AFATT is... All Football All The Time
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Reid loses cheese steak privileges for a year at Fred's... |
You Traded Out of Round One With Who?
Rick Tarell, April 30, 2007
Reid and Co. rarely do what Eagle fans expect or think they should do and
this year was no exception. Making a deal with Dallas (are you nuts Andy –
the hated Cowgirls?! what the h--- are you doing) sent the first curve. Trading
Jones their first round #26 for a second, third and a fifth…hmmm - well maybe
that would be worth it. After all, Reid’s track record of draft picks over the
years has been pretty successful on the whole, so I cooled off quickly and
was somewhat mollified and then the hammer dropped. There was instant
controversy with the #36 pick…the choice of Kevin Kolb (QB/Houston). He
was on nobody’s mock draft list as a top QB. Maybe a later second or early
third if there was a run on QB’s but not now Coach! And a QB here, man what’
s the message being sent here?! That’s how the Birds draft day started and
the faithful fell into the usual “oh whoa is us” thing every Philly fan indulges in
during nearly every draft. Yea, I fell into it too at that moment. But as I forced
myself into being a little patient and realized just how good the pre-draft free
agent season went, I started feeling pretty good about the picks overall. I’ll
touch the QB pick again, but for now let’s go to the pick analysis using the
scouting reports and skills breakdown so we can all see what kind of players
we got.
1st Round # 26 – traded to Cowboys for 2nd, 3rd, 5th round picks.
Rick Tarell, April 30, 2007
Reid and Co. rarely do what Eagle fans expect or think they should do and
this year was no exception. Making a deal with Dallas (are you nuts Andy –
the hated Cowgirls?! what the h--- are you doing) sent the first curve. Trading
Jones their first round #26 for a second, third and a fifth…hmmm - well maybe
that would be worth it. After all, Reid’s track record of draft picks over the
years has been pretty successful on the whole, so I cooled off quickly and
was somewhat mollified and then the hammer dropped. There was instant
controversy with the #36 pick…the choice of Kevin Kolb (QB/Houston). He
was on nobody’s mock draft list as a top QB. Maybe a later second or early
third if there was a run on QB’s but not now Coach! And a QB here, man what’
s the message being sent here?! That’s how the Birds draft day started and
the faithful fell into the usual “oh whoa is us” thing every Philly fan indulges in
during nearly every draft. Yea, I fell into it too at that moment. But as I forced
myself into being a little patient and realized just how good the pre-draft free
agent season went, I started feeling pretty good about the picks overall. I’ll
touch the QB pick again, but for now let’s go to the pick analysis using the
scouting reports and skills breakdown so we can all see what kind of players
we got.
1st Round # 26 – traded to Cowboys for 2nd, 3rd, 5th round picks.
| AFATT Grade for the Eagles 2007 NFL Draft = B+ Click on any logo to read individual draft reports |
2nd Round # 36 – (from CLV thru Dallas) Kevin Kolb – QB –Houston:
full field range. Tough and will stand in and take hits, cool and patient under pressure (which was often as
Houston had poor pass protection) and protects the ball well. He had minimal turnovers (fumbles or interceptions)
and made quick decisions, his audible skills were good with great football smarts and instincts. He has recognized
leadership and character with the rare combination of talent without the arrogance and as a senior showed greatly
improved maturity on-field regards making the right choices to throw it away rather than force bad decisions just to
make plays.
Con’s – Known as somewhat streaky and must improve his mid-body strength to NFL levels. Early in college he
did force too many throws - resulting in fumbles from not protecting the ball when forced out of the pocket and
interceptions from ill-advised decisions, but improved greatly in 2006 as a senior because he can be coached,
takes direction well and has a great work ethic and desire to excel. He needs work on his release techniques and
throwing position, long ball accuracy, stamina and weight control. Maturity and reps will tell if lessons have been
learned and he needs time to develop NFL consistency, footwork, on-field defense scheme and blitz recognitions
and pocket presence – especially when to become mobile and when to move up into the pocket.
