Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid will be coming back for his 14th season as the Eagles head coach. The 2012 NFL Draft in April will be the most important draft of Reid’s regime. It all begins this coming weekend when Reid, coaches, and scouts go out to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combines which will be occurring this weekend.
NFL teams and good ones usually build, rebuild, and fill needs with the NFL draft. The Philadelphia Eagles under Andy Reid has not had the best draft picks and the 2012 draft will be the most important during Reid’s tenure in Philadelphia. The Eagles need to produce more starters who can step right in and play for the team right away.
The Philadelphia Eagles have needs that they will need to take care of in this up-coming draft. Looking first at the linebacker position the most and than the defensive back position. This draft is really loaded with defensive tackles and also with guys, who can play the quick defensive end position.
The Eagles have ten picks in the 2012 NFL Draft and they have the number 15 pick in the first round. They have five picks in the first 100 picks and they really need to make the draft count this year.
The Eagles should be looking for defensive backs and especially if they are not going to sign cornerback Asante Samuel. Looking at the cornerbacks on the board you have Morris Claiborne (LSU), Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama), Drek Kirkpatrick (Alabama), Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska), and Chase Minnifield (Virginia) are the top five rated at this position.
All but Claiborne should be there when the Eagles pick number 15 but look for the Eagles to take a linebacker in the first round. There is depth at cornerback so they could take one in the second or third round.
The Eagles need help and they need it quickly at the linebacker position. Inside, middle and outside spots. This was a total weakness of the 2011 team so look for them to take a few linebackers in this draft. If you look at the top five rated linebackers in this draft you have Zach Brown, OLB ( North Carolina), Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama).
Luke Kuechly, LB ( Boston College), Vontaze Burfict, LB (Arizona State), and Dont’a Hightower, LB ( Alabama). Kuechly is the best of the bunch and is NFL ready. He may not be there at the 15th pick but if he is the Eagles need to grab him. He makes great reads and he sheds off blockers very well. He has very strong instincts and athleticism.
He did lead the nation in tackles the last two seasons. He is very good against the run and the pass. Courtney Upshaw was a member of the National Championship, Alabama squad, where the players are already well coached and prepared for the NFL. He showed improved pass rushing skills and could convert to OLB in the right defensive scheme. He uses his hands well and fights off blocks very well
It is so very important that the coaches and the scouts in the Philadelphia Eagles staff get this draft right and as close to perfect as possible because they need to have guys especially at linebacker who can come in and start at the NFL level. This is when a good scouting department needs to show itself.
It all begins this weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
I’m sorry but Kuechly is not the best of the bunch I would say he’s the safer pick but I’m taking Hightower because of upside just remember when we took Brandon Graham instead of JPP Graham was the safer pick but JPP had better upside.
Kuechly is the best of the bunch is the best of the bunch?
What?
he’s a damn bum hyped by the media.
I see many tackles he’s made which are 4 yard gains on 1st and 2nd downs….Last I checked those are successful downs for the offense.
So, the positive aspect is this slow Kuechly rarely let runners get pass him?
I keep hearing this tackling machine garbage. This guy will get molested on the pro level. We need a linebacker with speed as well as size, and the intimidation factor. Burfict has the most upside of all linebackers available and will help a successful organization win it all. Who needs Matt McCoy Jr?
Stop offering your opinion if you think Keuchly is the best of the bunch….I agree with Songs, Matt McCoy Jr, and my opinion Little Stewart Bradley. Please!!! We want to improve the position, not keep things status quo. He’s as overrated, and as bad as Casey Matthews………..
Donta Hightower,should be our MLB for the future, with Tulloch, or Fletcher starting this year, and Vontaze on the outside please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Songs, so you are saying that you are an equal to the professionals in terms of evaluating talent, even though all you have is youtube clips, and they have tons of film, staff, tons of resources and access to coachs and the players themselves?
Aren’t you one of those who call Andy arrogant?
HA
Schill? Andy and his crew have all the evaluation advantages and more…what good have it done them?
When was the last time the Eagles drafted an impact player for the defense in the 1st 3 rounds?
What’s clear is Erickson have it out for Burfict and think he will hurt him with these ridiculously over the top accusations against him.
