ReadingPhilly wrote:Pretty clear that this is a mediocre franchise that was covered up in the reid/Mcnabb glory days.

This is basically the conclusion I am coming too but would like to add Jim Johnson. And mediocre may be too positive, at this point.

So Lurie gets no credit for the head coach of 14 of his 20 years? The subsequent hire almost of all of us celebrated?

I do wish they would create a top-down personnel structure with a real force at the top, which they tried in the early Reid years, but it's honestly hard to do that with big-name coaches like late Reid and Chip.

We'll see what happens now. Hopefully Howie and the new personnel guy do great and we're all set. If not I hope they go back to the top-down model with the best #2 from Green Bay or Seattle or Pittsburgh or wherever.

702 wrote:I seriously think this means BPA this draft using Mel Kiper's mock.

That's essentially what the Bengals do. It's worked for them talent-wise, if not character- and chemistry-wise.

The Dude wrote:

stevemc wrote:Reports say we can't hire someone at this stage bc they are firmly entrenched in their current draft process and teams won't allow it. You know why? BC we are offering a lateral move! If Lurie & Co had the balls to name someone "GM" then teams can't stop you. It would be a promotion. Give Howie some lofty title and get a GM in here. You can pluck any non-GM you want but sadly, they don't want to give that power away and therefore we miss out on a candidate for the foreseeable future.

They could still call it GM and regulate what authority the person has, so i don't see this as indicative of anything

You are making my point. They could do exactly that and yet they won't. It's stupid.

Wheels Tupay wrote:The Castillo hire was disastrous on the surface though.

Right, as is not having a personnel head for four months leading to the draft. But in both cases, there was a chance it would work out. The players loved Juan, we had supposedly good asst defensive coaches, he knew the scheme, etc. We could list similar reasons for optimism today.

We were fucked for the draft anyway. Almost everyone Chip coached or coached against in college is already long gone.

Grotewold wrote:So Lurie gets no credit for the head coach of 14 of his 20 years? The subsequent hire almost of all of us celebrated?

I do wish they would create a top-down personnel structure with a real force at the top, which they tried in the early Reid years, but it's honestly hard to do that with big-name coaches like late Reid and Chip.

We'll see what happens now. Hopefully Howie and the new personnel guy do great and we're all set. If not I hope they go back to the top-down model with the best #2 from Green Bay or Seattle or Pittsburgh or wherever.

It really comes down to the following --

Each organization has a way decisions get made. Who is the final word. I'm guessing it's a spectrum in terms of how collaborative it is with any particular org. Mr. Lurie is likely not thrilled that we had Shady, Desean and Maclin as really high value draft picks and had them in their prime years and now while none are beyond 28 we have none. That said, we have a lot of talent on paper. A lot of investments in recent drafted players which were not that bad of drafts --

The top 9 drafted players of the last 3 years include:

Logan, L Johnson, J Math, Ertz, J Hicks,
Agholor
Huff
M Smith III

I think that's 5 players, a #1 who I still think will join the above list. Huff is negligible and one bust and it's been covere ad infinitum. Show me how many teams struck gold on all 3 1st round picks of the last 3 years?!

There's a way business operates for Mr Lurie. It got established with Banner and Howie continues it forwards. The fans think he's a weasel lawyer dude who has no football pedigree but in the end - Mr Lurie is in charge. He knows how he wants to run things.

I believe - that THEY believe they have the talent right now to be a 10-11 win team and division winner. That with a stabilization to Novacare, a solid player's coach like Pederson - that they can get back to the "Eagle-way". Howie goes back to the role Jeff was happy to have him in before, and hopefully Howie is smarter and wiser and learned some lessons.

I doubt he picks players in a vacuum. Does the org lack other important research and people with acumen needed to find gems in the 5th round or not blow a 3rd round pick? No idea. But it's just perception of media and fans, that we need this other kind of structure where a powerful GM is the determiner of all things.

Who is to say whomever that person would be, that they would get it right? Or any faster than the structure in place now.

They have one major decision to make - and that's how to move forwards at the QB position. Everything else is what it is. They will maybe go after a guy or two in FA. They probably know who they are targeting, one will be a G/OT and maybe a S. The draft, will be about best player available and if they can get in to the 2nd round. If the QBs are gone and there are none left at 13, they could move back to 19-22 to get an Olineman they like - and trade 1st and 3rd for another teams 1st and 2nd.

I'm not that worried. We've seen them be agressive before. Nnamdi didn't work out. Kearse meh. TO great at first. And there have the Kevin Curtis's - they have done ok in FA and not ok.

They are focusing on their own guys.

A team with Demarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles - has to be legit in the running game, which takes a lot of pressure off the defense, the head coach, and the QB.

I think they want Bradford but not willing to pay him top 8-10 money. I'm not sure there is a QB in the draft they luuv that they can acquire.

I think likely - it's Bradford, the running game, Agholor, Ertz, J Math and a veteran WR, a new RG, one more run w Peters healthy and maybe 1 new player on D.

They think new system, new coach and same players will produce a much better result, then NEXT YEAR, depending how it all went down, who got hurt, how QB did - they will see where they want to go longer term and will bring in some support people to work with Howie.

The hate on Howie is a lot about projection and assumptions and in the end, Lurie doesn't care. He's doing what he wants to do the way he wants to do it. He doesn't owe the media or fans a shift to some Bill Polian type GM structure.