2nd Round # 57 – Victor Abiamiri – DE – Notre Dame:
Pro’s – Very strong, quick feet and tough with a high motor and sense of urgency on the field. He has a great
attitude and is very coachable with a deep love of the game. He plays the run well, is a good tackler with decent
size for a DE who loves to deliver the hit. ND lineman of the year 2 years running with excellent hand and foot
techniques in pass rush and block shedding. He has enough speed and quickness to move down the line and
make back-side plays which he did often at ND. Highly intelligent, he has big time program experience, has worked
with great coaching and knows multiple defensive schemes and played in plenty of pressure games to mature
quickly and be productive.
Con’s – Susceptible to double teams and too small to be a solo anchor at the NFL level. He plays a bit too high
and needs improvement in ball recognition skills. Some injury issues are there but has and is willing to play
through pain. He tends to over-run plays with such a high motor but must learn better hand techniques to handle
good tight ends to hold them up at the line. His tendency to overplay in situations makes him weak in back-side
coverage on screens and flares.
3rd Round # 87 (from Dallas) – Stewart Bradley – OLB – Nebraska:
Pro’s – A three year starter at Nebraska, coming off a knee injury in 2005, he’s a big bodied linebacker, with good
speed and a great closing burst at point of contact. He’s good in space, uses his hands well, has great change of
direction and is very agile. He shows urgency to the ball with great instincts, vision and reads well. He rarely
overruns plays. He likes to deliver a blow, throws blockers and has good recovery skills, making him very effective
on stunts, blitzes and flushing the passer both inside and out. He has a great work ethic and was a quality
character and leader on an aggressive Nebraska “D” that was competitive whenever he was on the field.
Con’s – He has an injury history (knee). His speed is considered only adequate with limited interception and cover
skills. A wrap-up tackler who tends to eye the passer too long and tends to lose the receiver in coverage and
lacks the straight line speed to recover when that happens. He needs to work on improving his pursuit angles and
deep coverage ability, lower body strength and prove he can master complex NFL defensive schemes. A probable
special teams player as a rookie as it’ll be tough to break into a deep LB roster.
3rd Round # 90 – Tony Hunt – RB – Penn State:
Pro’s – A solid big-bodied runner who can add 10+ lbs without loss of agility or quickness. He has great
awareness, field recognition, instincts, receiving and blocking skills. The only thing that kept him from being a mid
first round choice was his 40 time (4.5), which was good but not a burner. Very tough, he gets the extra yards
even without being a breakaway threat. He’s quick into the holes and locates cut-back lanes quickly for the extra
yardage. His excellent body control sets up defenders for agile interior moves. A tough and skilled pass protector
with natural instincts honed in a big time program with great coaching and high levels of competition since being a
sophomore, he’s coachable, smart and has great hands as well. Certain to be a fan favorite for his Penn State
roots and as the “big back” answer to the team’s alleged historic RB position weakness.
Con’s – Good short burst but lacks that breakaway speed, he tends to get too high in his stance and then at the
line of scrimmage which would potentially expose the ball and create fumble tendency, even though he rarely
fumbled at Penn State when the ratio of carries per fumble are calculated. But that tendency also made him
susceptible to being stopped at the line for no gain or tackled for a loss, which happened 31 times in 2006. He
needs to improve his route running skills to be crisper so he would be a more versatile and effective receiver
rather than simply a safety valve or on screen passes.
4th Round - # 125 – (traded to New Orleans):
5th Round - #159 – (from Dallas) - C.J. Gaddis – FS – Clemson:
Pro’s – A versatile, tough, team player with great strength and a powerful build. He has good hand-eye
coordination and is an aggressive and physical hitter. His excellent vertical leap compliments his good ball
hawking and great reaction skills. He is more an athlete than football player but has good cover acceleration,
special team’s ability and straight line speed. His instincts and patience let him take advantage of block set-ups on
interceptions and in the return game. He is a selfless player with solid character and the physical skills applicable
to great switch-off coverage technique, all highly prized qualities in the NFL. He has both CB and FS experience at
Clemson, but will probably be a safety in the NFL although his versatility at both positions will be an extra asset.
