacement in Jordan Shipley?
The Eagles roster has been set. A.J. Feeley was released this morning. Fenuki Tupouhas been placed on IR.
The loss of Stewart Bradley now becomes glaring on the depth chart with a few new names at the LB position. Here’s a good read on rookie LB Moise Fokuo, Fokou who? Word is also going around that Macho Harris may have the starting FS role over Quintin Demps.
It’s also good to know that Danny Amendola and Jack Ikegwuonu have been added to the practice squad. The practice squad also includes guards Paul Fanaika and Mike Gibson.
Quarterbacks (3) – Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick
Running Backs (3) – Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Eldra Buckley
Fullback (1) – Leonard Weaver
Wide Receivers (7) – DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, Jeremy Maclin, Reggie Brown, Hank Baskett, Brandon Gibson
Tight Ends (2) - Brent Celek, Tony Curtis
Offensive Lineman (10) - Jason Peters, Todd Herremans, Jamaal Jackson, Stacy Andrews, Shawn Andrews, Nick Cole, Max Jean-Gilles, Winston Justice, Mike McGlynn, King Dunlap
Defensive Lineman (9) – Trent Cole, Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, Victor Abiamiri, Chris Clemons, Juqau Parker, Jason Babin, Darren Howard, Trevor Laws
Linebackers (6) – Chris Gocong, Omar Gaither, Akeem Jordan, Joe Mays, Moise Fokou, Tracy White
The Eagles axed 4 players from the 2008 draft: Bryan Smith (DE), Jack Ikegqwuono (CB), Lorenzo Booker (RB), and Mike Gibson (OG). Jason Babin, who is a former 1st-round pick, is essentially replacing Bryan Smith. You can say that Jack was bumped by the acquisition of Ellis Hobbs. Lorenzo Booker has been replaced by Eldra Buckley. I hate to see 3 draft picks wasted, especially the 3rd-rounder used on Bryan Smith, but the players the Eagles kept are much better than the players cut.
Danny Amendola (WR) was unfortunately cut, but he might stand a chance to make the practice squad if he can make it through waivers. The Eagles have thus far kept 7 wide receivers and Brandon Gibson has not been cut, which indicates he’ll likely make the final roster, which means that Hank Baskett or Reggie Brown will be the odd man out since the Eagles will need to get down to 6 WRs. Neither Baskett or Brown has been formally cut as of yet. The Eagles have DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, Brandon Gibson, Hank Basket, and Reggie Brown on the roster. Not so thin at receiver anymore, right?
Matt Schobel (TE), Dan Klecko (DT), and Kyle Eckel (FB) are other mentionable cuts.
As of now, A.J. Feeley is still on the Eagles roster since Michael Vick is exempted from the 53 man roster until he is eligible to play in week 3. It’s safe to assume that the Eagles are likely talking to the Patriots about sending Feeley to the Patriots for draft considerations. Since Matt Cassel was traded to the Chiefs, the Patriots are without a quality backup for Brady.
We’ll post the full 53 man roster once it’s finalized.
This article is an interesting read. We obviously all thought of the wildcat formation when we first heard of the Vick signing, but we also wonder about what other role he could serve on the team. We even hoped that Vick could play a little TE after the injuries the Eagles have suffered. Here are some other ways the Eagles could use Vick:
Maybe a few snaps at RB or in the slot.
Surprisingly, I don’t ever recall Vick taking the snap as a placement holder for field goals. Add fake field goals into the list of possible ways to use Michael Vick. If teams see Vick coming out for a field goal, they’ll have to burn a timeout to adjust their package as well.
Look for more two-point conversions with Michael Vick. With Michael Vick, I’m sure you convert the majority, if not 90%, of your two-point attempts. Just two yards, are you kidding me? Do you know how much speed we have at QB, RB, and WR now?
Expect Vick to have an 8- to 10-play package. Every hour defense coordinators have to prepare for Vick, an hour less that they get to prepare for DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brian Westrbook, LeSean McCoy, Kevin Curtis, Donovan McNabb. You get the picture.
I couldn’t believe the news when I first heard it. The Eagles have officially signed Michael Vick to a two-year deal. Most people are disgusted by the move. I am not. It’s just business. I’m not going to say the front office sunk to a new low. They want to win. The man did his time, has been remorseful, and as a forgiving person, I’ll give him a second chance. When I heard about the signing, all I could think of is the wildcat formation. Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson in the backfield. Are you serious? The options for their offense is limitless.
This is the fastest offense in the history of ever. . .
DEASEAN JACKSON, JEREMY MACLIN, LESEAN MCCOY, BRIAN WESTRBOOK, KEVIN CURTIS, AND MICHAEL VICK.
SIX… 6 WEAPONS… IS THAT ENOUGH “WEAPONS” FOR MCNABB? I GUESS WE NEVER HAVE TO HEAR THAT SORRY EXCUSE FROM MCNABB THIS YEAR.
..and that’s without even getting to their all-star Offensive Line (on paper and injury free). Let’s just hope that they all get healthy in a hurry and can gel quickly.
Here are some of my impressions from the Eagles camp:
– Kevin Curtis looks 100%. Whatever his injury was (a thigh contusion I believe) did not slow him down one bit during practice.
– DeSean Jackson caught two very nice deep bombs from McNabb during practice. They also practiced the wild-cat formation with DeSean taking the snap, which picked up some nice yardage.
– Ikeguono had a very nice pass breakup. He’s aggressive and flys to the ball. If there’s one position the Eagles are stacked at, it’s got to be CB.
– Leonard Weaver has a nice set of hands for a FB. Expect to see McNabb dump the ball to him on flat routes if the WRs get jamped up in coverage. With DeSean, Maclin, White Lightning, and Celek, I don’t know how that will be possible, but the #5 go-to-guy will be Weaver out wide.
