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!

Eagles traded Greg Lewis and a 2010 draft pick (presumed to be a 7th-round pick) for an undisclosed 2009 draft pick from the Patriots (presumed to be a 5th-round pick).  The Eagles now have four 5th-round picks in this year’s draft and a total of 12 picks in the draft.

I don’t really get the big buzz about 5th round picks.  We traded Lito for a 5th rounder and another conditional pick in 2010 and certain people are saying how the Eagles got such “good value.”  How valuable is a 5th round pick really?  This is just my guess, but 9 out of 10 times, a fifth-rounder never becomes a starter in the NFL.  More than half the time, they probably don’t end up making the active roster in their first few years.

The Eagles don’t even get their 3rd-round picks right the majority of the time (Billy McMullen, Matt Ware, Ryan Moats, Tony Hunt, C.J. Gaddis).  However, you have to respect these 3rd-round picks: Westbrook, Burgess, Stewart Bradley, Staley, and Trotter.

On the other hand, the Eagles have landed two very good pieces over the years from the 5th round: Trent Cole and Brent Celek.  I guess the more picks you have, the greater your chances of getting it right, so maybe all these trades will work to their advantage.

Before we get started, I just wanted to throw out a quick plug for my fantasy football rankings: Fantasy Links .INFO.  Definitely visiting that site before you start your draft.

The Eagles cut 12 players:

Kyle Arrington (CB),  Bam Childress (WR),  Jed Collins (FB),  Jason Davis(FB),  Therrian Fontenot (CB),  Michael Gasperson (WR),  Nick Graham (CB),  Jamal Jones (WR),  Mike Marquardt (DT),  Shaheer McBride (WR),  Jerome McDougle (DE),  Ryan Moats (RB),  Marcus Paschal (S),  Montae Reagor (DT), Justin Roland (LB),  Andy Studebaker (LB),  Pago Togafau (LB),  Kris Wilson (TE),  Scott Young (G)

This is how the final roster has shaped up:

Offense

QB (3) – McNabb, Kolb, Feeley
RB (3) – Westbrook, Buckhalter, Booker
FB (1) – Tony Hunt
WR (6) – Curtis, Brown, Jackson, Avant, Baskett, Lewis
TE (3) – Smith, Celek, Schobel
OL (9)- Runyan, Andrews, Jackson, Herremans, Thomas, Cole, Jean-Gilles, Justice, McGlynn

Defense

DE (6) – Cole, Parker, Smith, Clemons, Howard, Abiamiri
DT (4) – Patterson, Bunkley, Laws, Klecko
LB (6) – Gocong, Bradley, Gaither, Jordan, Mays, Boiman
S (5) – Dawkins, Mikell, Considine, Reed, Demps
CB (4) – Samuel, Brown, Sheppard, Hanson
ST (3) – Akers, Rocca, Dorenbos

Reaction:

Jerome McDougle — Most of Eagles Nation was surprised/disappointed to see Jerome McDougle let go.  In the past few seasons he’s been getting a lot of heat for not living up to the expectations of a 15th overall pick; however, it was not his fault for an unfulfilling career.  He’s had a series of unfortunate injuries and was shot.  This season, on the other hand, it looked like McDougle might be able to revive his career.  McDougle registered 2.5 sacks in 4 preseason games and it seemed that he had his motor and burst off the line back.  The Eagles decided to cut him though and it seems like the Giants will be eager to add him to their roster after losing Umenyiora for the season.  I think this was a poor move by the Eagles.  The Eagles could have placed Abiamiri, who recently received surgery on his hand, on the IR or they could have placed Bryan Smith on the practice squad.  Instead, the Eagles have a plethora of undersized DEs, which leaves Juqua Parker as the only viable option opposite of Trent Cole (until Abiamiri is back).   I don’t see the point of carrying both Chris Clemons and Bryan Smith — they will both have pretty much the same role on defense.  It will take weeks before Abiamiri is able to return.  I just don’t see the logic in this move.  My only hope is that the Eagles are pretty certain that Abiamiri’s hand has healed well and that it will be only a few weeks until he can get onto the field.