Con’s – He has a tendency to let receivers get past him and needs work on his pass recognition skills. Experience
and coaching should improve perceived weaknesses in his football instincts, his defensive scheme
comprehension and DB footwork. He tends to cover too cautiously, probably the result of being burned deep
when receivers get by him. He will deliver a blow but is basically a pull-down tackler who needs improvement on
angles to the ball and run/pass anticipation.
5th Round - # 162 – Brent Celek – TE – Cincinnati:
Pro’s - With good speed and a large body, he was a clutch receiver in college with very good hands, especially
under pressure. He has quickness off the line and a good release against defenders. A good underneath receiver
who recognizes the switch from man to zone coverage schemes, he has great courage in traffic. He will make the
tough catch and find the clear lanes as a receiver. He is a good cut blocker and keeps safeties honest with his
quick release capability.
Con’s – He needs lower body strength and improvement in his drive blocking skills as he must improve his
blocking at the point of contact. He doesn’t sustain his blocks well and improving lower body strength will help his
technique. He’s not a breakaway threat after the catch and must improve route running precision to make it at the
NFL level.
6th Round - # 201 – Rashad Barksdale – CB – Albany:
Pro’s – A tough and strong, hard hitting corner with good ball recognition skills and excellent speed burst to
recover on coverages, he has good anticipation instincts and takes good angles which make up for a lack of big
time program competition and experience. He has good return skills with the patience and savvy to set up blocks
and find openings. His change of direction speed and natural, rugged athleticism make his upside potential
excellent as a special teamer and a solid backup as a rookie.
Con’s – He allows too much cushion in coverage and tends to hold receivers by being too aggressive or due to
over pursuit. He is a “body” as opposed to a “hands” catcher, who’ll get his share of interceptions as he attacks
the ball but muffs many chances and will probably continue that trend until he learns to use his hands more and
becomes comfortable with deep coverage, complex NFL defenses and gains more experience at higher
competitive levels than his collegiate experience exposed him too.
7th Round - #236 – Nate Ilaoa (ee-law-wuh) – FB – Hawaii:
Pro’s – Known as “Nasti” for his punishing running style and lower gravity cannonball physique. Excellent cutback
and change of direction ability, he has driving legs and a very high motor. He catches the ball with ease and is
good on both screens and fades with his soft hands and great adjustment ability. Hits holes quickly and moves
well after contact, he has deceptive speed and agility. He could be a surprise pick who can add punch and
strength to special team’s plays and as a situation player.
Con’s – He has some weight control issues and is a better receiver and runner than a blocker although willing to
block when called on. But in the NFL, a FB is a blocker and rarely gets his hands on the ball. It will be a challenge
for him to make the team with this limitation. He has a lack of patience which limits yards gained as blocks don’t
develop. He needs to improve blocking technique and recognition skills and although very strong, he is quite short
which limits his vision, reach and extension. He will need improvement in his foot technique, stunt and blitz pick-
ups and taking better angles to DE’s and LB’s.
That does it for the picks and do you see the same trend here I do…size and character. All these guys are
coachable, good character and strong work ethic with a desire to be leaders and team players with a definite
emphasis on getting bigger and stronger…hmmm, stop the run anyone!! New Orleans humiliated us during the
season and in the playoffs and the fix is now on.
So let’s look overall and see what happened on draft day.
