OT: Philadelphia Eagles (NFL): Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because it Happened (Offseason - 2023)

[achdumeingute]

Lions

WTF was that RB selection?

Lions had a nice trade down at least. Don't love what they did with it.

ATL....for me.

 

[deadhead]

Question about Smith.
He's projected to be an edge rusher, but . . .
How good is his COD, hips and instincts?
Because at 6'2 238, with 4.4 speed and a ridiculous 10 yard split (1.47), if he can read and react and cover in space, he has the athleticism to be an elite WLB.

 

[FLYguy3911]

It'd be like the Flyers trading up for SImon Nemec and trading their 2023 first in the deal. Small chance at Bedard, you just can't do it.

 

[Halladay]

Im pretty sure Nolan Smith was the one who after the TCU game was interviewed on ESPN and told the reporter everyone picked them to go 7-5 . Kirby gaslighted them well.

 

[ChaosLord]

Now if we can trade up in day 2 and come away with Brian branch this will be perfect

Um, don't they need a RB still?

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Um, don't they need a RB still?

No. I have no doubt they can/will get a cheap RB on the FA market by training camp. Zeke on the market, rumors Henry, Mixon, and Dalvin Cook could get cut.

Already have Scott, Gainwell, and Penny.

Don't draft RB high unless you love them at this point. I'd rather take one of these top TEs

 

[Mkoll]

saw this on a Georgia Bulldogs board, thought it was apt now.

 

[Flybynite]

So basically Wentz, Eagles 2022 first round pick, 2022 6th round pick, 2022 7th round pick, and 2024 4th round pick has turned into

DeVonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jalen Carter, Kyron Johnson and a remaining 2024 Saints 2nd round pick

 

[Kermit the Prog]

 

[JojoTheWhale]

But they just took their quarterback. They’re not doing that again next year. If Stroud wasn’t their guy, they take Anderson 2OV and move on.

You’re not planning to be a 3-win team next year, so you’re not getting on getting someone as good as Anderson.

I think if anything, the Cardinals should’ve made sure they were in fact getting the higher pick.

But you can't toss out all context like this. This is the team that by all reports had no idea what they were doing at 2 hours before the draft despite knowing Young was going 1. Lance Zierlein is as plugged into Houston as anyone and he's been saying for a month now that they liked the QBs, but didn't love them and were all over Anderson and Wilson.

QB 1st rounders have extra value. There's a saying that "Next year's QB class is always better," but in this case, you've got at least 3 guys who probably would have gone before every QB taken this year last night. And right at the top is the guy in the conversation with Luck and Lawrence for the most valuable asset to enter the NFL this century. Some teams will disagree, of course. Maybe the Texans were even one of them. But on consensus, that's going to be the case. Then you've got Harrison, Fashanu, and Bowers who all would have been the best player in this year's draft. That's not even counting any of the supremely talented guys who could break out and make that class even better. LSU has 3 players alone that wouldn't surprise me being above Anderson on a consensus board next year.

"We're not planning on being a 3 win team next year," has got to be the most prevalent thought process among the worst trades in modern sports history. We're confident everyone else is wrong. Probably not! To be clear, I think you're absolutely correct about their thought process. It's just a terrible one. This is the same exact discussion I've had with deady for the last ~5 years about the Flyers.

 

[Kermit the Prog]

In this age of re-defining player roles and positions, or specialized definitions, if you will, it can be said the Eagles took a linebacker in the first round for the first time since...Jerry Robinson in 1979.

 

[Chinatown88]

But you can't toss out all context like this. This is the team that by all reports had no idea what they were doing at 2 hours before the draft despite knowing Young was going 1. Lance Zierlein is as plugged into Houston as anyone and he's been saying for a month now that they liked the QBs, but didn't love them and were all over Anderson and Wilson.

QB 1st rounders have extra value. There's a saying that "Next year's QB class is always better," but in this case, you've got at least 3 guys who probably would have gone before every QB taken this year last night. And right at the top is the guy in the conversation with Luck and Lawrence for the most valuable asset to enter the NFL this century. Some teams will disagree, of course. Maybe the Texans were even one of them. But on consensus, that's going to be the case. Then you've got Harrison, Fashanu, and Bowers who all would have been the best player in this year's draft. That's not even counting any of the supremely talented guys who could break out and make that class even better. LSU has 3 players alone that wouldn't surprise me being above Anderson on a consensus board next year.

"We're not planning on being a 3 win team next year," has got to be the most prevalent thought process among the worst trades in modern sports history. We're confident everyone else is wrong. Probably not! To be clear, I think you're absolutely correct about their thought process. It's just a terrible one. This is the same exact discussion I've had with deady for the last ~5 years about the Flyers.

Who's QB3? My brain is hazy from chocolate milk and Jamaican beef patties.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Who's QB3? My brain is hazy from chocolate milk and Jamaican beef patties.

Ewers

 

[BiggE]

Gainwell is the guy. This RB stuff mystifies me

Secondary a need as always. Wouldn't hate a WR. Definitely want them to go after some uber athletic freak OT for Stoutland

Wouldn’t shock me if they went TE with one of their next 2 picks. None of their backups are anything special and they like running the 12 formation. With the other day 2 pick I expect it to be OL.

