A Few More Thoughts

I tihnk Merrill Reese hit the nail on the head a little bit today when he said something like:  the only problem with this trading down stuff is that it's annoying to watch your division rivals picking up guys like Felix Jones who you just know are going to be tough to play against for the next few years.

I think that's exactly right.  While you shouldn't just base your entire evaluation of the draft on one or two picks, it's frustrating watching a team that seems short of dynamic players pass up its pick (two years in a row) in the round most likely to yield dynamic playmakers. 

The problem, though, is that criticizing the Eagles for not moving up and getting someone explosive is a little like criticizing them for not trading for Chad Johnson.  It takes two to tango, and if teams aren't willing to deal at a price you can afford, there's nothing you can do.

Reid made it very clear in his remarks this afternoon that the Eagles tried to trade up.  They had their eyes on a couple guys they thought could really help.  The problem is that the cost was too high, so they had to stay where they were.

Once they were at #19 -- and notwithstanding my love affair with Felix Jones who's destined to kill us for the next five years -- was there really one guy who was going to make all the difference?  Not one wide receiver was taken in the first round.  Was every team wrong in their judgments of how good these guys were? 

On the other side of the ball, are you totally bummed they didn't get Kenny Phillips?  I'm not.  The guy's background suggests he'll be solid, but we're not talking about the next Brian Dawkins.

Last year I was supremely pissed that the Eagles didn't draft Paul Posluszny not just because he's a great player, but because they had a clear need at his position and he would have been a great fit.  I'm not sure there was one guy -- other than Jones, and he wouldn't even have started -- you could say that about this year.

Frankly, I'm just glad they didn't draft another first-round offensive lineman they could have languish on the bench for the next two years.

As for the guys they actually took ... if you had told me before the draft that the Eagles were going to trade down from #19 to #25 and pick up a guy who not only could fix the return game overnight but also provide the type of gamebreaking deep speed we haven't seen since Stallworth, I would have been very happy with that pick. 

Instead, the Eagles managed to trade down much, much further, pick up an additional #1 draft choice for next year AND still get the aforementioned game-breaking guy.  How is that not a huge win for this franchise?  Was there some other playmaker you really had your sights set on?  James Hardy?  Limas Sweed?  None of these guys was a sure thing at receiver, and none of them would have helped as much on special teams as Jackson does.

As for Laws, I admit that pick seems a little weird.  But the Eagles did have a problem last year with their guys playing too many snaps.  Johnson tried to go with a rotation, but the other guys he had to bring in (Howard, Kimo and Ramsey) really didn't get the job done.  They were OK, but they didn't make plays.

This kid, who by all accounts is a quicker, penetrating type of tackle, not only helps with that rotation, but he MAY even be able to provide the kind of nickel pass rush pressure we've not seen since Darwin Walker gave a crap.  You've seen how much Donovan hates pressure up the middle -- every QB in the league is like that. 

Look, it was a weird first two rounds.  No one will say otherwise.  But in two picks you fixed the special teams, strengthened the core of the defense, and picked up another first round pick next year from a team that legitimately could be pretty bad. 

In my book, that's a very good day.   

Comments

Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...Keep planning for the future...

Just make a pick in the first round.....just do it......this team operates like it's scared.

[ShouldaTookRickyWilliams]

look derek, i definitely respect your opinion bro. but come the fuck on. i'd bet a paycheck that that fat shit head coach won't even use both first rounders next year. he'll keep flipping them for the future! this is bullshit. i like the laws kid, but a 169 pound glorified return man? enjoy it fellas. just trade mcnabb already and move on. if you're not gonna give the poor guy some playmakers then lets just get rid of him on move the fuck on. today sucked. fuck andy reid.

Why does this article sound a lot different than your others? Is it because you realized the Birds didn't do that well after all? Kinda makes your earlier posts of, "I'm really getting off on the team's picks this year", look rather silly, huh?

[Me]

"But in two picks you fixed the special teams, strengthened the core of the defense, and picked up another first round pick next year from a team that legitimately could be pretty bad.

In my book, that's a very good day."