It’s Draft week. The waiting is finally over and the finishing touches on nearly a year of hard work are being gently worked on by all 32 NFL teams. But instead of focusing on what the Eagles should do this year, here are five things they shouldn’t.
Complacency
Much has been said of Roseman’s drafting over the last few years. Some of it has been good, some of it has been bad, but there is absolutely a case for complacency that can be made when examining some of the recent decisions.
In two of the last three drafts, the Eagles have had a position of need in an area that’s stacked full of rookie prospects. In two of the last three drafts, they’ve walked away with two underwhelming selections.
Taking Donnel Pumphrey in 2017 is a decision that will still cause Eagles fans to pull at their hair, while Shareef Miller was drafted with obvious flaws and didn’t see the field as a rookie.
This class is historically deep at wide receiver and just because that’s the case, it doesn’t mean that relying on that depth should be the way to go…because for every Marlon Mack, there’s a Donnel Pumphrey.
The Birds are well-placed at pick 21 to find long-term serenity at a huge position of need. Third time lucky?
Disconnect
The Eagles are currently shopping cornerback Rasul Douglas and it looks as though he could well be dealt within the NFL Draft window. To put it simply, Sul is a rangy, slower cornerback who the front office loved, but the coaching staff struggled to implement. Over time, that’s become increasingly clear, with a flurry of nickel corners and shorter DB’s being signed, with Douglas being the outlier.
There’s no Joe Douglas or Andrew Berry now, just Howie Roseman and Andy Weidl, with the former calling the shots. The Eagles simply have to be on the same page this time around when it comes to drafting.
Let’s not forget the character concerns that poured out of the locker room in the heart of last season, and reports of Jim Schwartz trying to push for the signing of Zach Brown over the Patriots’ Jamie Collins.
In a time where communication is tougher than ever, there has to be absolute certainty over the type of player and character the Eagles want from both a front office value perspective and a coaching one.
Wildcard risks
Howie Roseman loves risks. Most free agents who walk through the door these days are on prove-it contracts and are coming off either a poor season or have a slightly concerning injury history. Even after saying he’s had a change of heart due to all the setbacks sustained recently, Roseman still signed CB Trevor Williams within the same breath.
When it comes to the draft, the most prominent pick that comes to mind is Sidney Jones. The Washington corner was a first-round talent and had it not been for a torn achilles that sent him floating into the laps of the Eagles in the second round, he likely would’ve been taken there. Instead, Jones and an onslaught of future injuries travelled to the City of Brotherly Love where he’s now hoping to win a CB2 job opposite Darius Slay.
The Eagles cannot afford to lose more young talent to that dastardly injury bug and any prior record of serious ligament injuries or even soft-tissue trends have to be taken perhaps more seriously than ever before.
Drafting talent without the right infastructure
It’s too early to evaluate the 2019 draft class for the most part. It’s not too early to say that the Eagles failed to pick players who would thrive in their environment.
JJ Arcega-Whiteside: Essentially redshirted his rookie year and was made to learn the playbook from all three spots despite the team desperately craving WR production…
Shareef Miller: Played 2 special teams snaps all year. Poor preseason.
Clayton Thorson: Is now a Cowboy and most famous for a song…
It’s no coincidence that every positional coach responsible for the development of said players have been relieved of their positions.
The Eagles worked hard to revamp their coaching staff this offseason, but it means nothing if the talent drafted isn’t developed. In a draft so historic where the team have eight selections, this has to be the home-run hit,
Knock-on picks
Round 5 2019. The Eagles need a quarterback for depth and Mr Lurie has hinted at wanting to draft a signal-caller every year. Easton Stick, a former teammate of Carson Wentz who ran the same offense during his time at NDSU is within reach.
We have a trade.
The Chargers moved up and snatched the perfect potential pick from the Eagles and the Birds decided to double down on…Clayton Thorson.
That cannot happen again. Sudfeld signed a second-round tender but hardly looked wonderful last preseason and is yet to see any kind of any significant action outside of week 17 play. They can’t rely on vets forever and McCown’s gutsy, awe-inspiring but somewhat disappointing showing against the Seahawks showed that.
If they like a quarterback, take him. If it means spending one of three fourth-round picks, so be it.