Just about everyone agreed that after the first 15-20 picks the boards had them relatively even, save for a few
specific skill and positional players from #20 to maybe the end of the third round… depending on who worked
them out, who went to see them and when. The Eagles then dealt a non-critical first round 26th pick for three
journeymen picks in the heart of the draft (a 2nd, 3rd and 5th). If you get over the fact that the deal was made with
Dallas, it was a very good move with high return. Then they chose a QB – folks the Eagles went to the Super Bowl
when Donovan stayed healthy all year and not since or before was that true. So, if Kolb is as good as Reid thinks,
and trust me on this one - it was a solid choice. Then they took a high motor DE to light a fire under a lackluster D
line and sent a few underachievers in front of the bus. Another solid pick from a good program with a track record
of heart and courage. Then they took a big, tough LB with leadership and smarts who motivated his team and
played above the competition under quality coaches in an NFL style of defense – a sure thing performer to fill a
depth gap by departing under-performer Dhani Jones. I watched him at Nebraska and he’s the real deal. Then
they got what in my opinion was the steal of the draft in Hunt, the most under rated, under appreciated RB of
2007. He’s only two steps slower than a top first rounder and more versatile and football savvy than any RB out
there. He’s a gem and a solution we’ve needed for a while. New Orleans got our 4th round pick, but 34 picks later
in round 5, compliments of Dallas, we chose a FS who will be tutored by the sage at the position, Dawkins. He’s a
tough, aggressive selfless kid cut from the same mold. I love the move and it will pay off in 2 years just like the
Brown/Sheppard choices a few years ago. Then with our second 5th rounder, a TE, to add competition to a
position where contract talks linger as a potential problem. It’s classic Reid here to add motivation with a big tough
receiver who can block and catch and has time to develop. There were other choices for TE out there then, but
he was supposedly the best one on the Eagles board at the time and if we believe they know talent (and the track
record is pretty good) then we accept it and see if Celek breaks into the roster. Reid has never shied away from
looking at players from smaller schools and most have proven out… we’ll see. The next move came in round 6
with a versatile CB who many had rated higher than here but although from a small school, he’s got great speed,
athleticism, versatility and promises to add strength to special teams and depth to the DB ranks…another decent
choice. Finally, in the 7th round, we pick a “cannonball” FB from Hawaii who runs hard and catches well, and said
to have been the toughest guy left on the board at the time, sending another competitive message to the veteran
roster contenders that improvement is the theme for the new season.
Many fans and critics of the team said this Eagles draft was crap – as low as D- and many low C, but I differ.
Overall, I thought the draft was high quality, a solid B+, filled needs and added competition to an already deep
and experienced football team. Sure the first pick was a shocker, but when you think it through, it makes sense. It
will be very difficult to break into this roster no matter what caliber of player you were in the collegiate ranks. But
as has been his mantra all along, Reid has chosen athletes. And, there doesn’t appear to be a Prima Donna in
the bunch. I sense that all future deals and draft picks during his tenure will reflect this “anti” TO type of player
and Coach Reid will remain sensitive to that issue until he retires…whether he’s here or anywhere else. But it’s
real evident in Philly now for sure.
Best athlete available at the moment on the board. Granted, his board and not the board many talking heads are
using, but solid people all.
Now to get back to pick #36 … Reid said “I chose the best athlete available” and of course that meant his
perception of the best guy out there at the time. Ok, Coach, I believe you thought Kolb was the best QB but the
question is, why a QB with that pick?
Argue best athlete if you want but he sent a clear message…at least, I heard it! The Eagles are not going to be
an “almost” team anymore! Get it done now Donovan or we are moving on! The board is open for discussion…
full field range. Tough and will stand in and take hits, cool and patient under pressure (which was often as
Houston had poor pass protection) and protects the ball well. He had minimal turnovers (fumbles or interceptions)
and made quick decisions, his audible skills were good with great football smarts and instincts. He has recognized
leadership and character with the rare combination of talent without the arrogance and as a senior showed greatly
improved maturity on-field regards making the right choices to throw it away rather than force bad decisions just to
make plays.