But, none of that matters once Burfict straps up for an NFL team….He’ll show all the stupid teams that picked over him their error and it wouldn’t surprise anyne if Burfict ends up the best defensive player in this draft, because the talent is there.
Not one scout out their denies Burfict upside compared to every other linebacker if he keeps his head straight.
Talent win football games…not choir boys.
Songs – Andy, his crew, the other 31 head coaches and their crews, Kiper, McShay, Mayock, (all the other anylists and scouts)…. have all the evaluation advantages.
Songs, if it’s so clear about Erickson – then why did the whole league and media downgrade Burfict so much? Is every scout and analyst stupid for not seeing the conspiracy theory you do? Why do you single out the Eagles. The Eagles don’t make media projections about draft picks (in fact, they do the exact opposite)?
So songs – “Talent wins football games, not choir boys” – so you’re saying Eli Manning is more talented than Vick? Explain…
to even the casual observer it is not even close, burfict, is far more talented than keuchley and hightower , draft burfict at 15, have him on the outside, switch him, make teams account for his presence, sign tulloch for the middle, you need a wild dog on defense, who cares that he bounced Erickson, keep the wildness about him, harness it, once you kick it out of the pup its gone for good, now offense is a different story, defense is about havoc
schiller the others have evaluation advantages?, no they don’t, they have titles and soap boxes, that’s the only thing that separates a geek like paulman from a geek like Clayton or howie
jakedog – you sir are severely misinformed. howie, or any gm, has way more game tape of these players than Paulman or Songs. They have professional scouts that go out to watch the games in person to watch specific things from specific players. If you think NFL teams and the media have no more data to work with than casual fans using the internet, then well, you sir just plain and simple do not get it.
I agree with Songs. Burfict will be an impact player in the NFL, I dont doubt it at all. Put him on the outside, and I can show you better than I can tell you.
@SONGS – If they cant draft an impact defensive player, yourself, Paulman, and I can’t do any worse.
schiller, film is film, it is what the beholder does with what he sees, we saw film of hightower, keuchley, and burfict, even the casual fan can discern major difference in talent of burfict, but we should trust the eagles judgment, considering how well they have judged defensive talent in the past, and especially that thier gm looks more comfortable teaching 5th grade math than talking football.
Burfict would be a great pick, however the eagles will blow it. They will trade down and Baltimore or Pittsburgh will grab him typical
I like burfict as well .. Kuechly waits on the ball carrier.. burfict attacks.. also keuchly may not be tough enough .. burfict is willing to die on the field..
Jake – film IS film. And if you and Songs, and I even, have 3 mintues of it, and the teams/scouts/media have 3,000 minutes of it – there’s a difference. You don’t get that? You think we get the whole picture on a guy from a youtube video? SERIOUSLY?
larrwd lol…I duno if he is willing to die but he def plays with some rare intensity which we could use. I mentioned that I would take Lavonte David or Spence in the 2nd round but if Burfict is there I would prolly go for him as well.
I just think Burfict goes higher than what people expect. Yes he dropped because of his attitude but rmrb not all teams want the same things the Birds want in their players. It only takes one. I don’t think Burfict will last far into the 2nd.
Everyone reads the crap from the media. But didn’t they say that Tebow would drop into the 2nd or 3rd or even lower as well…
I agree 88, I can’t see teams like Ptittsburgh, Baltimore etc passing up burfict in the first round. We need attitude and he has it, reminds me of trotter a little bit. Possibly with more ability, dam thats scary.
Think you guys are going to be pretty disapointed with Burfict. A madman running around to the wrong spot won’t help much.
Youtube video….whatever…..a bunch of highlights….No one on this board has seen any film of him out of position, which, from what I continually read, is more often than not. There’s a lot of smoke around this guy.
Point is moot I believe….I think Birds go DT…perhaps even DE in the first round. Don’t think they grade LBs as worthy of first selections (and they shouldn’t) More value selecting Linemen early (and I would not at all be suprided if Birds went OL at 15)
My hope for birds is
1: DT – I am sold on this group at all
2: LB
2: QB (maybe that should be 1!!)
