Roseman Concerning Number Four In First: “You need to be sure”

Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman says this is a “meat and potatoes draft” with a bevy of quality offensive and defensive linemen available early.  I agree with him.

When you have the likes of offensive tackles like Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher, Lane Johnson, guards like Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper, defensive tackles like Sharrif Floyd and Star Lotuleilie and defensive ends/linebackers like Dion Jordan, Ezekiel Ansah and Barkevious Mingo all available in the draft, that’s very impressive and it makes it difficult not to select one of them.

This draft isn’t nearly as strong at the quarterback position.  West Virginia’s Geno Smith is considered the best, but you wouldn’t say he’s a sure thing like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III from last year’s draft.

Yesterday, Roseman emphasized the new Birds’ drafting mentality of not reaching for a player.  They want to draft a sure thing at the number four spot.  Regarding that number four pick.  “You need to be sure”, the General Manager said to the media members in attendance.

“I think it’s hard to find really big men who can move, so when you get those guys, they’re very clear,” Roseman said. “It’s not like you’re projecting as much.”

Roseman said he respects the opinion of Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly.   Nawrocki is the draft analyst who wrote a scathing column about Smith where he questioned his character, work ethic and leadership skills.

If you are to believe Roseman it sounds like the Birds are going to pass on selecting West Virginia’s Smith.  Check out how he responds when asked about taking a quarterback at number four.

“When you are picking four, taking a chance [he laughs]…anyone we’re picking we’re confident in what kind of player they are going to be,” he said.  Add that to his comments about a “meat and potatoes draft” as well as the “hard to find really big men who can move” and  it seems like one of the offensive tackles is in the plans or one of the defensive linemen, who is in their minds a sure bet to make an immediate and consistent impact.

“We’re not going to force anything. Our draft board may not be the same as people in this room or people outside of this room, but we feel very comfortable with the process and where we’re at.”

Note the “we’re not going to force anything” comments from  Roseman.  Maybe they’re giving other teams the head fake on Smith, but it doesn’t seem like they’re gong to take that chance on Smith.

The comment about not drafting a project at number four could have been aimed at Smith as well.  “I can tell you there is no one we’re looking at at four that we don’t think is a good player right now,” Roseman proclaimed.  This makes you think that only the offensive tackles and defensive players are the targets.

“The most important question we ask, whether it’s our scouts or myself or our coaches is: Three years from now, what is this player gong to be?” Roseman said. “We look at this draft – at every draft – as a long-term decision for our football team. So just because a player may be better in year one, he better also be better in year three, four, five, and so on from that.”

Who amongst this group this year, can you be most sure about in three years?  Or four?  Or five?