News for Eagles FO: Draft != Free Agency

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

OK, here's something I have to get off my chest.  I'm absolutely sick of the spin doctoring of the Eagles, as they talk about filling needs in the draft.  Look at last year, for instance.  The Eagles got a lot of quality players in the draft, but they still stunk it up, because as they relied on those players more and more, they "hit the wall" and didn't do much.  Herremans got hurt after only a couple of games as a starter, Cole had a handful of sacks in November and was basically a non-factor in December, and my boy Patterson really lost the push he was getting.  All of these guys should be solid players this year, but they didn't make the difference between winning or losing during their rookie season.  Shawn Andrews was the last player to get a starting spot given to him as a rookie, and we all know how that turned out.

So, I see an Eagles team that had a lot of injuries in 2005, but they also learned some things about the guys who did play.  Here are things the Eagles absolutely know:

--Artis Hicks is not a starter.  His versatility is his strength, but he is below average.
--Hank Fraley and Jamaal Jackson combined might make an adequate Center.  But they both have severe drawbacks taken one at a time- Fraley's lack of power and Jackson's sloppiness.
--Shawn Andrews will probably never be an OT
--Reggie Brown is a talent, but unproven.  Greg Lewis is a 4th receiver on most good teams.
--Josh Parry stinks
--Dhani Jones stinks
--Hollis Thomas is done.  Rayburn is a 4th DT at best.  Darwin Walker is probably not of starter-quality.

Our response on these things from their mouthpiece?

My list of Eagles needs still to be addressed in free agency and/or the draft, in no particular order: Defensive tackle, linebacker, wide receiver, offensive line.

That says to me that they don't care about the fullback position, which we knew.  They don't see any need for a bigger running back, also.  They think a 1st or 2nd round DT will be just fine.  They're OK with Dhani farging Jones as a starter on this defense.  And, they're OK with Todd farging Pinkston as a starter on offense?  And the OL?  Donovan can kiss their ass.  No reason to make it better than last year.  And I'm assuming Runyan gets re-signed here.

I think the front office has done more right than wrong, but as good quality starting players fall off the board and go to other teams, I have no choice but to question their actual desire to win the Super Bowl.  Asses.

[rjs246]

Did you just use "!=" in the title of a thread? You just won the award for biggest nerd of all time. I'm dumbfounded.

[PhillyGirl]

Perhaps you need to not listen to Dave.

[Rome]

 

[ice grillin you]

their main problem is relying on to many if's....whether it be draft picks or UFA...yeah building a team by these means is a neat idea and sounds good but evaluating players is like hitting in baseball...a really low % of success is considered good...meaning you gotta go other routes...aka free agency

the eagles have way too many spots where you say IF this happens everything will be ok...IF this young guy can play IF this older guy can stay healthy and somehow rekindle what he was three years ago

this goes back to the god complex that andy has...that he can turn water into wine...for example its a game to him to see how many UFA he can turn into players...again neat concept but being a player for a UFA mean making the team...not helping it...getting a shawn barber for cheap is nice for the team but what IF he blows out his knee again...or what IF he just isnt very good anymore...that kind of thinking doesnt even enter andys mind..to him its IF we sign him he automatically will be fine

at some point they need to go out and get younger real proven nfl players on the team...even if it means overpaying...theres no reason they shouldnt have runyan...randel el...howard...and a lb (witherspoon or someone like david thornton) in the fold right now...then later on add a garcia barber or schobel...

they do it the opposite way

ive mentioned this before that a lot has to do with their position in the league right now...to me last year was an abberation and entering this offseason they had as good a chance of going to the superbowl as anyone in the nfc...you have arguably the best qb the franchise has ever had but he isnt one that can win a title on his own...hes shown he either needs a really good defense or really good weapons for him to excel (and even at that its questionable but thats another thread) so why not go guns blazing this offseason and get him that help...it was a really deep free agent market and they have a boatload of cash...there just is no excuse for what has happened thus far

[Rome]

IGY gettin' all philosophical and shtein...

[Diomedes]

So far, no one has said anything in this thread that hasn't been said a hundred times in the past week.  Good show.

[ice grillin you]

the problem is this is an institutional problem not a past week one

[Rome]

My post was fresh, yo...

[Mad-Lad]

So far, no one has said anything in this thread that hasn't been said a hundred times in the past week.  Good show.

same shtein. different thred title.

[ice grillin you]

ha...i just continued this thread on wip....

[MadMarchHare]

So....if they go 12-4 this season, will any of this matter?

I'm certainly not a FO apologist.  I think they are doing what they believe to win.  IGY may be right that Reid has a god complex, but I've never met him.  Watching everyone (even the typically reasonable ones like Phreak) meltdown after LeBentley went to Cleveland was baffling.  6 months ago everyone thought the FO was the bestest.  Now, no general progression, just the bottom falling out, they outright suck.  Which one is it?  I'm just a lemming, so I need to know which bandwagon to get on.

[PhillyPhreak54]

My biggest gripe is that they can do BOTH this off-season and next off-season too:

1. If you are a team with severe salary cap limitations ala the Titans the last few years then building through the draft is your only option. You have to stockpile picks and make damn sure you hit on them.

2. If you are a team who has a poor draft position or very few picks & a healthy cap then you have to fill needs via FA and then use what picks you have for depth.

But the Eagles are in position to be #1 and #2.

They have an assload of picks and a bigger assload of money.

Go get some goddamn players to fill out the starting lineups and key positions and fill in with the draft picks! Then you draftees can work themselves into NFL players without being counted on solely. So when you FA's are older or their deals are up your picks are ready to go.

They have to do something. This is frustrating as hell. I don't want them to get stupid in FA by signing guys who aren't worth the money. You can be smart and improve and pay out to guys all at the same time.

David Givens = perfect example. The dude is 25 years old.

That is the type of player the Eagles generally go hard after. And he got a modest contract and a decent SB.

Remember when Justin McCareins was available from Tennessee? The Eagles wanted him badly but he went to the Jets. Why not even sniff at Givens? Stupid.

[PhillyPhreak54]

ha...i just continued this thread on wip....

You actually got on?

[ice grillin you]

6 months ago everyone thought the FO was the bestest

they were wrong


reid lived off of ray rhodes players and top five draft picks for a few years...once he took over and started drafting things havent gone as well....lots of UFA and lots of draft failures (outside of the lito shelden westbrook year its been dismal) youre just  starting to see the effect of that now