OK. I’m 6 mins into one of his highlight reels and have seen 2 shots to the head (one where he knocked a guy’s helmet off) that will be 15 yrds each…now a dive at a QBs knees witch will be another 15 yrds……
Oh…..anddoes this guy ever wrap up? He just launches himself wildly at players….isn;t this one of the biggest complaints you guys have about the Birds defenders….
2rd half of the vid is better…actually tackling prople…..
It seems that an awful lot of the time he’s the second guy in with the big hit after one of his teammates has held the runner up.
BTW. On youtube…instead of typing in “Vontaze Burfict highlights” try:
Vontaze burfict goes crazy on sidelines
Vontaze Burfict throws a punch in the 4th Q
Vontaze Burfict Unsportsmanlike
Vontaze Burfict refuses to come out
Vontaze Burfict misses tackle on Jacquizz and it results in Touchdown
Vontaze Burfict headbuts osu’s QB Katz (which of course came after the Jacquizz miss)
or for all those “he’s a beast” try
Derrick Coleman vs Vontaze Burfict….
6’2 265
burfict is 6’2 265 trotter was 6’1 260 .. we can have trotter who was also very intense work with him .. it would be burfict lol. pun intended
Burfict is listed at 6-3 250lbs..
your right that upshaw thats upshaw that 265… but thats still good size
Either you haven’t been paying attention or your the king of wishful thinking. If nothing else, the Eagles are obstinate and passive aggressive. The LAST thing the Eagles will do is draft a linebacker in the first round since thats what everybody wants and thinks they should do. You must remember, their smarter than everyone else, and their lack of Lombardi trophies proves it!
Burfict is extremly high on the Baltimore Ravens list. With Ray Lewis a few years away from retirment they feel he has the most potenital to take his place and rightfully so.
EaglesSuck. Wow. Didn’t know you were such good friends with Ozzie Newsome and he told you it was ok to post such information on this site. Thanks for letting us know.
You, nor anyone else, has any frikkin’ clue what the Baltimore Ravens will do with their pick, or who they covet. Regardless of what you read on profootball talk, or whatever other website you’re basing your “knowledge” of what the Ravens “feel” about Burfict or any other player for that matter. You might as well announce that the Ravens are going to draft Jack Shit because that’s all you know about their plans.
I get that this is an important draft for the eagles and I’d love to give my opinion on which linebacker the eagles draft with the 15th pick but I think we all know they will try to outsmart everyone else and hope one of the top 5 guys falls to them in the second round. Another thing; I hate to knock anyone trying to make a living but who is writing for this site and who is the editor Come on G, help these kids out Asante is signed and hopefully will be traded.
They’re not going to pick a LB in the first round, because rarely any team in the NFL gives first round value to LBs. Its not just the Eagles’
I’m right now thinking its going to be DT or, in a suprise move, DE. (after Cole and Babin, who do we really have? Tapp, Hunt and Graham – doubt any OCs around the leage worry about those 3)
Though if anyone has been over to WalterFootball and read his “top 10 overrated players in the NFL” article (#2 and 3 ouch), perhaps the Eagles need to go QB, WR with the first 2 picks.
will you be ok if they take kuechly if he runs a 4.8
Disagree with that Vinnie, look around the league man. Hell the second overall pick from just last year happened to be a linebacker who happened to win the defensive rookie of the year…ANd the NFL defensive player of the year was a linebacker too.
V. Miller, Watt, A. Smith, Cushing, Orapko, Ware, McClain, Mathews, Mayo, Rivers, Willis, Beason, Timmons, M. Williams, Greenway, Hali, LAwson are some of the recent 1st round guys. Looking at this list of talent and the fact that linebackers are dominating on defense these days which is evident by the position winning the defensive awards last season should motivate teams like the Eagles who are linebacker deficient to spend the 1st round pick on one.