Con’s – Known as somewhat streaky and must improve his mid-body strength to NFL levels. Early in college he
did force too many throws - resulting in fumbles from not protecting the ball when forced out of the pocket and
interceptions from ill-advised decisions, but improved greatly in 2006 as a senior because he can be coached,
takes direction well and has a great work ethic and desire to excel. He needs work on his release techniques and
throwing position, long ball accuracy, stamina and weight control. Maturity and reps will tell if lessons have been
learned and he needs time to develop NFL consistency, footwork, on-field defense scheme and blitz recognitions
and pocket presence – especially when to become mobile and when to move up into the pocket.
2nd Round # 57 – Victor Abiamiri – DE – Notre Dame:
Pro’s – Very strong, quick feet and tough with a high motor and sense of urgency on the field. He has a great
attitude and is very coachable with a deep love of the game. He plays the run well, is a good tackler with decent
size for a DE who loves to deliver the hit. ND lineman of the year 2 years running with excellent hand and foot
techniques in pass rush and block shedding. He has enough speed and quickness to move down the line and
make back-side plays which he did often at ND. Highly intelligent, he has big time program experience, has worked
with great coaching and knows multiple defensive schemes and played in plenty of pressure games to mature
quickly and be productive.
Con’s – Susceptible to double teams and too small to be a solo anchor at the NFL level. He plays a bit too high
and needs improvement in ball recognition skills. Some injury issues are there but has and is willing to play
through pain. He tends to over-run plays with such a high motor but must learn better hand techniques to handle
good tight ends to hold them up at the line. His tendency to overplay in situations makes him weak in back-side
coverage on screens and flares.
3rd Round # 87 (from Dallas) – Stewart Bradley – OLB – Nebraska:
Pro’s – A three year starter at Nebraska, coming off a knee injury in 2005, he’s a big bodied linebacker, with good
speed and a great closing burst at point of contact. He’s good in space, uses his hands well, has great change of
direction and is very agile. He shows urgency to the ball with great instincts, vision and reads well. He rarely
overruns plays. He likes to deliver a blow, throws blockers and has good recovery skills, making him very effective
on stunts, blitzes and flushing the passer both inside and out. He has a great work ethic and was a quality
character and leader on an aggressive Nebraska “D” that was competitive whenever he was on the field.
Con’s – He has an injury history (knee). His speed is considered only adequate with limited interception and cover
skills. A wrap-up tackler who tends to eye the passer too long and tends to lose the receiver in coverage and
lacks the straight line speed to recover when that happens. He needs to work on improving his pursuit angles and
deep coverage ability, lower body strength and prove he can master complex NFL defensive schemes. A probable
special teams player as a rookie as it’ll be tough to break into a deep LB roster.
3rd Round # 90 – Tony Hunt – RB – Penn State:
Pro’s – A solid big-bodied runner who can add 10+ lbs without loss of agility or quickness. He has great
awareness, field recognition, instincts, receiving and blocking skills. The only thing that kept him from being a mid
first round choice was his 40 time (4.5), which was good but not a burner. Very tough, he gets the extra yards
even without being a breakaway threat. He’s quick into the holes and locates cut-back lanes quickly for the extra
yardage. His excellent body control sets up defenders for agile interior moves. A tough and skilled pass protector
with natural instincts honed in a big time program with great coaching and high levels of competition since being a
sophomore, he’s coachable, smart and has great hands as well. Certain to be a fan favorite for his Penn State
roots and as the “big back” answer to the team’s alleged historic RB position weakness.
Con’s – Good short burst but lacks that breakaway speed, he tends to get too high in his stance and then at the
line of scrimmage which would potentially expose the ball and create fumble tendency, even though he rarely
fumbled at Penn State when the ratio of carries per fumble are calculated. But that tendency also made him
susceptible to being stopped at the line for no gain or tackled for a loss, which happened 31 times in 2006. He
needs to improve his route running skills to be crisper so he would be a more versatile and effective receiver
rather than simply a safety valve or on screen passes.
