Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Don't know what to make of this draft

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Don't know what to make of this draft

    Those " in the know " seem to be split on the picks. Ray Diddinger and Ron Burke seem to think nearly every pick was a reach. Mayock seems to like a bunch of the picks and I don't know much about most of them. What are your thoughts ?
    We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

  • #2
    It definitely seemed like there were some reaches, and some picks on guys with questionable history and backgrounds. but, and you can look at this as a good thing or a bad thing, they seemed to draft for need and hit the spots we most needed depth. You knew that we needed to draft at OL and RB...those were filled first. Followed by some competition for the secondary.
    http://shop.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifOK, let's try this again...

    Comment


    • #3
      I will give them credit for being real aggressive in Free Agency to help put this team together prior to the draft. I love Wentz and just hope his play in the NFL matches his play at ND and his kick ass demeanor

      I agree that this draft isn't flashy after that. But it looks like we did look to fill needs and add depth.

      I really wanted Dixon or Booker and was bummed we couldn't get one of them. Smallwood didn't wow me, but I understand the pick. The O lacked speed last year, so he can hopefully help with some flashy big plays from time to time

      I feel like the offense should be better than last year (if Bradford stays)

      I feel like the defense will really take advantage of less time on the field. It will be interesting to see how corner plays out

      However, I think the Giants had a great offseason and great draft and will likely be a much better team than us in 2016

      Comment


      • #4
        I think you reach with few draft picks. You make sure the need is filled since it will be awhile between picks. The rest is just blah. I like taking characters that can play late. They may just need to grow up

        Comment


        • #5
          Looks like they rolled the dice on a couple of knuckleheads. Smallwood and Jaylen Mills. Kipper had Mills in the 2nd round, CBS in the 3rd.

          http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...uPXpA5GiDpG.99
          "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

          Comment


          • #6
            Where the Eagles were picking, it's hard to call any of them a "reach" -- draftnik perception may not nearly match up with what teams do. There was a story that a team tried to trade up with the Eagles in the third round -- to take Seumalo. So he was picked about where he should have been, and about where he was ranked. Some draftnik might think he "should" have gone a round later, but really, those are often wrong. It doesn't feel like any of the guys were an extreme reach, but also doesn't feel like any were a major steal either.

            I don't really know anything about any of them, but OL had to be addressed and it was. It's hard to be excited about any, but I can't be disappointed either until we see them play. For most of them, you are just hoping they become decent backups or special teams players anyways.

            The draft was mostly about Carson Wentz. And a big part of next year's too. So, the final grade will rest on how he does. I'm very nervous investing that much in a 1-AA player (1st rounder, 3rd rounder from the Bryce Brown trade, 4th rounder, the draft gains from the Maxwell/Alonso trade, the draft gains from the Murray trade, 1st in 2017, 2nd in 2018, and throwing away some of the value of the 2nd rounder this year invested in Bradford especially if we have to trade him).

            Eagles took some guys with character concerns, first time in a long while, though they are guys at the bottom end of the draft. I think some of the UDFAs had some issues. McCalister was suspended for the first game of his senior season "due to University Athletic Association policy"; suspicion is that it was for a second drug violation (two others got the same suspension). May not be a big deal.

            Jalen Mills is the most interesting... sounds like he has a lot of talent, maybe 2nd round type talent, at a position where the Eagles could really use some depth (safety). He was charged with battery after allegedly hitting a woman who was not an acquaintance but came to his door; the charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, and after he was still planning to plead not guilty, they reached a deal where he did not admit guilt but did do a pretrial program of community service, paid for the medical bills (a thousand or two), and would have the charge wiped after a probation period. Sounds like the victim needed four stitches, but didn't want to press to trial either. She picked him out of a lineup, but there were claims that Mills' girlfriend actually threw the punch, and he maintained innocence. Dunno... definitely not good. Probably worth the risk at that point of the draft though. Mills also injured his ankle and missed the first five games of the season (though returned much earlier than predicted at the time of the injury). He did play at the Senior Bowl.

            Comment


            • #7
              My only real disappointment is not getting one of the better ranked RB's. Roseman pretty much admitted that the run on RB's right before the Eagles pick affected things - both Perkins and Howard went right before Smallwood. Wonder if the 2 fifth rounders could have been parlayed into a 4th to do better, particularly since I think Big V will be Big Zero. Countess seems not to be on anyone's board, but hard to question guys who do this for a living. I like the gambles in the 6th and 7th, particularly on Mills, but McAllister could also develop if he hits the gym.
              Russian reporters to Bobby Clarke: Can you imagine hockey without fights?
              Robert Earle Clarke's response: Can you imagine vodka without alcohol?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by flyered View Post
                My only real disappointment is not getting one of the better ranked RB's. Roseman pretty much admitted that the run on RB's right before the Eagles pick affected things - both Perkins and Howard went right before Smallwood. Wonder if the 2 fifth rounders could have been parlayed into a 4th to do better, particularly since I think Big V will be Big Zero. Countess seems not to be on anyone's board, but hard to question guys who do this for a living. I like the gambles in the 6th and 7th, particularly on Mills, but McAllister could also develop if he hits the gym.
                If the Eagles front office thought that Big V would be Big Zero, they might agree with you (or they would have drafted someone else). After Wentz, tradeups were probably a bad idea. I'd prefer taking more shots at the lottery at that point.