– I’m looking forward to seeing how King Dunlap plays during the pre-season. He is an absolute monster. He just towers over every O-lineman.
– I’m pulling for Eldra Buckley to win the 3rd RB spot over Booker. Booker is a one-trick pony. All he can do is run the screen play and maybe a stretch play. He can’t run inside and he can’t block. Buckley runs hard and looks like he has a lot of heart. His style reminds me a lot of Ricky Williams when he was good, but that may just be the dreads-effect.
I love the way the first day of the draft went. I was very surprised. I wanted Knowshon Moreno. I was pissed when he went to the Broncos. In my opinion, the Broncos should have focused on their defense, which was ranked in about the bottom 4 last year. No worries though, the Eagles got a true game-changer in Jeremy Maclin. He should have been a top 15 pick, so I’ll gladly take him at 19. Can you imagine the Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants trying to defend a 3 WR set of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Kevin Curtis? If McNabb can’t find one of those guys open with THIS line, he has serious problems. I don’t want to hear another complaint out of #5′s mouth. It’s time to get it done McNabb.
Some people were upset with the Eagles pick in Maclin. Yeah, most of us wanted Moreno; he was gone, too bad, what the hell are you gonna do? Maclin will be a stud in this league! He is just like DeSean Jackson but bigger and more physical. He puts the Eagles receiving corp over the top.
To make things even better, we get a RB in round 2 and it’s none other than LeSean McCoy: a guy who easily could have been a late first, early second-round pick. I’ve graded Knowshon Moreno an A prospect and LeSean McCoy a B+ prospect, but there’s not much difference between the two. We have a RB that is elusive, quick, can make things happen with the screen play, and fits in perfectly with the Eagles system. Everyone was so obsessed with a RB in this year’s draft, it seems like we all forgot that we still have Brian Westbrook. Yes, Westbrook is coming off a knee injury and is 30-years-old, but he is still the #1 guy and I expect him to rebound this season to his 2007 form. We didn’t need a starting runningback, we just needed a #2 RB on our depth chart. Anyone who is comparing LeSean McCoy to Ryan Moats is crazy. McCoy will be much better than Moats.
Our defense has 10 starters returning, the 11th guy need not be named. There’s no need to worry about going offense/offense with the first two picks. The defense has plenty of bodies.
No more knocking the front office. They are not cheap and they know what the hell they’re doing. Trading down in the last two years has paid dividends and I am relentlessly optimistic about the 2009 season. McNabb must be thrilled with Stacy Andrews, Jason Peters, Leonard Weaver, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy. Yes, I’m still pissed about them letting Brian Dawkins go, but it’s Dawkins who decided to leave for greener pastures. This team is ready for a Super Bowl. Let’s make it happen!
NFC East Roundup: No first day picks for the Cowboys. Ha! The Redskins got a gift with Brian Orakpo falling to them. The Giants had a pretty good draft too: WR Hakeem Nicks, LB Clint Sintim, and OT William Beatty on day one.
Knowshon Moreno went much higher than anticipated. He went #12 to the Broncos. Eagles had to come up with Plan B. They obviously wanted to boost the offense. They’re not sold on Beanie Wells (thank goodness), it was too early to take Donald Brown or LeSean McCoy, so why not add another playmaker to the receiving corp?
Brandon Pettigrew was on the board, but I’m not sold on him as the Eagles pick: he’s more of a premier blocker than a premier receiver and the Eagles like their TEs to be receivers and I still think the Eagles want Jared Cook or Chase Coffman in round 2. The Eagles traded up from 21 to 19 to take Maclin, so they must have been sold on him. I don’t know what the Eagles had to throw in: maybe a 5th or 6th rounder? We have four 5th rounders, so they might as well spend them.
I expected Maclin to be taken between 10 and 15. I rated him much higher than Darrius Heyward-Bey, who the Raiders foolishly drafted at 7, so I love the pick. Why the hell wouldn’t the Raiders trade down? That’s why they are a terrible organization. Plus, Maclin in the return game is a huge boost to our special teams. Maclin returning kickoffs, DeSean returning punts, and Quintin Demps as our alternate, that’s tremendous!
RB Plans: Wells is still on the board, so that’s another RB that should go soon, and luckily gone before the Eagles are tempted to take him. I don’t see Donald Brown falling that far — he’ll go by mid-2nd round at the latest. LeSean McCoy is an option for the Eagles in round 2. I wouldn’t be upset with Andre Brown in round 2 (I love his upside). I don’t want Shonn Greene. I’ll gladly take Mike Goodson in round 3 and if he’s gone, I wouldn’t be upset with Javon Ringer either. We have options. RB is deep.
Let’s take a look at what we’re getting with Maclin. DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, and Jeremy Maclin in 3 WR sets — they may be a bit undersized, but that’s a ridiculous amount of speed — I like it:
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.
I love the way the first day of the draft went. I was very surprised. I wanted Knowshon Moreno. I was pissed when he went to the Broncos. In my opinion, the Broncos should have focused on their defense, which was ranked in about the bottom 4 last year. No worries though, the Eagles got a true game-changer in Jeremy Maclin. He should have been a top 15 pick, so I’ll gladly take him at 19. Can you imagine the Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants trying to defend a 3 WR set of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Kevin Curtis? If McNabb can’t find one of those guys open with THIS line, he has serious problems. I don’t want to hear another complaint out of #5′s mouth. It’s time to get it done McNabb.
Knowshon Moreno went much higher than anticipated. He went #12 to the Broncos. Eagles had to come up with Plan B. They obviously wanted to boost the offense. They’re not sold on Beanie Wells (thank goodness), it was too early to take Donald Brown or LeSean McCoy, so why not add another playmaker to the receiving corp?
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