Philly SportsCast

Same scenario as last year. Once Albert went off the board, I knew the Eagles were trading out. Otah was there, and he probably would have been the pick. But once the clock ticked under 3 minutes, it was a done deal.

And they made a hell of a deal, imo. They raped Carolina. A #2 this year, a #1 next year…and a 4??? That is premium value, and the Eagles would have been crazy to pass on that deal. Panthers are a team on the way down, so next year’s #1 could be a top-10 pick.

No McFadden or (the real) Roy Williams for the Cowboys…no Chad Johnson for the Redskins…and the Eagles still have Sheppard to deal. And no WR’s taken in the first 25 picks.

So far, so good.

Apparently, the Birds had been targeting Albert for some time. The Eagles were trying to move up to #7, when the Saints topped their offer. When Albert was still on the board at #10, I thought the Eagles were going to get there. When that didn’t happen, I knew it would be tough for the Birds, because they didn’t have a good trade partner. Once KC moved up to #15, I knew Albert was gone.

But that said, the Eagles got very good value for a spot they didn’t really want to be in. Carolina is betting the farm on Otah. They don’t even have a QB right now (Delhomme?), so I found the move curious. Their defense has taken some serious blows, losing Jenkins, Morgan and Rucker. And Deangelo Williams is nothing special at RB. Stewart will have to be productive right away. I can see this team sinking to 6-10 or worse next year. If that happens, it will really set the Eagles up nicely in next year’s draft.

As for the 2 picks they did make, I’m fine with both. I would have preferred an OL or safety over Laws. But I like the Jackson pick, because he will be returning kicks. A lot of mocks had the Eagles taking him at #19, so it was nice to see him there at #49. If he works out as both a #3 or #4 WR and a KR, then he rids the Eagles’ roster of both Greg Lewis and Reno Mahe, which would be a win-win. Laws was not my first choice. But he graded pretty high, and he made a lot of tackles at ND. He certainly gives the Birds a nice rotation at DT.

Around the division, I like the Phillips pick for the Giants. It fills an immeidate need. Thomas was a reach, though. Washington tried their best to deal their #1 pick away, but they kept it and picked a pretty good player in Devin Thomas. I also like the Fred Davis pick, and was hoping the Eagles would have picked him - nice red zone target. And I was definitely concerned that Dallas was going to package one or both of those 1st-round picks to get McFadden or Roy Williams. Thankfully, it did not come to pass. Felix Jones is eh, not much of an upgrade over Julius Jones. I like Jenkins, though his hands aren’t very good. He’ll allow them to move Henry to FS though. Bennett is a complete reach. They would have been better off going with Fasano, and filling another need.

All in all, the Eagles didn’t exactly gain any ground against the division…but they didn’t really lose any, either. I don’t think any team in the East drafted a breakout-type player. There are still a lot of good players on the board, so tomorrow should be interesting.

As for day 2, nothing really outstanding for any NFC East team. Manningham is probably the standout pick of all of them. However, UM hs produced more than it’s share of busts at WR. Still a good value pick, though.

The Eagles had a lackluster Day 2, imo. Bryan Smith was a complete reach in Round 3. A 231-pound DE??? From McNeese State??? I didn’t get that one. My only thinking on this one is that they had a lot of scouting on him, and think he’s either going to bulk up 15 to 20 pounds at the NFL level, or the Eagles are going to be playing some more 3-4 this year, and using him as an OLB.

I like the kid from Wisconsin, legal troubles notwithstanding. Eagles took a flier on this guy, but he obviously has skills, and played at a high level for a big-time program. Will be IR in 2008, and will probably come back as a FS.

McGlynn will compete for starting RG when Andrews moves to RT.

Demps was a nice pick. I never saw him play, but 12 INTs in 35 starts as a safety says he has some ballhawking skills.

The rest of the guys appear to be STers or Training Camp bodies. Maybe there’s a diamond in the rough, but only time will tell. I’m just a little surprised that the Eagles didn’t do any moving around today. In prior years, they moved all over the place on Day 2, and if they had a lot of late-round draft picks, they traded them for future picks. They were very quiet today. They took some chances, though. Smith may turn out to be a player, and Ikeguono could return to pre-injury form. But nothing really stands out right now.

So, the Eagles were able to tread water with the rest of the division, despite trading out of the 1st round. The Giants and Cowboys probably picked up the most immediate impact. But getting Jackson (especially at #49) should vastly improve the Eagles’ return game. Not only will Jackson he a homerun threat every time he returns a kick, he should increase the average starting field position by 5 to 7 yards, and not force the offense to start every drive deep in their own territory. The rest of the picks that make the roster will give the Birds some more depth.

I guess the next significant date on the NFL calendar is June 1st. After that date, players will be cheaper to trade, because their cap hit won’t be as severe. So one or more of the rumored wideouts (Williams, Johnson, Boldin) could be available. With that extra #1 pick next year and Lito, the Eagles have all kinds of packages to offer. I still think it’s 99% probable that Lito gets dealt before TC, and the best window for that is right after June 1st.