Tony Hunt – Hunt landed the starting FB role.  Jason Davis got cut.  Hopefully, Hunt will be able to pick up things at FB pretty quick.  He’s never played the position before and during an interview, he didn’t seem too pleased about transitioning to FB, but that’s what it is going to take to make the roster, so he should be pleased with that.  He performed well during the preseason, but still remains the #4 RB on the depth chart.  I think Hunt will do well at the position.

Kris Wilson –  I expected Schobel to be cut and Wilson to be the Eagles 3rd TE, but the Eagles opted for Schobel.  Not a huge deal, but something most of us expected to go the other way.

Andy Studebaker – I was surprised they let him go.  I figured he would be placed on the practice squad.  I was impressed with what I saw from him, but I guess the Eagles didn’t think he could be anything more than a special teamer.

Joe Mays – Joe Mays made the active roster and he was very deserving of the roster spot.  The guy was a total tackling machine this preseason.  The guy had 30 tackles in 4 preseason games including 13 tackles (9 solo) in the preseason finale against the Jets.  The Eagles hit the nail on the head with this draft pick.  The guy gets to the ball fast and makes great tackles.  The one aspect of his game that will have to improve is shredding blockers.

Quintin Demps — Another phenomenal draft pick by the Eagles.  I get excited every time I’m about to see Demps return a kickoff.  The guy can go from 1st gear to 5th gear in a heartbeat.  He runs over kickers.  He’s great.  He had a kickoff return for a touchdown against the Patriots and had several excellent kickoff returns against the Jets.  In the game against the Jets, Demps had 4 kickoff returns for 137 yards (34.3 yard average and his longest return was 51 yards).

The Eagles played preseason game #2 and here are some game notes.  I missed the 1st half, but what a game it turned out to be in the 2nd half: a come from behind win — 24 unanswered points — 24-13.  From what I saw from the 1st half highlights, it was uneventful, except for a botched field goal attempt by the Eagles that ended up in 7 for the Panthers.  Carolina was up at halftime 10-0.  The Eagles made a 2nd half comeback with Kolb leading the way to a 17-13 lead.  The Eagles then tipped a QB pass in the final minute of the game and it was picked it off by Justin Roland for a TD.  Here are some notes from the 2nd half:

– Kevin Kolb: I love the guy.  His stats don’t really “woo” you, but here’s what I saw.  Scratch that, he ended up with 155 yards and a TD in one half.  The guy throws darts on the field.  He has a great command of the offense, he plays fired up, he plays with passion — he’s a winner.  He has great awareness in the pocket, he steps up at the right time, and he makes the right throw — on a bullet.  He had an INT, but it wasn’t his fault: he threw a bullet to DeSean Jackson and it went through his hands, and ended up in the hands of the defender behind him.  More on DeSean Jackson next.  To reaffirm what I said about Kolb: he just threw a beautiful deep pass to Greg Lewis in the left corner of the end zone — touchdown, 7-13 — just text book.

– DeSean Jackson: He was definitely the #1 target with the second team.  2 mistakes from the rookie: he had a fumble and gave up and INT by not getting his hands on the ball.  Hopefully,  we get those mistakes out of the way early.  He has the great ability of catching short passes and turning them up field for big yards: he just caught a short ball and turned it into 9 and he ended up with 4 catches for 32 yards the last time I saw the stat tracker.  He looks good out there, except for giving up the INT, but as mentioned before, that pass was a bullet.  As I write this, another short pass to DeSean for a first down: 7 catches 70 yards — that’s 3 catches and 28 more yards in a matter of about 3 minutes: this guys is going to be good.  He will have to put on weight though, and that will come.

– Jerome McDougle: McDougle started out with a sick sack in the 3rd quarter: the first and only (as of now).  The guy has his motor back.  He is clearly playing for his job and it shows.  If he keeps playing at this pace, I wouldn’t be surprised if he overtakes Juqua Parker for the starting job.

– Lorenzo Booker: Booker got a few touches.  He got gobbled up a couple times, but he was able to break a really nice run for 17 yards.