I honestly wouldnt mind if we trade back into the 20’s and take zack brown….. with barron being injured he might not be able to participate in the combines and he falls to the 2nd rd(doubt it) if not the safety out of notre dame seems like a good pick in the late 2nd early 3rd…i feel we will get our mlb in FA…also i hope we go after another lb in the draft…preferable Nigel Bradham of fsu…just my opinion…
Don’t you guys writing these articles understand, that it DOESN’T matter! Reid is a lame duck coach & unless he wins a SB, he is gone. He & Rosebuds will make the same egotistical, stubborn, stupid decisions, as they always do. They will try to outfox everyone & butcher another draft. Who gives a crap what these nitwits do anymore? Wake me up when Fat boy & his cronies are gone. I’m sick of looking at & hearing about their lost cause @$$e$. They don’t deserve to win, with the mentality that the ownership & FO currently has.
BTW, why would you even recommend a DB, when your entire starting LB core needs to be replaced, you need a competent SS, & only have 1 healthy DT under contract? What exactly are you thinking!? Please think straight, before writing this crap. BTW, like it or not, they ARE NOT GOING TO DRAFT BURFICT! I love the dude, & I also think along with Hightower, both will be great LB’s for years, but he is a psycho, mental case, that listens to no one, & history shows, @$$wipe Reid shy’s away from those types. Kuechley is the love child of Matt McCoy & Casey Matthews. I want ZERO part of him! I don’t care how many tackles he made! He has no speed, makes no TO’s, can’t cover the TE or RB, & his side line, to side speed is awful. My pick would most certainly be Brockers or Still (if still there), or Hightower. We need play-makers, not another freaking project! He will be another stiff, I can almost guarantee it. I might be wrong, but I don’t think so. I can’t wait for him to come out in the combine & run a 4.8- 4.9, & only bench 15 times. Burfict only benched 15, supposedly, but he is a athletic freak. Hightower is big, strong, talented, & quite fast for his size.
Schill and Vinnie ..I see the light…The scout geeks know football and the Eagles scouting teams have proven they are the class of the NFL with their successful defensive picks in the early rounds. So, who are we to 2nd guess perfection?
I mean…usually a team with a glaring weak spot on the team look to upgrade that spot with the best player available to them.
Maybe I’m wrong.
Especially when you cut your best Safety like Dawk and have Earl Thomas right there but trade up to get rotational, small defensive end, then pick a waste in Nate Allen who is nowhere near Earl Thomas.
The Eagles downgraded the position. They did that to themselves..yet you expect the Eagles fans to trust these idiots who study film?
Schill, it’s not how many hours of film you watch ..they must know what to look for and when a team miss consistently in the early rounds fans know when there’s incompetence.
It didn’t take a scout to know are receivers sucked ass when Pinkston and Thrash were here. But Andy believed they were fine.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know we were going into last season without linebackers with Stewart (another failed pick) walking.
The fans thought Chaney would build on a promising rookie year.
The fans thought it was a mistake injecting bum ass Matthews and shuffling the linebackers interrupting 2 linebacker positions while setting Chaney back in the process.
But Andy and Juan had to prove everyone wrong.
They were wrong.
So, How can you expect the fans to trust what these guys see when the fans have been more right then them?
If it looks incompetent…it’s incompetent.
There’s too many teams that consistently do it right, so it’s not like we have no points of reference to know there’s guys at the top in the Eagles organization that should not be nowhere near evaluating defensive talent. Now, we have the offensive line coach defacto defensive coordinator as one of the people who evaluates talent for the defense.
This is a perfect nightmare f you’re an Eagles fan.
We as Eagles fans have seen time and time again what not to do cheering for a losing organization.
so, that alone makes us experts.
pheags….a good number of the guys you listed are rush linebackers for a 3-4. Basically D-linemen. Drafted as such.
Andy was correct……Victor Abiramiri really does have a high motor.
They said he stock shelves over at Walmart twice as fast as their top guy.
I think I’ll have a “one liner” per day for all the failed defensive picks since the Top Eagles Brass let Marc Ross go to the Giants and pick their Super Bowl winning players.
“TIME’S YOUR’S”
Sitting here….thinking back to the all knowing sports pundits…talking about Sapp being a head case and may slip to the 2nd Round.
I vividly remember Eagles fans wanting him because he reminded us of the dominant Jerome Brown.
I heard guys saying the Eagles would never take a chance on such a risk.
