With the Philadelphia Eagles slowly approaching their three-week window towards NFL Draft Eve, they’ll undoubtedly be considering a host of realistic scenarios for the franchise.
As fans, so should we. I say that word, realistic, because it’s a far-fetched concept your average blogger or fantasy-minded fan is normally afraid to use. But it’s one we should start getting used to.
Anquan Boldin is about as likely to end up in eagle green as Andy Reid is likely to switch to all-white Adidas jump suits on the sideline this year. Likewise, that exciting trade for Braylon Edwards? Ain’t happening. Wish for these players we might, it’s time to take a serious look at the needs of the Philadelphia Eagles, the draft, and the realistic scenarios for what “should” happen in late April.
1. Tight End: There is no doubt about; the Tight End position is the single greatest need for the Philadelphia Eagles. And if we’re to run down other positions of need to prove this theory right or wrong, we should realize that there is a viable starter in all others except for this spot. RB, for example, where we have Brian Westbrook (say what you will about his injury history, he’s there on day one). Left Tackle, where someone like Todd Herremans who’s played right next door could slide over. Cornerback, where depth aside, we have three viable starters in Asante, Sheldon, and Hanson. Couple these facts with the ongoing example of needed skill receivers, as seen especially in our recent red zone inefficiency, and Brandon Pettigrew ought to be the first priority for this Eagles draft.
2. Running Back: Left Tackle is not as dire a situation as the Running Back position. Don’t let Howard Eskin, Andy Reid, or any of other pro-organization pundits tell you otherwise. Skilled as he may be, Brian Westbrook has suffered a multiple-game restricting injury in most of his recent seasons. Behind him? Lorenzo Booker, the totally unproven draft day gamble of 2008. RB is a position which is used on almost every offensive down, and with total uncertainty at a position which beckons the latest injury on every play, it could be a season-ending mistake to allow this problem to make it past the first round. Donald Brown should be the 28th pick of the NFL Draft this year to fill this need.
3. Offensive Line: For far too long this Eagles organization has spoon-fed us the notion that only by having pro-bowl caliber Offensive Tackles do you win a Super Bowl. To retort, I would remind our friends that Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas have exactly”zero” Super Bowl rings from the Andy Reid era, that the coveted LT Jordan Gross of the Carolina Panthers lost to a pass-heavy and WR driven Arizona Cardinals team in the playoffs this year, and that the Super Bowl champions themselves, the Pittsburgh Steelers, just won a Super Bowl ring without their “pro-bowl” Left Tackle Marvel Smith. However, given that there “are” question marks surrounding the offensive line this season, as none of us can know for sure just who holds each position, it would make some sense in the second round to draft the best available Tackle or Guard. Since the second round will be tricky, as other positions such as Corner (Utah’s Sean Smith) or WR (Rutger’s Kenny Britt) may be staring us in the face, on paper, it might make sense to take guys like William Beatty (who we’d have to pull a Winston Justice move-up move for), Phil Loadholt, or the massive Louisiana-born Guard Herman Johnson.
4. Cornerback: Wide Receiver could easily be the 4th or even 3rd need on this team. But it’s all about depth, and it’s all about history. The fact remains, for all of us who would love to see an Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards join this offense, that the Pittsburgh Steelers just won a Super Bowl with Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. So unless we’re ready to suggest that Santonio Holmes is vastly superior to a second-year DeSean Jackson, or that an aging and injured Hines Ward is better than Kevin Curtis, unfortunately the anti-WR crowd has some merit to their arguments. Recognizing that a WR would make sense in the 3rd round, a Cornerback may as well, given the lean frame of Asante Samuel, the age of Sheldon Brown, the unproven play of Joselio Hanson, and the mystery surrounding Jack Ikegwuonu’s health. Sean Smith looks like a defensive coordinator’s wet dream. At 6’4 and 4.59 speed, his frame alone could impose havoc in the nickel position. Will he be there in the 3rd? Who knows. But he’s a player the Eagles are said to be considering, and for good reason.
It would be impossible to speculate beyond the 3rd round, where the best player available is the name of the game. So for the interest of draft day one alone, and perhaps some lively discussion about how right or wrong I am on all of this, here are my suggested answers to the remaining holes on the Philadelphia Eagles team.
