Drafting A TE Early?

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Jason Spitz would be a horrible pick at 14. You dont take G/C in the 1st round, much less top 15.

My bust, I'll switch and include Marcus McNeil. Besides how could pass on a guy with a mug like this:

[Feva]

He really looks like he'll take a playbook seriously.


GET SPITZ!

[Larry]

I thought the same thing in regards to his response, Rome. That is the second time I have heard him say that they will be or could be active in the FA market.

I'm getting a good feeling.

FA isn't always the magic bullet.

See Steelers.

When's the last time they signed a "name" FA?  Staley?

Their success could influence the FO to stay the course.

[General_Failure]

It's not like the last few FAs the Eagles have picked up have all been winners anyway.

[Displaced]

Been a while since I have posted.  Been lurking on a daily basis though.  I had to weigh in on this one. 

I would love the idea of a big time tight end if the Eagles had a killer pass rush, or another shut down corner, or a big time lenebacker all in the bag. 

That being said I want the Eagles above all to give Donnie the tools/weapons needed to take this thing all the way.  They moved in that direction with Owens but he turned out to be the Bitch of the week every week after the Superbowl. 

To do this, IMHO they have to protect better, run better, and get a goto guy that can consistantly get it done in big situations.

They can't reach in this draft.  This is a big time year in the ReidandCo. era because they have some big time decisions to make in the face of the adversity that comes with a 6and10 season after playing deep into the play-offs the last few years.

Damn that was long.  I need to post more often so I don't try and get it all in in one post.    

[The BIGSTUD]

PhillyPhreak54:

I agree with you about loving Mario Williams. I've said on here for a while that I've wanted him, but since like you said the chances are slim to none that we can trade up to get him or that he'll fall I'm not comfortable in taking Kiwanuka there. He has a bust tag written all over him. He's a big risk and could potentially be very good, but it is a risk. I'd rather just sign Abraham so we have no worries about another busted draft pick.

TE at 14 is a reach. If we take care of all the other positions through free agency then I'd either want another OLB(assuming we only sign one) or anothe DT(assuming we only sign one).

If Moulds isn't cut and Wayne is tagged then I'd want Santonio Holmes. Yes he's young but I don't care. He's going to be a stud. Two young receivers to grow with McNabb gives me football boners.

[pinoyboy2pt0]

Who fargin knows.

Sure, if the birds cover DT, DE, OLB, WR(?) in FA...then we can focus in on almost whatever for our spot.  If we have all those areas selected, I wouldn't mind a WR that can be a work in progress, or trade down get Wroten and a TE in the late first early second.  It's a lot of if's.

I'm not against the idea of two stud TE's.  But...so many things factor into it.  Are our other needs meet?  Is Pinkston our #2 next year?  Will Pinkston even be healthy?  I think we need a WR that can stretch the field and catch the ball.  You take out a potential impact on WR and put him in on TE, then teams will just pack the box.  Double Reggie if they have to, single up our 2 and just come.  Things just don't 'open up' as much vertically if you have an impact TE as much as an impact WR.  Sure we'd have to wait a few years for it to materialize, but if he's not Freddie Mitchell, could be worth the wait.  I'd rather have a playmaking WR opposite Reggie if we are going to throw the ball 55-60-65% of the time.  But then you throw in what 1st rd. WR's are really guaranteed to be successful given the history of 1st rd wr's?  But then you throw in this zesty draft arrangement (poor WR class, some teams ahead of us with the same record who are probably targeting the same guys we are, no clear cut DT worth 14) and our inability to draft some areas of need (LB, WR more or less) and a relatively weak FA crop and you gotta take what you can get.

I see our needs as:

DT
DE/OLB
WR
TE

If we get Rocky, Kalimba/Peterson - Kiwi/Greenway (DeMeco...whatever)...I'm fine with going up in the air with WR or TE. 

Two TE's would work with some blitzes.  You could have them run some late releases.  Your best CB/LB/S can only cover 1.  I'd much rather have some stud TE than friggin Klopenstein (sp) from Col.  in the 4th. 

The only problem I see with getting a DE that high is...they'd just run around the OT and the qb will just step us because there's no inside pressure.  Doesn't matter who you put at DE, if there's no push up the middle, it'll be the same old story.  ...and if the DE does make a presence, run a RB chip or a TE, max pro at our DE and defense and we're back to having the same problems we had last year.

arrrgh.  This team has so many holes I don't know where to start.  I woudn't mind DE in the first though, seeing as how Jevon has been suspicously healthy the past two years and beyond that we have Cole...then trash.  Who do we rotate if Jevon/Cole goes down?  Split Walker out there, then our DT are even thinner. 