                Smallwood seems more the Sproles type, but maybe one who can run a bit more often. But hopefully we can find a serviceable RB.

                Countess sounds like he played nickel CB, safety, and special teams for Auburn this year. Was not invited to the combine but had quite reasonable numbers at his pro day. He could very well backup at nickel and safety for us -- looks like a much more physical tackler than Reynolds, which in this new scheme is probably a lot more important. He and Mills may battle it out (or if good enough on special teams, push Maragos off the team as well). Seems like a reasonable pick in the 6th round. Size seems to be more nickel corner-ish but may be stronger than the norm there.

                http://draftbreakdown.com/video/blak...pi-state-2015/

                http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/sport...e65039497.html

                Comment


                • #9
                  I'm still sifting through everything. I had to leave for a work conference but will post more later. First impression after Wentz was the addressed the oline which they had to go. They took a RB which we are talking about the third string guy and a Fifth round choice. Then they took several lottery tickets. Not sexy names but positional competition. I actually like the UDFA they signed a lot. I think two or three of them could at least make the practice squad
                  Were from Philly F in Philly no one likes us we DON'T CARE!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Here's a breakdown that sounds pretty positive . Let's hope we see good things from this group.


                    t
                    2016 NFL Draft Grades: Eagles picks earn high ratings

                    By Brandon Lee Gowton@BrandonGowton on May 1, 2016, 11:34a 149
                    Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports



                    After the Philadelphia Eagles made their 2016 NFL Draft picks, we asked you whether you approved of each selection. Here's how things turned out.
                     Tweet Share on Twitter Share Share on Facebook (77 Pin Pinterest 149 Comments ⋆ Rec Recommend this Post 1

                    1 (No. 2) Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State: 90 percent

                    No more half measures at the most important position in sports. The Eagles are going all in on Wentz. They believe in him as their franchise quarterback. Whether or not Wentz is actually going to be good or not, I'm not sure. The Eagles obviously think he will be. Now, they could be wrong, but at least they would be going down with their guy. The hope is that the Birds can develop Wentz under the tutelage of Doug Pederson, Frank Reich, and John DeFilippo. Wentz has the potential to be the cornerstone of championship contention for years to come. Still, he has a lot to prove at the NFL level. Wentz might not play much in his rookie year but he's expected to be the starter by 2017 at the latest.
                    3 (No. 87) Isaac Seumalo, OG, Oregon State: 87 percent

                    For some reason Chip Kelly was really against drafting offensive lineman ever since taking Lane Johnson in 2013. The Eagles finally made an effort to get younger in the trenches by taking Seumalo. The fact that he was able to play four out of five positions on the offensive line in college shows his versatility. Seumalo fits in as a guard/center type. He'll have an opportunity to win the starting left guard job. If he doesn't win that, he can be the top backup at guard and center.


                    5 (No. 153) Wendell Smallwood, RB, West Virginia: 75 percent

                    Smallwood is the least popular of the picks the Eagles made. Some of that might have to with his checkered past and his off color tweets. It also doesn't look great that there was a big run on running backs before the Eagles picked their choice. Did they really get the guy they want? Was this merely a need pick? Smallwood doesn't seem special enough to take over as the lead back. One would imagine the Eagles will use a committee of him, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, and maybe even Kenjon Barner.
                    5 (No. 164) Halapoulivaatai Vaitai, OT, TCU: 91 percent

                    I really wanted the Eagles to draft this guy just because I like his name. Then I realized I'll have to type this name a lot, which could be a problem. Oh well, it's worth it. After not drafting an offensive lineman since 2013, it couldn't hurt to add two this year, so that's just what the Birds did. Big V will ideally be a backup as a rookie. The Eagles probably hope he can take over for Lane Johnson at right tackle in the future.
                    6 (No. 18 Blake Countess, DB, Auburn: 92 percent

                    The Countess pick is a little confusing because the Eagles already have nine cornerbacks (plus Malcolm Jenkins) on the roster. They aren't lacking "depth" at that position as much as they're lacking impact players. Countess is another body to add to the mix. He doesn't seem like a high upside guy as much as he is a backup/role player/special teams contributor.
                    7 (No. 233) Jalen Mills, S, LSU: 98 percent