4th Round - # 125 – (traded to New Orleans):
5th Round - #159 – (from Dallas) - C.J. Gaddis – FS – Clemson:
Pro’s – A versatile, tough, team player with great strength and a powerful build. He has good hand-eye
coordination and is an aggressive and physical hitter. His excellent vertical leap compliments his good ball
hawking and great reaction skills. He is more an athlete than football player but has good cover acceleration,
special team’s ability and straight line speed. His instincts and patience let him take advantage of block set-ups on
interceptions and in the return game. He is a selfless player with solid character and the physical skills applicable
to great switch-off coverage technique, all highly prized qualities in the NFL. He has both CB and FS experience at
Clemson, but will probably be a safety in the NFL although his versatility at both positions will be an extra asset.
Con’s – He has a tendency to let receivers get past him and needs work on his pass recognition skills. Experience
and coaching should improve perceived weaknesses in his football instincts, his defensive scheme
comprehension and DB footwork. He tends to cover too cautiously, probably the result of being burned deep
when receivers get by him. He will deliver a blow but is basically a pull-down tackler who needs improvement on
angles to the ball and run/pass anticipation.
5th Round - # 162 – Brent Celek – TE – Cincinnati:
Pro’s - With good speed and a large body, he was a clutch receiver in college with very good hands, especially
under pressure. He has quickness off the line and a good release against defenders. A good underneath receiver
who recognizes the switch from man to zone coverage schemes, he has great courage in traffic. He will make the
tough catch and find the clear lanes as a receiver. He is a good cut blocker and keeps safeties honest with his
quick release capability.
Con’s – He needs lower body strength and improvement in his drive blocking skills as he must improve his
blocking at the point of contact. He doesn’t sustain his blocks well and improving lower body strength will help his
technique. He’s not a breakaway threat after the catch and must improve route running precision to make it at the
NFL level.
6th Round - # 201 – Rashad Barksdale – CB – Albany:
Pro’s – A tough and strong, hard hitting corner with good ball recognition skills and excellent speed burst to
recover on coverages, he has good anticipation instincts and takes good angles which make up for a lack of big
time program competition and experience. He has good return skills with the patience and savvy to set up blocks
and find openings. His change of direction speed and natural, rugged athleticism make his upside potential
excellent as a special teamer and a solid backup as a rookie.
Con’s – He allows too much cushion in coverage and tends to hold receivers by being too aggressive or due to
over pursuit. He is a “body” as opposed to a “hands” catcher, who’ll get his share of interceptions as he attacks
the ball but muffs many chances and will probably continue that trend until he learns to use his hands more and
becomes comfortable with deep coverage, complex NFL defenses and gains more experience at higher
competitive levels than his collegiate experience exposed him too.
7th Round - #236 – Nate Ilaoa (ee-law-wuh) – FB – Hawaii:
Pro’s – Known as “Nasti” for his punishing running style and lower gravity cannonball physique. Excellent cutback
and change of direction ability, he has driving legs and a very high motor. He catches the ball with ease and is
good on both screens and fades with his soft hands and great adjustment ability. Hits holes quickly and moves
well after contact, he has deceptive speed and agility. He could be a surprise pick who can add punch and
strength to special team’s plays and as a situation player.
Con’s – He has some weight control issues and is a better receiver and runner than a blocker although willing to
block when called on. But in the NFL, a FB is a blocker and rarely gets his hands on the ball. It will be a challenge
for him to make the team with this limitation. He has a lack of patience which limits yards gained as blocks don’t
develop. He needs to improve blocking technique and recognition skills and although very strong, he is quite short
which limits his vision, reach and extension. He will need improvement in his foot technique, stunt and blitz pick-
ups and taking better angles to DE’s and LB’s.