If LJ goes down, god have mercy on our soul.  Spach/Thorn would be our 2 TE sets? 

[PhillyPhreak54]

I thought the same thing in regards to his response, Rome. That is the second time I have heard him say that they will be or could be active in the FA market.

I'm getting a good feeling.

FA isn't always the magic bullet.

See Steelers.

When's the last time they signed a "name" FA?  Staley?

Their success could influence the FO to stay the course.

I have a feeling that its going to be a magic bullet this year though. They know they need help and they'll go out and get it.

[PhillyPhreak54]

PhillyPhreak54:

I agree with you about loving Mario Williams. I've said on here for a while that I've wanted him, but since like you said the chances are slim to none that we can trade up to get him or that he'll fall I'm not comfortable in taking Kiwanuka there. He has a bust tag written all over him. He's a big risk and could potentially be very good, but it is a risk. I'd rather just sign Abraham so we have no worries about another busted draft pick.

TE at 14 is a reach. If we take care of all the other positions through free agency then I'd either want another OLB(assuming we only sign one) or anothe DT(assuming we only sign one).

If Moulds isn't cut and Wayne is tagged then I'd want Santonio Holmes. Yes he's young but I don't care. He's going to be a stud. Two young receivers to grow with McNabb gives me football boners.

I'm not real sold on Holmes yet. I don't know why but maybe I'm a little gun shy about the whole WR in the first round thing again.

pinoy,

My scenario of the TE @ 14 hinges much on the Eagles getting a WR, DE, DT and LB in FA.

[Displaced]

pinoy I gotta say it's hard not to agree with your bleak assessment but I think the defense is one impact player away from being deadly again. 

I think they need either another shut down corner so that Dawk can get wicked again or as you stated a guy that can provide a push up the middle.  One impact, high energy guy on defense can make all the difference even if it's at linebacker; imagine the Eagles having a guy they can actually turn lose on a blitz off the edge rather than just sending Trott up th emiddle to get picked up everytime.

[pinoyboy2pt0]

Freak, well in that case, I'm more than fine with it.  Hell, I love the idea then.  IMO Reid is too aggressive sometimes.  Going spread O and not enough max pro.  If you have a playmaker at TE and put him in to block (or LJ in to block - ha) run a delayed route or just go out instead of a WR going out to run a route, D-Mac won't get slaughtered.  Kinda of ass backwards thinking, but it'll work.

I think we maybe could be two impact players away from this D being dominate again, but (imo) it has to be at DT and SLB.  I like Peterson, but question his health and what he's worth vs what he thinks he's worth.  I like Witherspoon, but isn't he more of a WLB?  So they we'd have no real SLB and 4 WLB's?  JJ has always said LB is the hardest position to play on this D, so how would a rookie LB do in this system anyway, let alone one we draft?  But if somehow we can finagle a nice DT (Rocky) and SLB (?), it's on like donkey kong in '06.  I'm still up in the air about Greenway and DeMeco.  Afraid they get swallowed up in traffic.  Haven't seen Carpenter and his broken leg play.

[NGM]

pinoy I gotta say it's hard not to agree with your bleak assessment but I think the defense is one impact player away from being deadly again. 

I agree with that whole-heartedly.  Especially if that player is one who can get to the quarterback.  Everyone on here saw how ineffective JJ's defense becomes when none of the front four can get to the quarterback.

[MURP]

take Garrett Mills in the 7th and give him some roids. 

[The BIGSTUD]

pinoy I gotta say it's hard not to agree with your bleak assessment but I think the defense is one impact player away from being deadly again. 

I think they need either another shut down corner so that Dawk can get wicked again or as you stated a guy that can provide a push up the middle.  One impact, high energy guy on defense can make all the difference even if it's at linebacker; imagine the Eagles having a guy they can actually turn lose on a blitz off the edge rather than just sending Trott up th emiddle to get picked up everytime.

Really? I think they are about 5 players away. 2 DTs, 1 DE, 2 OLBs. Defense is so important. I don't want any holes on it next year. None. It always makes you feel so much better going into a game knowing it's hard to score on you.

[PhillyPhreak54]

take Garrett Mills in the 7th and give him some roids. 

He's a guy I've been reading up on. Sounds like a Reid type guy. Plus he'd be reunited with his boy Truckdriver.