                    The Mills pick seems great from a value perspective. Mel Kiper has him rated as a second round talent and CBS Sports had him pegged as a third round prospect. The problem is that Mills has some serious character concerns. If Mills can stay out of trouble he has the potential to earn playing time in the defense.
                    7 (No. 240) Alex McCalister, DE, Florida: 98 percent

                    I really like the McCalister pick. It's fun to watch his pass rushing highlights. He's long, tall, and fast. He bends pretty well and seems to really enjoy hitting the quarterback. McAlister has some unspecified character concerns. Howie Roseman would only say that what he did to get dismissed from Florida was "illegal." If McAlister can mature and add some weight he could make for an interesting pass rush specialist in Jim Schwartz's defense.


                    7 (No. 251) Joe Walker, LB, Oregon: 86 percent

                    I can't say I know much about Walker on my own but everything I've read is fairly positive relative to expectations. Ideally just a solid backup linebacker to have who can also help out on special teams. That's good enough for a pick that took place a few spots before the draft ended.

                    We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Eagles Wake-Up Call: Pick-By-Pick Draft Review

                      How did Howie Roseman do now that he’s back in the driver’s seat?
                      By Josh Paunil | May 2, 2016 at 6:00 am
                      Share0 Tweet0 Share0 Share0 Email0
                      comment on this post
                      2 Comments


                      image: http://cdn.phillymag.com/wp-content/...2039035907.jpg
                      Howie Roseman, Carson Wentz, Jeffrey Lurie and Doug Pederson. (USA Today Sports)

                      There is one — and only one — grade you should really give the Eagles for their 2016 draft picks. That letter?
                      ‘I’, for incomplete.
                      Often times, grades are based on value for picks, but we forget that a lot of the “value” is created by the media. If a team selected someone in the second round who most “draft experts” had pegged as a third-round pick, that doesn’t necessarily mean he was a “reach.” And if a team takes a prospect in the sixth round who many in the media had as a fifth-round pick, that doesn’t necessarily mean they got “good value.”
                      Some media members consult teams about their round projections on certain players, but there’s no universal big board across the league. The only real way to determine if someone was a reach or not is to wait five years.
                      Howie Roseman summed this up perfectly on Saturday.
                      “It may take us a few years for us to figure out exactly what we did this weekend,” he said.
                      Still, there’s a lot to dig into between the Eagles’ eight picks, and if you’re into grades, we’ll satisfy your hunger for that around 10 a.m. But for now, let’s take a look at each selection.
                      Round
                      Player
                      Position
                      College
                      1 Carson Wentz QB North Dakota State 3 Isaac Seumalo OL Oregon State 5 Wendell Smallwood RB West Virginia 5 Halapoulivaati Vaitai OT TCU 6 Blake Countess DB Auburn 7 Jalen Mills DB LSU 7 Alex McCalister DE Florida 7 Joe Walker LB Oregon Round 1 (No. 2): QB Carson Wentz, North Dakota State
                      As a reporter said on Saturday that the Eagles’ 2016 draft will always be known as The Carson Wentz Draft, Roseman slowly nodded his head and repeated “for sure.”
                      “For all of us, that’s going to be the reality of the situation,” he said. “We made an aggressive move to go get Carson.”
                      Trending: Eagles Go With Jalen Mills, Alex McCalister In Seventh

                      I previously wrote about how, while I don’t think the Eagles should’ve traded up, I expectWentz will be better than Jared Goff. I like his arm strength and his measurables, and the more I hear about him, the more I think he has a Jordan Matthews-type work ethic.
                      Fran Duffy conducted an insightful interview on Thursday with Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, who said Wentz’s “arm talent” separated him on the team’s big board. He also noted Wentz can throw the ball from many different launch points, while referencing Wentz’s experience under center in a pro-style offense.
                      DeFilippo broke down a few plays for Duffy, including one in which Wentz threw a 38-yard touchdown pass against North Dakota.
                      “The first thing you’re going to see is two things we like to see: No. 1, he gets back straight behind the center. He is in perfect position to throw the football,” DeFilippo said. “His shoulders — we like to talk about balancing two coke cans on your shoulders in the pocket — he is ready to throw it at any moment in the pocket.
                      Sponsored Content

                      Suggested: No, Temple’s New BookBot Isn’t Replacing Library Stacks

                      “Now, there’s a couple of other things I really like about this play. He sees the rush coming down right in his face. He plants his feet with a defender right in his face … and throws a strike on the deep ball. That is hard to do.”
                      Video Player http://www.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Carson-Wentz.mp4
                      image: http://cdn.phillymag.com/wp-content/...n-Wentz-FI.png









                      00:00
                      00:00
                      00:08
                      Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.