– Hank Baskett: Baskett had a chance to convert on a deep ball from Kolb but he was forced out of bounds by a defender and couldn’t secure the ball before being run out of bounds.  I’m a big Baskett fan: I think he’s the best #4 receiver in the NFL.  Baskett and Kolb hooked up deep later towards the end of the 4th quarter to make a push to win the game.

– Sav Rocca: Beautiful punts from the Aussie.  I want see him start hitting some people.

– Lito Sheppard: He got a pick.  Is a healthy season too much to ask?

– Tony Hunt: I love the way he runs: he’s straight down hill.  3:00 minutes left in the game and he takes it 50+ yards to the house for the 17-13 lead!!!

– Andy Studebaker: After the Eagles scored 24 unanswered points (led by Kevin Kolb), I saw Studebaker with a beastly tackle on special teams at the end of the game.  Great draft pick by the Eagles.  Great draft pick.

– Bryan Smith: The “smallish” small school DE that the Eagles drafted in the 3rd round seems to be worthy of the selection.  He had 4 tackles in the game and looked good on certain plays.  He doesn’t look incredibly small on the field.  He reminds me of Trent Cole.  Another brilliant draft pick by the Eagles.

– Tackle Leaders: Bradley (5), Arrington (5), Mikell (4), Demps (4), Bryan Smith (4)

Let’s Go Birds!  Is it September 7th yet?  At home against St. Louis — I expect at least 35.

Although the Eagles lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-10 in last night’s meaningless preseason opener, there were still many positives that the Birds could walk away with from the contest.  For starters, our franchise quarterback, Donovan McNabb looked stellar in his limited action throwing for 97 yards on 10-13 passing.  We all know that #5 throws a great deep ball, but I must say that I was much more impressed by his accuracy on the shorter routes.  As a result of Donovan’s confidence in himself and his receivers, the Eagles offense scored 10 points in their first two drives downfield (28 yd FG-David Akers, 3-yd TD Jason Davis).

Another plus was the superb play of the Eagles first-round draft pick DeSean Jackson.  Jackson had 5 catches for 51 yards, his longest catch being a 19 yd reception, including the phenomenal grab shown in the video below this story.  DeSean also saw limited action on special teams where he returned 3 punts for a dismal 3 yards.  I look to see more from the rookie out of California in the return game in the second preseason game at Carolina on August 14th.

Coming into the game I was looking at four important components that the Eagles needed to impress me on in order for them to regain the NFC East dominance which we are all used to just two seasons ago.

1)      QB Play

2)      RB Play (besides B-West)

3)      Special Teams play

4)      Lineman Play (in protection and rush)

In all four of these categories, the Eagles did not disappoint.

– Although AJ Feeley had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds when he overthrew an open Kris Wilson in the end-zone, the overall QB play of all three QBs was satisfactory [McNabb 10-13 (97yds), Kolb 12-21 (81yds), Feeley 6-14 (51 yds)].

– As it was reported here by my colleague Zach Zawarski, Brian Westbrook got his lucrative new deal.  The details listed in this 52-page draft were so intricate however, that B-West was sidelined the first two quarters so that he had a chance to look over and understand the entire contract alongside Joe Banner.  This gave Eagles fans the chance to watch Correll Buckhalter, Lorenzo Booker, Tony Hunt, and Ryan Moats in action.  Buckhalter and Booker looked impressive and seem to be great compliments to the best running back and possibly best player in the league, Brian Westbrook.  Tony Hunt proved he can be relied on to gain 1 or 2 yards in the trenches when called upon.  Ryan Moats, who is trying very hard to make this Eagles team, played well and with a lot of heart.  Reluctantly, I must say that I just don’t see Moats making this year’s team.  His play on the field was more of an audition to showcase to other NFL teams scouts his ability to play, rather than for Eagles coaches and management.  I wish Ryan well, but I stand behind my opinion that there just is no room for him on this year’s roster.

– Special Teams dropped only one ball (L. Booker still gained positive yards) during returns yesterday, but atleast didn’t turn the ball over to the Steelers.  This in itself is definitely an improvement from last year when the Eagles were plagued by turnovers in the return game.  In addition, David “Moneyfoot” Akers should no signs of an ailing hamstring and looked to be in Pro-Bowl form.  Also, Sav Rocca punted the ball well.

