It's never rough draft for Philly

Started by Seabiscuit36, August 13, 2005, 08:13:18 AM

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Seabiscuit36

Quote
It's never rough draft for Philly
Calculated choices keep Eagles young at heart, well adjusted under cap


03:20 AM CDT on Saturday, August 13, 2005



BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The defensive backfield was a strength of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002.

Cornerback Troy Vincent and safety Brian Dawkins were incumbent Pro Bowlers, and cornerback Bobby Taylor was on the verge of joining them in Hawaii. The Eagles also signed four-time Pro Bowl strong safety Blaine Bishop in free agency.

Philadelphia was loaded at the back end of its defense. But that didn't prevent the Eagles from using their first three draft picks that April on defensive backs: cornerback Lito Sheppard in the first round and cornerback Sheldon Brown and safety Michael Lewis in the second.

On the surface, the draft strategy made no sense. In a league driven by need, the Eagles didn't address any of theirs.

Philadelphia finished a game short of the Super Bowl in 2001, and the draft didn't figure to make the Eagles any better in 2002. None of those top three picks would start.

But the Eagles were among the first teams to figure out the salary cap. They have a simple plan crafted by their salary capologist extraordinaire Joe Banner: Don't get old. So the Eagles play for now but draft for the future. Sometimes that means drafting to your strength.

That's where Tom Heckert comes in. He's a rising star in NFL personnel circles. At 38, he has produced 13 starters and five Pro Bowlers in the five years he has been the chief talent evaluator of the Eagles.

"I could be the greatest cap manager in the world," Banner said, "and Andy [Reid] could be the greatest coach in the NFL. But you can't succeed unless you are really, really good at evaluating players. That becomes the backbone of our philosophy. If you don't draft well, you're going to fall on your face."

Because of Heckert, no aging player has been able to hold the Eagles hostage financially. There is always a young, talented player stacked in the queue waiting to replace him. That's been by design.

The contracts of Taylor and Vincent expired after the 2003 season. Vincent was 32, and Taylor 30. Rather than overpay for age – the most grievous error a team can make in a salary-cap era – the Eagles let both veterans walk in free agency, promoting Sheppard and Brown.

The Eagles were better in pass coverage with the two kids in 2004 than with the two Pro Bowlers in 2003. Sheppard became a Pro Bowler, and Brown should have joined him in Hawaii. The Eagles also went to their first Super Bowl in 24 years.

Lewis, by the way, stepped into the starting lineup in 2003 and became a Pro Bowler in 2004.

This off-season, the contracts of veteran Pro Bowl guard Jermane Mayberry, tight end Chad Lewis and defensive end Derrick Burgess expired.

Mayberry was 31 and Lewis 33, so the Eagles let them walk. There were high first-round draft picks in the queue behind them – guard Shawn Andrews (first round, 2004) and tight end L.J. Smith (second round, 2003). The Eagles also let Burgess, 27, leave in free agency and promoted Jerome McDougle (first round, 2003) to replace him.

The Eagles have 18 of their 22 starters signed through the 2006 season. The four that aren't are running back Brian Westbrook, offensive tackle Jon Runyan, defensive tackle Corey Simon and linebacker Keith Adams. The Eagles have two other players who turn 33 during the 2006 season, wide receiver Terrell Owens and safety Brian Dawkins.

So that's six positions that loom as potential problem areas a year down the road for the defending NFC champions. So guess what the Eagles did with their first five selections in the 2005 draft? They took players who addressed those areas of concern.

The Eagles selected defensive tackle Mike Patterson (first round) to give them an insurance policy for Simon. They took wide receiver Reggie Brown (second) as insurance for Owens, linebacker Matt McCoy (second) as insurance for Adams, running back Ryan Moats (third) as insurance for Westbrook and safety Sean Considine (fourth) as insurance for Dawkins.

Also, Andrews is a natural tackle who could slide over from guard if the Eagles do not re-sign Runyan, who also turns 33 in 2006.

Brown may have to hit the field a year ahead of schedule because of the Achilles' injury suffered by Todd Pinkston this training camp and, at least temporarily, the banishment of Owens.

His presence underscores the Philadelphia philosophy – there's always a talented young player waiting in the wings whenever the Eagles may need him.

"That's the name of the game in the salary-cap era," Reid said. "You have to draft well. If you don't, you'll have problems."

E-mail rgosselin@dallasnews.com

Gosselin has always been a good draftnik.
"For all the civic slurs, for all the unsavory things said of the Philadelphia fans, also say this: They could teach loyalty to a dog. Their capacity for pain is without limit." -Bill Lyons

Larry

More Mahe please.

RomeyRome

QuoteDALLAS
Jerry, baby, you broke the bank. You're the darling of the draftniks after you worked the trade and picked up the free one in the third round, who turned out to be Derek Ross, the Ohio State cornerback. Everyone knows that all Buckeye CBs are players. On top of that? Nothing but blue chippers -- safety Roy Williams, guard Andre Gurode and wideout Antonio Bryant, who's got Michael Irvin written all over him. Grade ... A

Given Dallas all the love, and for what?

Derek Ross?  Gone
Antonio Bryant?  Gone
Andre Gurode?  Ok, still up in the air
Roy Williams?  One of the more overrated players in the NFL, can hit but can't cover my grandmother.

Nice evaluation there Dr. Z

RomeyRome

QuotePHILADELPHIA
OK, so Andy Reid said he was looking for backup help, but three DBs in the first three picks? I mean, it would be different if he were playing in the same division as the Rams, but, c'mon now. Grade ... D

:-D  Dr. Z you are a tool.  Yes most of us were shaking our heads at the drafting of three straight DBs, but atleast evaluate the talent, don't just discount the draft because we didn't necessarily need those positions that year.

Don Ho

Quote from: NB on August 13, 2005, 12:48:42 PM
QuotePHILADELPHIA
OK, so Andy Reid said he was looking for backup help, but three DBs in the first three picks? I mean, it would be different if he were playing in the same division as the Rams, but, c'mon now. Grade ... D

:-D  Dr. Z you are a tool.  Yes most of us were shaking our heads at the drafting of three straight DBs, but atleast evaluate the talent, don't just discount the draft because we didn't necessarily need those positions that year.

Totally.  What a geek! 
"Well where does Jack Lord live, or Don Ho?  That's got to be a nice neighborhood"  Jack Singer(Nicholas Cage) in Honeymoon in Vegas.