In the third round the Eagles traded down with the Baltimore Ravens. They exchanged the 85th pick for the Ravens 90th pick. They received a sixth round selection for their trouble.
The Birds used the 90th pick to address their cornerback problem by selecting cornerback Curtis Marsh of Utah State. Marsh has got good size. He stands 6’1″ and he weighs 197 pounds. It’s not a coincidence that Marsh is over six feet, which is good height for a cornerback. The Eagles face some of the biggest wide receiver groups in the NFL, when they play the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
Not only does Marsh have good size, he has great speed. He has run as 4.37 in the forty-yard dash, and his other forty-yard dash times are no slower than 4.42.
Marsh was a running back for most of his football career, but was converted into a cornerback the last two years. He broke up 13 passes in 2010 and had two interceptions.
He really impressed the scouts when he shut down Titus Young and the explosive receivers of Boise State. He broke up three passes in that game.
I doubt that they expect Marsh to start in 2011, but they want to develop him. He’s only been playing the cornerback position for two years, so the Birds are obviously hope that he can taught the position and take his ability to another level.
He’s got great cover skills in both man-to-man and zone coverages. Very quick change of direction ability, and he uses his height to
go up and get the ball at its highest point.
Eagles head coach Andy Reid and General Manager Howie Roseman are expecting second-year cornerback Trevard Lindley to step up this year. Like Marsh Lindley has good height and elite speed. The Birds front office was disappointed that last year’s defensive coordinator Sean McDermott didn’t get Lindley on the field enough and that’s one of the reasons he was fired.
Roseman thought McDermott made his system too complicated and that kept Lindley off the field. This year will find out whether it was McDermott or Lindley, who was the problem.
Marsh will likely be lined up behind Lindley. If he fails, Marsh will be in that line of cornerbacks to be given a shot at the right cornerback spot. He’s got a tremendous upside because he has only been playing the position for two years.
love projects….in grade 6
At least he’s not 5’8″ or a 6″1 240lb defensive end. This is the only pick i’m ok with so far, other two guys reidtard coulda traded down to get. He always has to get these guys way too early, like he knows better than anyone else. And, if he didn’t get brandon graham/ vernon gholston and picked earl thomas, he coulda made a push for bowers, a player worth taking a chance on in the second round.
Marsh is a 4th-5th rd player… he wont even be able to step in at nickel and thats what you need out of a 3rd round CB.. I think the Eagles reached the entire draft so far.
Peli, watkins was projected at 25, two picks below the eagles. And the pats reportedly loved the kid. Other espn mock had him at 29. How is that reaching and how could they have traded down for him?
Jott, thanks for the education on Marsh. Listen, I would love to be such an expert on these draft picks and what their real value is going to be like. How can I learn to be so knowledable like you?
i think i just spotted some sarcasm from schiller on this glorious Flyers Saturday…lol
I like this CB Marsh Selection, He’s big, strong and fast..He’s been very well
coached and played in a Confernece (WAC) that throws a lot of passes so he has seen lots of routes, receivers,and various schemes on both sides.. Will he need to improve his techniques,positioning,strength, learn the rules of NFL rules, absolultely, just like every Rookie Player will have to do., he will get on the field in 2011 in some nickle & dime packages, and may even handle some Return duties (Kick-off) and defintley will play Special Teams..
I see Marsh competing for a Starters Spot in 2012 and has a bright future..
I see Lindley more of a slot CB in 3-WR sets (basically replacing Hanson)
I still think the Eagles were targeting WR/RB/KR J Jernigan from Troy with the 85th Selection and when the Giants took him at #83, they decided to trade down w/Ravens to drop back 5 slots and get another Draft pick (6th Rounder) since the run of Drafting CB’s had not started yet and there were many on the board so th eEagles were assured of getting one of the 2nd Tier CB’s.. which was a smart move..
Ranking of the NFC East Draft Seletions thru 3 Rounds
Giants (B+) – 1st CB P Amukarama, 2nd DT M Austin, 3rd RB/WR J Jernigan
Have added 3 players who will contribute, Austin will be a boom or bust type of pick but with his character issues/problems of the past, he will come in with a huge chip on his shoulder and if he playes up to his physical talent and ability, he could be a DT who will give the Eagles and the rest of the NFL problems up the middle for years… WR/RB/KR J Jernigan is a versatile guy who can do it all and super dangerous in the open field, watch hom on Kicks/Punts,Reverses, Bubble screens, and even striaght running plays..
and CB Prince was on everyones Top 10-12 list so getting him at #19 was areal surprise and with the WR talent in the NFC East playinfg the Eagles,Cowboys, you can never have enough talented CB’s.