–The lineman on both sides of the ball looked great.  In addition to Trent Cole, I was impressed by Jerome McDougle.  He seemed aggressive and made his presence felt at Heinz Field.  RG Max Jean-Gilles subbed in for Pro-Bowl G Shawn Andrews and also played very well.

–  Jay Vaidya

———————————————————————————–

Preseason Game 1 Injury Notes:

–CB Asante Samuel DNP (Hamstring)

–WR Reggie Brown DNP (Achilles)

–G Shawn Andrews DNP (Depression)

The Eagles released their 2008 depth chart, which you can view here.

Some interesting notes from the chart:

– Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown are “co-starters” — that may be a first.

– DeSean Jackson is the #7 receiver on the depth chart, but I wouldn’t read too much into that: I expect that he’ll be on the field for about 30% of the team’s packages.  Gasperson is ahead of him and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.

– Lorenzo Booker is going to return kicks and DeSean Jackson is going to return punts.  Quitin Demps is the backup to both guys and then J.R. Reed is behind them.  It looks like we’ll finally have an explosive special teams.  I’m setting the over/under for special teams touchdowns to 3.5.  Any takers?

– Quitin Mikell is ahead of Sean Considine at the start of the season for the first time… it’s about time the Eagles got that one right.

– Juqua Parker is still holding on the starting spot opposite of Trent Cole.  I was expecting Abiamiri to step up and take over the starting spot, but Abiamiri is set to have surgery on his wrist.

– Schoebel is still ahead of newly signed Kris Wilson.  Many expect Schoebel to get the boot when the Eagles brought in Wilson from the Chiefs in the offseason.

The Madden 09 player rankings for the Philadelphia Eagles are out.  You can check out the full rankings following this link to IGN.com.

Here is who the Eagles’ top 10 players are according to the Madden rankings:

1.) Brian Westbrook – 97
2.) Asante Samuel – 96
2.) Shawn Andrews – 96
4.) Tra Thomas – 95
5.) Lito Sheppard – 94
6.) Trent Cole – 93
7.) Donovan McNabb – 92
7.) Brian Dawkins – 92
7.) Jamaal Jackson – 92
10.) Jon Runyan – 90

You can also follow Madden 09 at EA Sports Blog.

– For the last time, McNabb is fine [Bleeding Green Nation] –  What’s up with the media’s love affair with McNabb’s injuries.  This is TENDINITIS for Christ’s sake.  Since when is tendinitis a major news story on ESPN?  This is absolutely ridiculous.  If this were any other QB, this wouldn’t even be a story.  What’s next, “McNabb stubs toe, gets paper cut on throwing finger” as ESPN.com’s next story?  Well, McNabb spoke out and you can read what he had to say at BGN.

– Picture of McNabb at the OTAs [Iggles Blog] — In the quote from the BGN article, McNabb talks about how the media criticizes his weight.  This may be a bad picture, but he is looking a little chubbier than last year.

Keeping track of some signings:

– Eagles sign DT von Oelhoffen to a 1-year deal.  They also inked LB Andy Studebaker and OG Mike Gibson to 4-year deals.

– The Eagles also inked Quintin Demps, also a 4-year deal.  I’m excited to see what kind of player this guy turns out to be.  I see potential there.

– The Eagles also locked up their GM until 2011.

What else is going on:

– DeSean Jackson and Asante Samuel Tweaked Their Hammies [Iggles Blog] — You gotta stretch those out guys! Haven’t they seen The Cable Guy?

– Video: DeSean Jackson Interview [Inside the Iggles] — I’m on the DeSean bandwagon.  The video shows some highlights from minicamp: the dude looks good — Action Jackson!  Apparently, he’s Philly’s new A.I. [The 700 Level]

– So… what really happened this spring? [Dave Spadaro] — Spads goes over the major stories coming out of the OTAs.  We’re really beating a dead horse with the Lito Sheppard situation.  He also analyzes the state of the WRs and looks at the DL.

Spads poses the question, “Can J.R. Reed challenge Considine in camp?”  It should be the other way around.  Considine is a joke.  He has to earn the spot from Reed, not the other way around.