That does it for the picks and do you see the same trend here I do…size and character. All these guys are
coachable, good character and strong work ethic with a desire to be leaders and team players with a definite
emphasis on getting bigger and stronger…hmmm, stop the run anyone!! New Orleans humiliated us during the
season and in the playoffs and the fix is now on.
So let’s look overall and see what happened on draft day.
Just about everyone agreed that after the first 15-20 picks the boards had them relatively even, save for a few
specific skill and positional players from #20 to maybe the end of the third round… depending on who worked
them out, who went to see them and when. The Eagles then dealt a non-critical first round 26th pick for three
journeymen picks in the heart of the draft (a 2nd, 3rd and 5th). If you get over the fact that the deal was made with
Dallas, it was a very good move with high return. Then they chose a QB – folks the Eagles went to the Super Bowl
when Donovan stayed healthy all year and not since or before was that true. So, if Kolb is as good as Reid thinks,
and trust me on this one - it was a solid choice. Then they took a high motor DE to light a fire under a lackluster D
line and sent a few underachievers in front of the bus. Another solid pick from a good program with a track record
of heart and courage. Then they took a big, tough LB with leadership and smarts who motivated his team and
played above the competition under quality coaches in an NFL style of defense – a sure thing performer to fill a
depth gap by departing under-performer Dhani Jones. I watched him at Nebraska and he’s the real deal. Then
they got what in my opinion was the steal of the draft in Hunt, the most under rated, under appreciated RB of
2007. He’s only two steps slower than a top first rounder and more versatile and football savvy than any RB out
there. He’s a gem and a solution we’ve needed for a while. New Orleans got our 4th round pick, but 34 picks later
in round 5, compliments of Dallas, we chose a FS who will be tutored by the sage at the position, Dawkins. He’s a
tough, aggressive selfless kid cut from the same mold. I love the move and it will pay off in 2 years just like the
Brown/Sheppard choices a few years ago. Then with our second 5th rounder, a TE, to add competition to a
position where contract talks linger as a potential problem. It’s classic Reid here to add motivation with a big tough
receiver who can block and catch and has time to develop. There were other choices for TE out there then, but
he was supposedly the best one on the Eagles board at the time and if we believe they know talent (and the track
record is pretty good) then we accept it and see if Celek breaks into the roster. Reid has never shied away from
looking at players from smaller schools and most have proven out… we’ll see. The next move came in round 6
with a versatile CB who many had rated higher than here but although from a small school, he’s got great speed,
athleticism, versatility and promises to add strength to special teams and depth to the DB ranks…another decent
choice. Finally, in the 7th round, we pick a “cannonball” FB from Hawaii who runs hard and catches well, and said
to have been the toughest guy left on the board at the time, sending another competitive message to the veteran
roster contenders that improvement is the theme for the new season.
Many fans and critics of the team said this Eagles draft was crap – as low as D- and many low C, but I differ.
Overall, I thought the draft was high quality, a solid B+, filled needs and added competition to an already deep
and experienced football team. Sure the first pick was a shocker, but when you think it through, it makes sense. It
will be very difficult to break into this roster no matter what caliber of player you were in the collegiate ranks. But
as has been his mantra all along, Reid has chosen athletes. And, there doesn’t appear to be a Prima Donna in
the bunch. I sense that all future deals and draft picks during his tenure will reflect this “anti” TO type of player
and Coach Reid will remain sensitive to that issue until he retires…whether he’s here or anywhere else. But it’s
real evident in Philly now for sure.
Best athlete available at the moment on the board. Granted, his board and not the board many talking heads are
using, but solid people all.
Now to get back to pick #36 … Reid said “I chose the best athlete available” and of course that meant his
perception of the best guy out there at the time. Ok, Coach, I believe you thought Kolb was the best QB but the
question is, why a QB with that pick?
Argue best athlete if you want but he sent a clear message…at least, I heard it! The Eagles are not going to be
an “almost” team anymore! Get it done now Donovan or we are moving on! The board is open for discussion…