Cowboys (B) 1st OT T Smith, 2nd LB B Carter, 3rd RB D Murray
OT T Smith is the most athletic OL in the draft and will grow into being a Top players for years, but he will struggle a little at first, only 295 lbs and needs strength in his upper body, probably more of a RT to begin his career but may be forced out to LT since the Cowboys have no one else..I think he needs a good start from camp to preseason to regualr season to help with his confidence and get off to a good NFL start. LB B CArter is super fast and a super athlete, not real physical in the trenches but out in space can fly to the ball.. I see a lot of Special Teams and some packages on passing downs initially on Defense, Don’t think he’s a 3 Down LB this year but will be come 2012.. RB D Murray singals the end for RB M Barber which is no surprise and RB Murray can do a lot of things RB,catch passes and return some kicks too.. The Surprise to me is that the Cowboys have not address that Secondary which was horrible last year.. They need Safety and CB (Terrance Newman is at the end of his Career) and the also need to address more you talent along the OL and thought a pick with their 3rd Choice at RB when they have the still young Felix Jones and Tasard Choice was a questionable with other needs of position on the board
Redskins (B+) 1st DE R Kerrigan, 2nd DT J Jenkins, 3rd WR L Hankerson
Making trades to accumulate more picks, I love the 1st & 3rd Selections for
these are players who will step right in and contribute right away at positions of need.. Think of Redskins Pass-Rush with B Orapko on one end and Kerrigan on the other.. Opposing QB’s better get trid of that ball quickly and WR Hankerson give whoever plays QB a big target with reliable hands which is something the Redskins have had in years.. Moss/Anderson are samll WR but Hankerson will be utilized for the those tough 3rd Down ROutes and in the Red-Zone. I like their 2nd pick DT Jenkins but not that high, The Redksins have not address their OL/QB/ & RB positions which are all weak.. I thought they would have went for C/G Wisnewski or OG/OT B Illijalana to help sure up the OL with that 2nd Pick.. ..
Paulman, You didnt give the Eagles grade, How do you rate them so far?
good list barone.
With that speed and backround as a runningback, Maybe he could run back kicks until he is ready to play which won’t be long.
Hanson has been a scrub everysince he got busted for drugs. Dimitri Patterson? He played more like the Aflac Duck than a philadelphia Eagle.
With all the experience that Juan has coaching his son’s rec team as defensive coordinator, I am sure he’ll make the right decisions.
If anyone can understand juan on the defensive side… he sounds like he’s speaking a different language… there is noway he’s gonna be calling plays on defense, he can coach tho
We should hire tedy brusci as our LB Coach then eventual D cordinator…
To Andrew,
My Grade for the Eagles Draft thus far is a Solid B
I like SS Jarret but thought he went a 1/2 round too soon…
I really liked Center/Guard R Hudson from Fla State or OLB Dontay Moch from Nevada or LB Martiz Wilson from Illinois and WR Greg Little based on who was availalbe on the board..but can live with it since Jarret fills a big area of need at Strong Safety and there are not many SS in this Draft..
Going into today, the Eagles have lots of picks
4th Rd 2
5th Rd 2
6th Rd 1
7th Rd 3 (2 of which are compensatory picks and cannot be traded)
Total 7 Selections
4th Round — LB,DL,or RB will be addressed
5th Round — OL,TE,FB and maybe a QB (Tyrod Taylor)
6th/7th Round — DB,WR,LB,Kicker,OL
Pay close attention to the selections taken in the 4th/5th Rounds today
If Eagles select another CB/OL in the 4th or 5th then they probably won’t pursue those positions in Free-Agency.. Whichever Positions they don’t select a player in, will most likley be an area they will pursue once Free-agency comes.. So if you see no more DE/CB/LB taken in the 4th & 5th Rounds, then they are targeting these positions in Free-Agency would be guess on their plan moving Post-Draft
A short-term answer Free-agency wise
CB- Carlos Rogers–big physical and excels in press-coverage and red-zone coverage where the Eagles CB’s had their biggest issues.. Knows the NFC East and NFC Conference very wel since he’s playted for the Redsksins
DE – Ray Edwards or J Babin — Both veteran players who have proven they can get after the QB, Edwards would command a big contract, Babin may be the move here..
OLB- Ben Leber,Barret Rudd,J Anderson could all be fits but I am not sure the Eagles feel strongly enough for the LB Position to commit big $$$
PMan agree – solid B. Very happy with 1st rd pick. Working the secondary the next two rounds – no issues there. More concerned with LBs..
The #2 pick for the giants – why is it when the giants select a ‘project’ its OK – the dude didn’t play last year…. but the Eagles take a solid CB that shut down one of the top teams WRs llast year – but two years ago he was an RB – or a stud G who 4 years ago was a fireman its a bad thing but destroyed a top DE in the Senior Bowl a few months ago?
IMO this could end up being a solid draft..its just too soon to tell…from what ive read and heard out of watkins, I like that pick so far…and it was a need….did we reach on our 2nd & 3rd rounders? It seems we did, but im.not an expert and I.dont gave the eagles draft board in front if me..my two biggest areas of concern in this whole thing are what if we dont make any big or necessary moves in FA? And also the,strong draft the giants seem to be having so far..they arent exactly gonna go away…im just saving my judgement on everything until after free agency.