Yeah…We went with the safe pick.
MIKE MAMULA
TIME’S YOUR’S
#15 — CB Jenkins, SS Barron
then use Both 2nds to get the other
the Eagles were losing 4th quarter leads because the secondary was not good enough esp. the SAFETIES — I don’t think Assante will be back and have no faith in DRC — even if he is good enough to succeed I don’t think he is durable enough to last 20- 23 NFL games
Another thing.
Luck will be a bust.
RG3 is the most exciting player in the draft.
Paste it and remember. Luck will be no where near the success of Griffith.
Songs
Luck won’t be a bust, you can like RG3 more and that is fair
Luck reminds me of Jim Kelly and it is fair to say you would rather have Steve Young which many like to compare RG3 potential to
Eagles …If there’s a choice between Jim Kelly and Steve Young the vote is not even close.
I wish we had a chance to get RG3.
He will exceed Mcnabb easily and have heart. Vick is good but still fall back into old habits..
This Griffith guy have it all and if he was white he would be the number one pick hands down.
By the way, I told people Kevin Kolb was ass when they picked his garbage behind.
No one is saying anything about how he was hyped with the Eagles. It seems some of these guys get hyped and never come near their billing.
People talk about Phillip Rivers…What the hell have he won? If that was Mcnabb he would be roasted right now for not being able to win the big game.
If Griffin III were white, he wouldn’t run as fast, or jump as high Songs, C’mon Man, your smarter than that..
Anyways, I like RG III and think he has a great future ahead of him and has the mental toughness and smarts just like Cam Newton did last year…
I possible Scenario could be the Eagles trading the house to the Rams at #2 to get him..
It would probably require WR D-Jax or Maclin CB Samuel (with a restructured contract) and 3 Draft Picks , the Eagles 1st (#15) 2nd (#47) & a 3rd Round (#79) to move up..
The Eagles could recoup some of the those picks by Trading Vick, or keep Vick for 2012 and let RGIII learn under him and then Trade Vick for next Year, but if Vick has a bad 2012, his Value will plummet..
You were right about Kolb, Songs,
Not only is he ass, but he’s “Rich Ass” with almost $25 Million in Earnings that he’s got fromt he Eagles in 2010 & the Cardinals in 2011 and whatever he’s due in 2012 which is hard to believe and should be a Capitol Offense…
My Son, of 14 years old, has a stronger arm and better deep ball than Kolb..
Vinnie, those guys are linebackers, why does it matter if they rush more than usual? thats just what their best at so they obviously will do it more. I was just saying that just because the Eagles don’t value the position, teams in the NFL still do. A team spent the 2nd overall pick on one just last year.
What do you think about this team switching to the 3-4 in the near future? If Reid is gone next year then most of the position coaches will likely be gone as well. I think this team could transition into a 3-4 easier then some suggest with the personal we have right now. Jenkins obviously would be fine in playing the DE. Cole is solid against the run and pass so i think he would be fine on the other side. Could Dixon play the middle? I dont know but i think he maybe could because of his size. I think you could use Babin as a D.Ware type to just rush off the edge…he had some success at the end of the year when they would stand him up and let him find the hole to get to the QB. Graham in my opnion would be better in the 3-4 anyways. Coming out of the draft people rated him as the top linebacker and a woodley clone. Drafting him for a 4-3 was a mistake to me. Just saying I think it could be done easier then some think.
pheags88 the only people Graham is better than is Teo Neshme-ain’t-here-anymore and Chris Goingandgone —
They have no idea how to build a defense anymore — Jimmy Johnson we miss you
We’ll have to see Pheags,
after 20012 if Eagles clean house as many expect, maybe Todd Bowles would be retained as the next DC or even HC. I believe Bowles has some experience with the 3-4 scheme.. Eagles would need at leasr 2 bigger DE’s (6-4 280lbs types) and big another NT (besides Dixon) and at least 2-3 More LB’s and preference a big 6-2 225lbs SS.. It would take the Eagles a 2 good years to acquire/draft the right personnel and than a good Year or 2 playing & working together.. So it could be done, but don’t look for good results within a 3 year horizon with their current Defensive Roster..