If not a TE, then maybe a WR or a defensive back.

Then figure a safety and a corner with the 2 late picks or perhaps another lineman if they go db earlier.

 

[Chinatown88]

Ewers

Ohhhhhh I have him going back to school cause he's gonna not do well and Arch is taking over. I was like Penix? No shot it's Bo Nix.

 

[GKJ]

But you can't toss out all context like this. This is the team that by all reports had no idea what they were doing at 2 hours before the draft despite knowing Young was going 1. Lance Zierlein is as plugged into Houston as anyone and he's been saying for a month now that they liked the QBs, but didn't love them and were all over Anderson and Wilson.

QB 1st rounders have extra value. There's a saying that "Next year's QB class is always better," but in this case, you've got at least 3 guys who probably would have gone before every QB taken this year last night. And right at the top is the guy in the conversation with Luck and Lawrence for the most valuable asset to enter the NFL this century. Some teams will disagree, of course. Maybe the Texans were even one of them. But on consensus, that's going to be the case. Then you've got Harrison, Fashanu, and Bowers who all would have been the best player in this year's draft. That's not even counting any of the supremely talented guys who could break out and make that class even better. LSU has 3 players alone that wouldn't surprise me being above Anderson on a consensus board next year.

"We're not planning on being a 3 win team next year," has got to be the most prevalent thought process among the worst trades in modern sports history. We're confident everyone else is wrong. Probably not!

They rushed the 2OV pick in. They knew exactly what they were doing, just no one could figure out which player they wanted. Turned out it was both.

Next year’s draft class is a whole year away. This time last year, this QB class was supposed to be the generational one. Way too many things change during the draft process much less the actual season. Matt Barkley and Spencer Rattler were once a generational QBs, too. Players might be better, they might be worse. 6 months ago the suggestion of Joey Porter, Jr falling out of round 1 would have most people laughing.

As for the team, people ask, I guess every year because the Texans have been changing coaches every year, but there’s usually that job no one wants and who on earth would take it, and when someone does it’s because they believe in themselves and their program. How many people had the Seahawks written in stone for 1OV in this draft, locked in for a quarterback, instead of their other first round pick being in the top 10? Football changes way too fast. It’s possible someone else might be better next year, they also might not. Consensus might say one thing, but nobody inside the building, no one gives a shit about that, you have to use your own evaluations of yourselves.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Question about Smith.
He's projected to be an edge rusher, but . . .
How good is his COD, hips and instincts?
Because at 6'2 238, with 4.4 speed and a ridiculous 10 yard split (1.47), if he can read and react and cover in space, he has the athleticism to be an elite WLB.

I get the idea. For example, he can be the Hook guy in Quarters for sure. But I have too much respect for the Eagles staff to think they end up there full time. I would guess they do use him simultaneously with Reddick in specific, but limited situations.

He has real pass rush ability and plays the run really, really well despite his size. Don't let the Sack totals fool you on this one. He has the type of athleticism that lets him beat OTs quickly with pace changes. I'll steal this description from a former scout -- he leverages pass rush speeds the way a high end WR does running routes. Holy hell is he strong. Time after time you could watch him not just take on OL Trapping or Pulling, but win those collisions. And he has the hands too. Someone probably clipped it if you dig around, but he was ragdolling Mississippi St's 6'5" 310 lb RT all game with just his hands. Short of being a Bosa, you can't find someone better suited to handle Zone Reads run right at him. There just aren't many people with the instincts to force the keep and then the athleticism to make the play. In the Semi against Michigan in 2022, he destroyed Michigan's ZR calls from 6 Tech. At 240 lbs.

Now Nakobe Dean might be a full time WILL to them. That I could see.

While we're here, Smith should be one of your Intangibles guys. Even after the pec injury, he was around every day being a leader. The Georgia coaches and players LOVE him.

*Edit* Unless they move to something like a Penny front as their base. Then I could see Reddick + Smith playing together more.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Blows my mind we somehow acquired all of these major players in the last 2 years. Will it be successful? I dunno - but it's still fascinating to assemble players all from same college defense in 2023.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Next year’s draft class is a whole year away. This time last year, this QB class was supposed to be the generational one. Way too many things change during the draft process much less the actual season. Matt Barkley and Spencer Rattler were once a generational QBs, too. Players might be better, they might be worse. 6 months ago the suggestion of Joey Porter, Jr falling out of round 1 would have most people laughing.

Matt Barkley and Spencer Rattler were never generational QBs in the NFL draft cycle. You're confusing being projected near the top of the draft with what I'm saying here. Barkley for example was a super hyped QB1 recruit out of Mater Dei who started as a Freshman and played well. There's the infamous quote from Kiper about how he could be a 1OA NFL pick before he had ever played a college game. Then he completely fell on his face his Sophomore year before having the excellent Junior season. But he was still ranked clearly behind Luck, and would have fallen behind RGIII no matter what Barkley did. He didn't have the physical tools to hold off any of those guys if they hit.