                      As for Wentz’s weaknesses, Doug Pederson talked to Dave Spadaro about what the quarterback can improve on.
                      “There are some things with him in the pocket. He does have great feet, but at this level, the ability to not only process information fast, but to get his feet set to make those throws and those anticipatory throws in the National Football League,” Pederson said. “Work on his accuracy a little bit. And then his willingness to slide and get down and protect his body. You see some of those runs that he did in college, and he’s not going to be able to get away with those at this level.”
                      Round 3 (No. 79): OL Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State
                      After a rough year of offensive line play, the Eagles seem to have every starter set in stone except one: left guard. That’s why, even though some think Seumalo’s best position is center, he’ll begin his NFL career competing at left guard.
                      He’ll battle against Allen Barbre, Stefen Wisniewski and Malcolm Bunche, but people seem to forget about Andrew Gardner. It’s unclear whether Gardner can play left guard as well as he can play right guard, but if he can, I’d pencil him in as the starter right now.
                      As for Seumalo, he allowed just four pressures in pass protection in all of 2015, per Pro Football Focus



                      Round 5 (No. 153): RB Wendell Smallwood, West Virginia
                      Many people expected the Eagles to target a running back in the middle rounds, and when some fell even further than expected, it appeared they could nab a “steal.” But UCLA’s Paul Perkins and Indiana’s Jordan Howard were selected just a few picks before Philadelphia was on the clock, and they decided to take Smallwood, a guy with a couple of red flags in his background.
                      Scouts praise Smallwood’s skill as a pass-blocker and receiver out of the backfield, so he may be able to find a niche for himself in some third-down situations. In an All-22 breakdown on the Eagles’ website, Greg Cosell said he could see Pederson using Smallwood similarly to how the Chiefs have used De’Anthony Thomas.

                      Round 5 (No. 164): OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, TCU
                      Vaitai seems to be more of a project than a guy you can plug and play, which makes me curious about who would plays tackle opposite of Lane Johnson if Jason Peters misses some snaps. I’m not sure how much depth the Eagles have at right tackle, assuming Johnson shifts if Peters gets hurt, which could be an issue.
                      Johnson talked last season about how there isn’t as much of a difference now in terms of the value of left and right tackles because pass rushers don’t just try to attack the quarterback’s blindspot anymore. I checked with Pro Football Focus, and according to them, three of the NFL’s top pass rushers — Khalil Mack, Von Miller and J.J. Watt — predominantly line up on the offense’s right side.

                      Round 6 (No. 196): DB Blake Countess, Auburn
                      Countess mostly played safety at Auburn as a graduate transfer last season, after spending time at corner at Michigan. Roseman said Countess can also play nickel corner, and that he has Rodney McLeod-like traits at safety.
                      Roseman added that they valued Countess because of his versatility on defense, in addition to his specials teams ability. In 2013, Countess was tied for a conference-high six interceptions in the Big Ten.



                      Round 7 (No. 233): DB Jalen Mills, LSU
                      Mills is a talented defensive back, but he likely fell — at least in part — because of his 2014 arrest. According to the Times-Picayune, Mills was arrested for allegedly punching a woman in the mouth and briefly knocking her unconscious. However, the battery charge was dropped last year after he completed a pretrial diversion program and paid the victim’s medical bills. After Mills fell on Saturday, the Times-Picayune reported that it was “likely” his arrest “took him off the draft boards of several teams.”
                      On the field, many scouts seem to peg him as a nickel corner. An AFC West scout told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein that Mills will be a “long-time player in the league,” but he isn’t a safety “at all.” CBS Sports, meanwhile, had Mills slotted as a third-round pick who will do his “best work as a slot corner.”

                      Round 7 (No. 240): DE Alex McCalister, Florida
                      McCalister is another guy with potential off-the-field concerns. He was kicked off the team at Florida after violating unspecified team rules, which Roseman classified as an issue that “wasn’t legal.” If he’s able to stay out of trouble, McCalister seems like a guy who could make the team off his pass-rushing ability.
                      NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about how he’s “able to drop, dip and accelerate around the edge,” which was apparent on several of his sacks. Here’s one against Vanderbilt:
                      Video Player http://www.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Alex-McCalister.mp4
                      image: http://cdn.phillymag.com/wp-content/...alister-FI.png









                      00:00
                      00:00
                      00:09
                      Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.










                      Round 7 (No. 251): LB Joe Walker, Oregon
                      There isn’t much information about Walker available, but here’s what Zierlein had to say:
                      Walker’s pro day numbers forced some scouts to go back to the film on him. What scouts likely saw was a player with nickel linebacker ability who can play in space and who has the instincts and ability to make it into camp and fight for a spot at the back end of the roster or on the practice squad.


                      Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/birds247/20...KClLhYwYQ4J.99
                      We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X