The Eagles Offseason Thread(all aboard the Brian Finneran bandwagon)

[rjs246]

You're all so gay for me.

[Eagaholic]

it's just Prius envy

[reese125]

Banner talks about why they traded out of the 1st rd:

"What we've done two years in a row is basically trade one pick to acquire three picks. In 2007, we had a small number of picks going into the draft and traded out of the first round to acquire three selections, players we think have very high ceilings in terms of what they can contribute. Two of those players, linebacker Stewart Bradley and tight end Brent Celek, contributed as rookies and we expect them to continue to make contributions. The other player, quarterback Kevin Kolb, is making outstanding progress in his development. We moved back a very small number of picks and used that first-round pick to select three players. I really don't understand the conclusion that we didn't act with urgency, given that two of draft picks from that trade contributed as rookies, actually, in fact, more than the player Dallas drafted, linebacker Anthony Spencer.

"This year we got two picks in this year's draft plus one in next year's draft, which happens to be a first-round pick. The player we selected first in the second round, defensive tackle Trevor Laws, is someone we had a late first-round grade on. I don't think our moves had anything to do with urgency. We wanted to convert our draft picks into great value – and the definition of great value can depend upon the circumstances – then you are doing well. We think we did well with both deals to move out of the first round. We acquired multiple picks and used those picks to select players we think will turn out to be important contributors to our football team. We didn't, in our estimation, sacrifice the opportunity to select players who could step right in and contribute on the field.

"Last year, when we took our first-round pick and traded to Dallas, I remember doing an interview and saying, 'We got Kevin Kolb, Stewart Bradley and Brent Celek and we think those players will compare favorably to the player Dallas selected, linebacker Anthony Spencer.' In fact, as I said, last year we got more out of those three picks than Dallas got out of its one.

"The question here relates to how quickly a player is going to contribute. That is more a reflection of how ready the player is when he is drafted and what your depth chart looks like when you head into the draft. There are positions on our team where we could have picked a great player and, because of the talent we have already, that player wouldn't play immediately.

"On the other hand, Laws has an excellent chance of being our third defensive tackle, and generally our third tackle plays between 40 and 50 percent of the snaps. We don't know if that is going to happen, but if he plays that much, it will end up being more of a contribution that a vast majority of first-round picks historically make as rookies. And don't forget, the failure rate for first-round picks is 50 percent around the league.

"If we are good talent evaluators, we should be able to look back in two or three years and say we are much better off having made these trades, including in the short run."

[PhillyPhreak54]

I don't disagree with him much on this.

I loved the trade this year. Last year, I hated. Not because of the trade back but because of the position they drafted.

And I don't understand the venom towards trading with Dallas. Some people act like its an act of treason. I remember Eckel on the radio after they did that inciting riots about how Spencer was a stud and would make the Eagles pay.

[Diomedes]

Dude annoys the farg out of me, repeating his central argument like five times, as a good propagandist should.   Stewart and Celek played, yes, but to say they contributed is a bit of a reach.  Let's say they didn't hurt the team, rather than they contributed.  That's okay, but not good, in my book.  It gives me reason to hope for this year regarding them, and so I'm not totally throwing out the argument that the Eagles got more out of that trade than they gave.  But we'll see.

I'd like to ask Banner what he thinks the "failure rate" for second and third round picks is?

[Drunkmasterflex]

While I do love the trade in this past draft, I think he gets carried away making it sound like they have done such a great job.  There drafts have been ok over the past few years. 

[ice grillin you]

Dude annoys the farg out of me, repeating his central argument like five times, as a good propagandist should.

thats the problem here...not the trades (for the record i loved this years and disagreed with the kolb move)...its the fact that the president of the team feels as tho he has to go on the eagle website and basically make a messageboard post defending what the team did two years ago is just pathetic and shows the thin-ness of his skin

as you pointed out he made some serious reaches in the piece as well...but thats to be expected

[BigEd76]

the 5th-rd pick they got from Dallas was used on Gaddis, not Celek

[SunMo]

the 5th-rd pick they got from Dallas was used on Gaddis, not Celek

Dave's response to that:

Mr. Banner is aware of whom the Eagles took in the draft with what picks. He chooses to portray it this way.

http://boards.philadelphiaeagles.com/index.php?showtopic=500731

[Cerevant]

Damn...I think that's the most honest statement I've ever seen the mouthpiece make.

[ice grillin you]

his response on wip tuesday was that by getting the second 5th rounder it allowed them to draft celek since they had gaddis rated higher and would have only taken him had they not had dallas' pick

[rjs246]

What a fascinating explanation!

[MDS]

Mr. Banner said his balls were getting hard, so I started sucking on them again and they tasted good.

[Eagaholic]

his response on wip tuesday was that by getting the second 5th rounder it allowed them to draft celek since they had gaddis rated higher and would have only taken him had they not had dallas' pick

This seemed pretty obvious anyway. Does Banner take us for idiots or something, not knowing they rated Gaddis higher?

[Rome]

Ummm. . .