Curtis had a good camp, Brown is catching balls with more consistency, and DeSean Jackson has the mental part down.

The defensive line looks sick — I agree.  The Eagles have stockpiled talent on the line.  They should be able to let them loose this year.  I’ll be paying close attention to Abiamiri this camp.  If he steps up, with the outside rushers the Eagles have, and Trent Cole, they can be dangerous.

Jason Davis looks like a lock to be the starting FB.

The Eagles’ nickel package has me excited: Asante and Lito on the outside.  Sheldon playing the slot.  Gaither and Bradley in the middle.  Dawkins and Q roaming in the back.  I like it.

The Lito story leads me to the next story…

– An article Lito Sheppard should read… [Bleeding Green Nation] — The consensus amongst a few GMs is that Lito is nothing more than 3rd CB.  I.e., Lito should stop bitching about his contract, stay healthy, hit harder, make more plays, and then we can talk.

So I promised an Eagles link up and there you have it.  These days in Eagles news are slow.  We’ll really get into full gear when the Eagles kick off training camp in late July at Lehigh University.  Until then, we can keep hoping that the Phillies continue to put up 20 on the scoreboard.

There is an outstanding article I came across over at the Eagles eye that talks about where the Eagles stand in 2008.  They discuss which players will be the starters next season, which free agents they may go after, which players they will let go, and what the Eagles may look for in the draft.

To summarize the article: Trent Cole and Juqua Thomas should the starters at defensive end next year.  Jevon Kearse and Darren Howard have been disappointing this season, so the Eagles may target another defensive end in free agency, possibly the Chiefs’ Jared Allen or Ravens’ Terrell Suggs, or the Eagles may draft another defensive end if they don’t think Victor Ambiamiri is making the progress they had hoped for; he didn’t get a lot of snaps this year, so it’s hard to tell how he is doing.

We all know the four safeties the Eagles were looking at in last year’s draft (Landry, Griffin, Nelson, and Meriweather) were drafted before the Eagles were up in the draft, so they really missed out  on a player that they hoped could attempt to assume Dawkins’ role when Dawkins’ time to retire comes (I hate talking about it, but he is 34).  Mikell has had a pretty good year; J.R. Reed hasn’t been bad, especially for a player who was counted out because of injuries; and Sean Considine simply sucks. If the Eagles like a safety in this year’s draft, you can be pretty sure they will use their first round pick on that position.

We all know how well the Eagle’s young linebackers are developing.  I’m extremely impressed with Gaither, Gocong, and Bradley. I like what they have at that position, so if Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis or Penn State’s Dan Connor are available, I think the Eagles would pass on them.  Laurinaitis should be drafted in the top 10 because he does stuff like this (YouTube video), but Connor could fall to a spot where the Eagles could pick him up.

The Eagles could use another OT to succeed Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan and I’m scared about Winston Justice’s development after the Giant’s debacle, but the guy never gave up a sack in college football (I think; regardless, he was damn good in college).  The Eagles were going to draft him with their first pick, but Bunkley fell so they took him and then Justice fell, so they traded up in the second round to get him, so a double bonus for them.  The Eagles could use another OT, but I think they should target one in the 2nd or 3rd round rather than their 1st round pick, which I think they should use to get a safety or DeSean Jackson.

Finally, what will the Eagles do about L.J. Smith?  I think they’ll let him go unless his free-agent stock decreases because lets face it: he’s injury prone, drops passes, fumbles, and is a below average pass blocker, but other than that he’s awesome!  He does a lot of good things to the passing game and has bad-ass tattoos.  The article mentions that Dallas Clark is a free agent, but Indy will almost certainly resign him.  I think Brent Celek will be a very solid player,  not a pro-bowler, but a sure handed player who can block, and that’s about all you can really ask for from the 5th round selection.  I think the Eagles should draft another TE late to add depth, but I have no problem with Celek as the starter going into next season.

One final note.  Apparently there were some rumors the Eagles would trade for Chad Johnson in the offseason, but the chances of that are probably as good as the Eagles making the playoffs this year: none.