As we get closer to present day, it’s tougher and tougher to analyze these drafts. Most people rely on the three-year rule, which is to say that if a player stinks after three years, chances are that’s what you’ve got.
See: Matt McCoy. The Eagles had a slew of picks in the 2004 draft, and if it wasn’t for “The Big Kid” Shawn Andrews taken in the first round, you would have to also declare the 2004 draft to be a big waste of time. It’s becoming more and more clear to me as I analyze these drafts that someone upstairs is making poor personnel decisions. Sure, you can look at any team’s drafts and find a bunch of whiffs, it happens. The draft is an inexact science, but as we’ll see in this 2004 selection bonanza, the Eagles may have been better off with a bunch of random names and a good old-fashioned dart board. It’s not that all the players stunk, it’s that there weren’t difference makers. You can only go so many drafts without finding playmakers before you stink up the joint and find yourself to be 5-7 and ready to blame one of the few certifiably talented players and run him out of town.
-1st Round, pick #16 (from San Francicso): Shawn Andrews, tackle, Arkansas: The Eagles gave up their 28th overall pick and the 58th overall pick to move up and select Shawn Andrews, the overweight tackle with nasal polyps. The thinking was that he would be the successor to Jon Runyan, but that hasn’t happened because Runyan keeps playing solid football. He was moved inside to right guard and with his grape-sized nasal polyps finally removed, he could now breathe. After immediately showing that he belonged in the league, he busted his leg Week 1 against the Giants and was lost for the year. Since then, Andrews has been a force on the interior of the line and is among the top guards in the league. Excellent, excellent pick. Dominating guards don’t grow on trees and Reid and company did a marvelous job in obtaining Andrews.
-3rd Round, pick #89: Matt Ware, cornerbck, UCLA: I liked this pick when it was made because he was supposedly the biggest corner in the draft at a time when bigger and bigger receivers were coming into the league. Turns out, he wasn’t very good at football. He got a decent amount of playing time in the Super Bowl that year and then returned the blocked kick against San Diego the following year to secure the win (actually, the fumble recovery on the ensuing drive really secured the win, but we’ll let Ware have his day). He has been with the Cardinals since 2006 and has done a big boatload of nothing.
-4th Round, pick #129: J.R. Reed, defensive back, South Florida: Reed was taken for his kick-returning ability for the most part. And it turns out, he was good at it…until he got hurt. After a promising rookie year, Reed decided he wanted to chase his dog on his property. He tried to jump a fence and somehow damaged the peroneal nerve in his leg (it creeps me out to type this and think about it so I will gloss over it). Bottom line is that he doesn’t walk right anymore. He’s currently back with his third stint with the Eagles, but is no longer the player that everyone hoped. He’s not the worst third-string safety I’ve ever seen and he’s just ok returning kicks these days. This could have been a great pick, but now it just turns out to be a decent pick.
-4th Round, pick #131: Trey Darilek, guard, Texas El-Paso: Very limited action in 2004 and 2005 for the Eagles. Cut before the 2006 season. I’ll let the facts stand alone on this one.
-5th Round, pick #162: Thomas Tapeh, running back, Minnesota: He got to play in one of the JV games against the Rams at the end of the 2004 season. He got hurt and when I heard the name Bo Jackson, I figured his career was over. But that’s not the case, he finally came back and is currently the Eagles starting fullback. He’s ok, I guess, as long as they don’t throw that two-yard out pattern to him on the sidelines when it’s 3rd and 8. In the fifth round, this isn’t a bad pick.
-6th Round, pick #185: Andy Hall, quarterback, Delaware: I do believe he saw some preseason action, so if that is the true measure of success in a draft (and what other measuring stick could you possibly use?), then this pick is a home run. He was active for two games in 2005 (and who wasn’t active for some games that year? I remember them letting me get some reps that season) and never got on the field. No one expected him to take over for Donovan McNabb at any point, but he never even so much as became 7th-round trade bait.
-6th Round, pick #192: Dexter Wynn, cornerback, Colorado St.: I know it’s the sixth round and true difference makers are tough to find this late. Yes, Wynn wasn’t bad and I thought he did a nice job as a fourth corner. Not great, but what fourth cornerback is? As I go through these picks (other than Andrews) I find tertiary contributors. Not the worst picks in the world all the time, but no difference makers. This is the exact reason why the Eagles are 5-7 and losing stupid games. There is a huge lack of difference makers. Simply not enough on the roster to have impacts on games. Just one or two more in this draft and we could be talking about 8-4. I’m sorry to rant during my review of Dexter Wynn, but that’s when the frustration hit.
-7th Round, pick #227: Adrien Clarke, guard, Ohio State: He played in four games for the Eagles in 2005. I know, it’s the seventh round and that’s usually what you get.
-7th Round, pick #242: Bruce Perry, running back, Maryland: Perry actually showed that he could play a little bit. He had nice speed and explosion. He just can’t stay healthy and I’ve seen him put the ball on the carpet too much. Undersized with a case of the fumbles? Let me introduce you to the waiver wire.
-7th Round, pick #243: Dominic Furio, center, UNLV: The Eagles waived him in May 2006. He was claimed by the Dolphins, who had/have a horrific offensive line. I think they cut him shortly thereafter, but if you can find extensive information on this man, you are a much smarter person than I am.
micahw@feverpitchmedia.com