I’m not happy with the Jaiquawn Jarrett pick in Round 2. I keep hereing these guys say take the best available player on the board, don’t reach and stay true to your board. There is now way that Jarrett was the best player on Philadelphia’s board in Rd 2. They had Brandon Harris from the U siting there at #54 and they pass on him. This guy could have come in day 1 and took Patterson or Hanson’s starting job but they decide to go with a SS that they could have drafted in rd 3. Even if Jarrett was gone in rd 3, S Quinton Carter from OU is still available right now who in my mind is better than Jarrett. I do like the pick in rd 3 ( Curtis Marsh ) but it looks like we got another project in the 3rd round. Kenrick Ellis, Christian Ballard, Quan Sturdivant or Quinton Carter would have been very nice 3rd round picks if the Birds went with Harris in rd 3.
YES YES YES WE FOT CASEY MATTHEWS YES!!!!
I love the Matthews pick. This is potentially a great draft.
Muimuiman, I don’t think guys realize how huge this is… he’s not just a special teamer this guy will be a starter and will be a very good player, its in his genes…
And don’t worry about his weight he’s going to put on much muscle and wt
B Harris from Miami is 5’9 and the Eagles already have too many midget sized dbs. None of these guys matter anyway, the Birds just keep drafting small fast guys that get pushed around. They will probably get 3 players out of the 10 or so picks they make in all 7 rounds. Watkins will be above average, Jarrett will be a role player/special teamer, and one other guy will still be here in 3 years, maybe the kicker. We’ll listen to So-and-so was a late round steal, he can play, looks great at practice, blah blah blah, and be drafting the same kind of guys the next year to replace the ones who suck.
schiller, who had him at 25, if the pats loved him why didn’t they go after him with all those picks i’m sure andy woulda traded outta the first? everywhere ive read(cbs sportsline) was 31,and worse,and to drop down that far is a big deal in the first round. like most picks reid makes, teo’ nesheim was projected rounds later than the birds picked him, which seems to be an ongoing trend. Just like when reid lets guys go without trying to get anything in return, how do u think the pats have so many picks this year, if it were reid he woulda released moss, those moves (or lack thereof) is a deficiency that is constantly overlooked in reid’s tenure.
peli – Todd McShay’s final (complete all 7 rounds) mock had Danny Watson going 25
Brandon Harris’ stock fell all Spring from a late 1st Round pick to a mid to late
2nd round Pick. There were some red-flags about his maturity, his lack of tackling.. I am happy the Eagles stayed away from him,.
To Peli… 23 or 31 what does it matter, If you really like the guy and he fits your need and program, then you Select him.. I don’t have a problem with that..
The Eagles first 3 Selections were all imilar wher the players they chose were probably ranked 10-12 Spots bel;;ow the actual # they were ranked but again, if the shoe fits, then put it on…
paulman, jarret the safety was ranked late 3rd early 4th, thats no 10-12 spots below, coulda used that pick and traded up to get bowers which immediately makes the draft a lot better, not to mention the kicker.
Jarret was definitely a full Round and 1/2 off, but when averaging the Top 3 Selections at where they were projected to be is where I got that #
Watkins was Close and even CB Marsh wasn’t far off, but the Kicker Selection was really a dumb move..
I said to myself then they Traded down from #104 to later in the Round to pick-up an additonal 6th Rounder, that they weren’t going to be agressive and try to move up for anyone and just keep trading back and hope that someone they like falls to them.. At #104 I think they were targeting OLB KJ Wright or DE S Acho who were picked just before them so then they decided to trade down and swap picks with Tampa Bay and also pick-up a 4th Rd in the 2012 and then grabbed Casey Matthews JR which could turn out to be a nice move..
I think Marsh was Eagles best pick. He’s a tall corner with good speed and great ball skills that can be a nickel this year and hopefully a starter in 2 years (that is unless we get Nnamdi) Either way he can be a solid nickel back which the Eagles do run a lot
I agree Weapons
I think He and the Guard from Iowa (Verdevlandr) become the Sleeprs of this Draft and both become Starters by 2012 Season
Some of the comments are ridiculous. “He is a good player, but the Eagles reached 1/2 or 1 round to draft him”. WHAT? If someone is a good player, why does it matter where he is picked? Trent Cole was drafted in the 5th, would it be a reach if he was drafted in the 2nd? Ahead of Reggie Brown? McCoy, Moats, Considine? So my points are 1) you don’t evaluate a draftee by its draft position. 2) even if you do want to measure a draftee by their draft position, you don’t know if you “reached” or not for 2-3 years down the road.
Excellent points PCrow
For Exaample if Safety Jarrett ends up being a starter and plays well and has a 6-8 year carreer, who cares where and when he was selected.. If he struggles at the NFL level and becomes SPecial Teamer only, then he was not a good pick no matter where he was selected.. The goal of this and any draft is to bring as many quality players that hopefully fit your system and can contribute, learn and grow and ultimately be able to compete for a Starter spot within 2/3 Years or at least a solid rotational player..