The fact that Howie admitted to his decision to take Marcus Smith in the first round is all you gotta know about this upcoming draft. I'll be heavily intoxicated going into that Thursday night.

Didn't see it mentioned, but McDermott confirmed last night he met with the Eagles and it was obvious early on they wanted an offensive-minded HC

Eagles sign DE Vinny Curry to a five-year deal worth $47.25 million. $23 million guaranteed.

https://twitter.com/mrgetflee99/status/694668321459822592

Curry Re-signed?

SixerLed3 wrote:Eagles sign DE Vinny Curry to a five-year deal worth $47.25 million. $23 million guaranteed.

Wow.

I think the Eagles are making a statement with all these signings. They are telling their key players, we believe in you - we think you guys are part of our future success and sorry about the Chip thing - we're stabilizing now. Prepare, work hard and let's get to the playoffs!

Murray and Maxwell and Jenkins and Barwin and Ry Math - JP and Kelce are also probably feeling a lot better. Fletcher knows he's next and the permiere guy.

I could see Peters really re-commit to trying to be effective for another year or two - get healthy. Fight to get that ring before he retires and bids for HOF?!

This is going to be a very different vibe this off-season and OTAs and pre-season.

702 wrote:The fact that Howie admitted to his decision to take Marcus Smith in the first round is all you gotta know about this upcoming draft. I'll be heavily intoxicated going into that Thursday night.

Someone drafted Danny Watkins, and moved up to get McDougle and passed Reggie Wayne for Freddie Mitchell -- it's not the first bad pick. Ray Rhodes got us Jon Harris - the Eagles woes at first round picks goes back a lot farther than Howie and Marcus Smith. The story has emerged that they had 1-2-3 guys they liked and they all got taken, they moved back and they went with a combine guy and some film because the knew the new 3-4 needed an OLB who could get to the QB and he looked the part. It was a mistake. They didn't expect all the guys they had on their board to be gone.

That doesn't mean they will take a guy at #13 this year, that some have in the 3rd round. They won't take anyone that doesn't have a 1st round grade. They might move back if there is no one they want they can't also get at say 19 if it helps them get back in to the 2nd round?

Howie isn't going in to the draft with zero colleagues and zero discussion. This isn't his first rodeo. And whether he does anything amazing, it's also unreasonable to assume he'll f the whole thing up?

Jordan Hicks in the 3rd round last year, is the first player taken in the 3rd round by the Birds in a long long time to look like a future starter of note. Foles - maybe. Before that Stew Bradley meh.

It's a crap shoot by the 3rd round anyway - and beyond.

All they have to do is get a legit starter with their first round pick, at whatever position. The rest is going to be luck. And hopefully seeing the talent we have now emerge. The defense was just unable to keep teams off the board. Tighten that, slow the pace - steady - w Bradford and running game.

I say this every year btw -- IT IS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT IMMEDIATE PRODUCTION FROM THE DRAFT. When you are looking at one the team can and will be next season, do not rely on 3 draft picks being essential to the success. Be lucky if 1-2 rookies get some meaningful playing time. On occasion, a rookie OT/DL, corner or skill player end up starting. If they take an OL at 13 - maybe that kid finds his way in to starting Oline by game 8. If he's really special, by Game 1. To expect for much else is not reasonable. Pure luck.

Maybe Jacorey Shephard comes back and can still play?

It think Agholor breaks out next year with a big season!

FA is going to mean a lot more than draft this year. And the Birds have been very aggressive over the years in FA. Usually get who they target.

Honestly, if it's mostly the same roster coming back with a new scheme, new HC and DC, I think there is a chance a 7 win team can at least be a 9 win team. Go from there.

I don't think FA will mean more than last year. When they extend Cox and if they sign Bradford, don't think they will have a ton of money to spend in FA.

Last year they signed Maxwell, Murray, Mathews as well as brought back Sanchez. This year I would expect them not to be players for any of the bigger FA's.

Almost starting to seem like we shouldn't have been running the 3-4

heyeaglefn wrote:I don't think FA will mean more than last year. When they extend Cox and if they sign Bradford, don't think they will have a ton of money to spend in FA.

Last year they signed Maxwell, Murray, Mathews as well as brought back Sanchez. This year I would expect them not to be players for any of the bigger FA's.

Not Eric Berry, but what about the S from Bengals, the guy with less rep? Or the G from KC ?

If they get rid of Demeco and Riley Cooper and Sanchez - that should save some dough as well? If the sign Bradford they don't need Sanchez at that point do they? They need a young guy to under-study, no?

Well I think Cooper will be a post June 1st cut.

Hopefully they can work something out with Peters to do something with his contract, and I could see them letting Demeco go.

I could see Pederson signing Bradford and drafting a young QB in the draft if the right guy is there.

heyeaglefn wrote:Well I think Cooper will be a post June 1st cut.

Hopefully they can work something out with Peters to do something with his contract, and I could see them letting Demeco go.

I could see Pederson signing Bradford and drafting a young QB in the draft if the right guy is there.

But would they still keep Sanchez then?

I think they will keep Sanchez.

heyeaglefn wrote:I think they will keep Sanchez.

I would agree to help bring along a rookie QB. Thy are setting up the team perfectly for that. Rely on Defense and Running the ball. QB in the first and then OL heavy.