With the 28th pick some experts have the Eagles going TE (Brandon Pettigrew) or even reaching a bit for an OT (William Beatty).
Others see the Eagles packaging their 2 draft picks to move up in the draft for a chance to select one of the drafts' premiere Tackles. [These mock drafts also have the Eagles going RB with the 21st pick]
I'd rather not be in the position of selecting 28th.
Keep your number 28 pick. Keep Trevor Laws. With Bunkley and Patterson ahead of of him Laws will be little more than a serviceable back-up with the Eagles.
Sure hindsight is 20/20 but I still do not understand how the Eagles trade last years' first rounder when there is a franchise LT available, Tra is on the downside of his career, the FO has no plans to keep Tra beyond the 2008-'09 season, and the current back-up plan at LT is Osi's BFF Winston Justice.
The Eagles most likely saw the Panthers' 7-9 record and a starting QB coming off of "Tommy John" surgery. The FO thought they could again "outsmart" the league, while also saving themselves from having to pay a 1st rounder.
But Jeff Otah was sitting there for the taking. A franchise changing LT was just waiting to have his name called and wear the midnight green. What happened to Reids' belief that it all starts with the lines?!?
Draft reports noted Otah's unique athleticism, nimble feet, nastiness, and him being very physical at the point of attack. The one knock on Otah coming out of college was that he was a bit inexperienced. So let Otah learn behind Tra for 1 year and then the future at LT becomes Otah in 2009-'10.
Otah's rookie season highlighted the foolishness of the Eagles. Jeff was an immediate starter on a OL that allowed a franchise low 20 total sacks and paved the way for the leagues' #3 ranked rushing attack.
Unless there are plans to slide Herremans or Andrews out to LT, the Eagles enter this years' draft with a gapping hole at LT. For the success of the Eagles, I'd take a franchise LT (Otah) over a strong blocking TE.
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