Caleb Williams has been the best QB in the country since he started playing. Every QB gets picked apart in their draft year. That is an undeniable truth of the draft process. That's going to happen to Williams to some degree too. It happened to Luck. It happened to Lawrence. But those guys were still wire to wire, no doubt about it 1OAs over multiple years. Those are the only two semi-recent comps we have for what Williams has done.

Remember the U18s when you could watch Bedard and Wright play in the same environment? And one was really good, but the other was an alien? Houston decided to risk trading the pick that becomes the alien. That is a different discussion than just trading next year's 1st when you might not be good. And they did it for a non-QB.

 

[GKJ]

Matt Barkley and Spencer Rattler were never generational QBs in the NFL draft cycle. You're confusing being projected near the top of the draft with what I'm saying here. Barkley for example was a super hyped QB1 recruit out of Mater Dei who started as a Freshman and played well. There's the infamous quote from Kiper about how he could be a 1OA NFL pick before he had ever played a college game. Then he completely fell on his face his Sophomore year before having the excellent Junior season. But he was still ranked clearly behind Luck, and would have fallen behind RGIII no matter what Barkley did. He didn't have the physical tools to hold off any of those guys if they hit.

Caleb Williams has been the best QB in the country since he started playing. Every QB gets picked apart in their draft year. That is an undeniable truth of the draft process. That's going to happen to Williams to some degree too. It happened to Luck. It happened to Lawrence. But those guys were still wire to wire, no doubt about it 1OAs over multiple years. Those are the only two semi-recent comps we have for what Williams has done.

Remember the U18s when you could watch Bedard and Wright play in the same environment? And one was really good, but the other was an alien? Houston decided to risk trading the pick that becomes the alien.

Barkley and Rattler were both absolutely, at worst the #1 QB (but still top 5) if not #1 OV going into the season in which they were Heisman favorites. Barkley actually stayed in school in a year he could’ve been 1 OV. Of course, there’s examples on the other side - nobody had Joe Burrow as that type of guy until he beat Alabama, and then solidified it by shitwrecking teams led by Hurts and Lawrence in the playoff. Every draft process and evaluation is different. I’m not saying there’s no risk here for Houston, but having the chance to take guys who are 1 and 2 on your board at the highest-leverage positions is a Bedard-like situation, it simply doesn’t happen.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Barkley and Rattler were both absolutely, at worst the #1 QB (but still top 5) if not #1 OV going into the season in which they were Heisman favorites. Barkley actually stayed in school in a year he could’ve been 1 OV.

Respectfully, Matt Barkley was never going 1OA above Andrew Luck. Never. That is the year in which he went back to school.

Matt Barkley himself told us one of the reasons he went back was that he couldn't be 1OA. Even he knew they weren't on the same level.

And again, going top 5 or even 1st is not the same thing as being a generational prospect or the term has lost all meaning.

 

[GKJ]

Respectfully, Matt Barkley was never going 1OA above Andrew Luck. Never. That is the year in which he went back to school.

Matt Barkley himself told us one of the reasons he went back was that he couldn't be 1OA. Even he knew they weren't on the same level.

Ok, I mixed there years. He was getting that type of buzz though a year out, he was the next great USC QB. Zero people on earth had him as a 4th round pick one year before he was drafted. And then when played himself out of it, it was supposed to be Geno Smith, who was left in the green room and fired his agent I believe. And then the Bills took EJ Manuel who was supposed to be like a 3rd round pick, but ‘they had to take a quarterback.’

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Ok, I mixed there years. He was getting that type of buzz though a year out, he was the next great USC QB. Zero people on earth had him as a 4th round pick one year before he was drafted. And then when played himself out of it, it was supposed to be Geno Smith, who was left in the green room and fired his agent I believe. And then the Bills took EJ Manuel who was supposed to be like a 3rd round pick, but ‘they had to take a quarterback.’

All completely true. But the illustrative point here is that Barkley's arc is a great example of the difference between generational and very good.

No one could displace Luck. No one could displace Lawrence, even after getting clearly outplayed by Fields in 2020 (their D-1). That's the level of college prospect Williams is considered to be.

 

[GKJ]

All completely true. But the illustrative point here is that Barkley's arc is a great example of the difference between generational and very good.

No one could displace Luck. No one could displace Lawrence, even after getting clearly outplayed by Fields in 2020 (their D-1). That's the level of college prospect Williams is considered to be.

He would be that level if he does what is expected. Although I would say he’s the best QB next year, I’m not sure there’s his 1OV by acclimation on Williams quite yet because a lot of people like Drake Maye, but I do know people consider the QB class overall to be better.

 

[iceman42]

FYI - Cards and Eagles settle the Jonathan Gannon tampering. The Eagles and Cards swap 3rd round picks. Eagles now have 63 and the Cards have 94 + they get a 2024 5th.

Cardinals, Eagles reach settlement regarding tampering over HC hire of Jonathan Gannon

The Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals have settled a tampering investigation regarding the Cardinals' hiring of former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach, the two teams announced Thursday night.

www.nfl.com