Written By Fade To Black We all remember the famous line from the hit movie “Gladiator”.
First General Maximus slaughtered about 25 guys. Next he threw his bloody sword into the luxury box where all the Lords and Viceroys lounged about. Then he yelled “Are You Entertained?!?” The crowd roared “Maximus!!!! Maximus!!!! Maximus!!!!”
Well the NFL has our Gladiators these days. And maybe it’s early to say the Eagles’ weekend acquisitions will be entertaining on the field but it does look promising. Lets give the Birds some grades as an organization based on the events leading up to the NFL Draft and the Draft Weekend.
Are YOU entertained by the Eagles’ 2009 Off Season so far? Let’s look at it from one fan’s perspective and see if you agree. Did it Sizzle? Was it Great? Did you find it just OK or Ho-Hum? Are we entertained?
Draft Day Picks The Eagles Grade Out at “A” for these picks. Were you as shocked as me when the Eagles picked Mizzou Wideout Jeremy Maclin in the middle of the first round? Whoah! Michael Crabtree got most of the pre-draft hype (thanks to Deion Sanders’ marketing muscle). And speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey went at number seven to the Raiders. But for my money, the Eagles got the best receiver in the draft. Maclin was much more productive statistically than Crabtree. He has no injury questions. And he has way better hands than Heyward-Bey. Al Davis may want to see if the stop watch can play because Darrius drops the ball too much for this fan! Meanwhile Maclin averaged an eye-popping 200 All Purpose Yards per game including receiving, rushing and kick and punt returns. Coach Reid said “He was the best player. We trusted the board there and took him.” (And Reid looked good in the suit jacket too.)
It was a nail-biter waiting from picks 19 to 52. Donald Brown and Beanie Wells disappeared from the draft board by the end of the first round. Then at 53 the Eagles snatched Pitt running back standout (and Westbrook Clone) LeSean “Shady” McCoy. G Cobb has commented all year that McCoy has “maybe the best upside of any back in the draft”. Clearly he has been more versatile than Wells, more productive than Brown, yet not quite the bruiser Moreno is. The Eagles sat tight and picked up maybe the second best back for their system in the draft. That’s when I knew we were having an awesome day.
The Eagles also picked up the second best physical specimen at Tight End in Cornelius Ingram. Similar to Pettigrew, he’s tall and strong, and somewhat more athletic. He can be seen on tape attacking the line, but he’s not quite proven yet as a blocker. An ACL tear kept him sidelined for what was expected to be a stand out season with the former Champion Florida Gators. But he only cost a 5th rounder. He could be the sleeper of the draft. Or maybe it’s Victor Macho Harris, a big corner the Eagles also got in the fifth from Virginia Tech. He looks like a big corner or safety prospect. He wore jersey number 1 for the Hokies and has a big hitting rep.
Draft Day Moves I grade the Eagles at “B+” for the moves. They traded up from 21 to 19 to pick up Jeremy Maclin. It may not have seemed like much, but Coach Childress and the Vikes took WR Percy Harvin at 22. He reportedly tested positive for substances at the Scouting Combine. So the Eagles anticipated a wide out pick and sacrificed a 6th rounder to get the productive All American with the blemish free record and leave Harvin. It’s a no brainer! They traded picks with the Giants and the Saints on day two. But more importantly they were also able to pick up starting caliber CB Ellis Hobbs from New England. Watch out, Sheldon! Next year’s rotation could end up being Samuels, Hanson and Hobbs, with S. Brown and Ikeguonu fighting for Lito’s old warm spot on the bench.
Free Agency Period This is another “A” Grade. Remember Denver’s overnight wonder deal that captured Brian Dawkin’s fancy and led to his emotional exit? The Eagles battled back by acquiring two young talents at Safety to add to the mix: Former Brown Sean Jones who has proved to be a hard hitting ball thief in the defensive secondary; and Camden’s own Rashad Baker showed big play ability for the Raiders against the Bucs last season to tip the tie-breakers in the Eagles favor for a playoff berth.
When you add Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews to the equation, you are talking about the best Left Tackle in the league and a rough and tumble Right Tackle who bangs with the best of them. Don’t forget Andrews is Shawn’s big brother and Peters was his college roomie, so that’s got to make Big Shawn feel all warm and fuzzy. Great personnel planning! So even though Gonzo got away, the team’s acquisition of Peters from the Bills makes up for how Denver ripped us off for the Wolverine. And the free agent moves set the stage for a draft that allowed the Eagles to focus on Playmakers!
Overall Do you agree that from entertainment and talent standpoints the Eagles get a “A”? It sizzled at times to me! Among the best off seasons in recent history, there are only three. There’s the 1999 McNabb draft. There’s T.O. and The Freak in 2004. And now there’s 2009! Is this a five-year cycle thing or what? Is it possible that the Eagles have just addressed everything on the fans wish lists and addressed them all well? Maybe so… Congrats to Coach Reid and GM Tom Heckert (with a nod to JB and Big Howie) for a refreshing off-season!
