Why the Philadelphia Eagles should not draft a quarterback with their first pick in the NFL draft (4th overall)
While I know some will disagree with me, I think it would be a mistake for the Philadelphia Eagles to draft a quarterback in the first round of the coming NFL draft. I think this for two reasons: 1) The team has far greater needs than that at the quarterback position and 2) There isn't a standout quarterback in this year's draft.
The Eagles were pretty awful in all three phases of the game last year. I've seen mimes and deaf people click better than the Eagles offense did at times last year. The defense exerted less pressure on opposing quarterbacks than The Dude feels when smoking a doobie. The special teams coverage unit tackled much like a newborn going after a sumo wrestler.
After former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly got signed by the team, the club made the following signings: Defensive end/linebacker Chris McCoy, quarterback Dennis Dixon, cornerback Bradley Fletcher, tight end James Casey, safety Patrick Chung, linebacker Jason Phillips, defensive lineman Isaac Sopoaga, cornerback Cary Williams, and safety Kenny Phillips. They also traded for Tampa Bay wide receiver Arrelious Benn.
Last year, the team's offensive line was more banged up than a crash test dummy drag racing. The line should be a great deal healthier this year, but still need help at the tackle position. This is a need area, regardless of who the quarterback is. Fortunately for the Eagles, this draft appears to be pretty loaded with quality tackles.
The team could also use help in finding a player(s) to exert pressure on opposing quarterbacks, quality special teams players, as well as adding depth to an array of positions.
I think the team has performed very well in the off-season to this point. With so many signings and changes on that side of the ball, the defensive unit is a bit of a mystery. However, I'd be hard-pressed to say they'll perform anywhere near as poorly as the unit last year did. Alex Henery has been a very steady kicker and the return game has been pretty solid, but the coverage unit is also a mystery at this point. It doesn't matter how good of a defense a team has if the opposing offenses typically start their possessions near midfield as was often the case last year against the Eagles.
The offensive side of the ball, barring injuries, appears to be the strength of the team going into next season. What has killed the Eagles the past couple seasons on offense have been injuries and turnovers. If they can remain healthy and hang onto the football, the offense will have the potential to put up a lot of points. It all starts with the offensive line, though. If 4 of the 5 starters go down to injury like last year, then it's going to make things incredibly difficult for the offense to get much done consistently. Behind the line are a pair of stud tailbacks in LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown. James Casey will be a nice fit at fullback. Brent Celek and Clay Harbor provide quality depth at tight end. The team is loaded with quality or up-and-coming receivers in: DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper, Damaris Johnson, and Arrelious Benn. Lastly, the team possesses Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick, a possible up-and-coming quarterback in Nick Foles, and a fairly reliable back-up in Dennis Dixon.
There can be no question that the Eagles would like a promising franchise-type quarterback for the future. However, this draft doesn't appear to provide that. If both he and the offensive line are healthy, Michael Vick can still be a dynamic NFL quarterback. The jury is still out on Nick Foles, but he did showcase at times last season that he may have the potential to be a solid full-time starting quarterback in the league. The question is, would the team rather see how much Foles can improve over the next year plus while playing behind Michael Vick, before possibly busting him out as the starter the following season, or to spend the 4th pick in the draft on a quarterback (Geno Smith) who appears to carry with him more questions than answers by analysts? If quarterbacks like Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III were available, I'd recommend the Eagles take a quarterback with the 4th pick. However, without that type of quarterback being available in this year's draft, I'd highly recommend either taking an offensive lineman with the 4th overall pick or trading down for multiple players, and possibly taking a chance on a quarterback in the mid- to late-rounds. Taking a quarterback with the 4th pick this year would appear to me to be a wasted draft pick.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/roster/_/name/phi/philadelphia-eagles
The Eagles were pretty awful in all three phases of the game last year. I've seen mimes and deaf people click better than the Eagles offense did at times last year. The defense exerted less pressure on opposing quarterbacks than The Dude feels when smoking a doobie. The special teams coverage unit tackled much like a newborn going after a sumo wrestler.
After former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly got signed by the team, the club made the following signings: Defensive end/linebacker Chris McCoy, quarterback Dennis Dixon, cornerback Bradley Fletcher, tight end James Casey, safety Patrick Chung, linebacker Jason Phillips, defensive lineman Isaac Sopoaga, cornerback Cary Williams, and safety Kenny Phillips. They also traded for Tampa Bay wide receiver Arrelious Benn.
Last year, the team's offensive line was more banged up than a crash test dummy drag racing. The line should be a great deal healthier this year, but still need help at the tackle position. This is a need area, regardless of who the quarterback is. Fortunately for the Eagles, this draft appears to be pretty loaded with quality tackles.
The team could also use help in finding a player(s) to exert pressure on opposing quarterbacks, quality special teams players, as well as adding depth to an array of positions.
I think the team has performed very well in the off-season to this point. With so many signings and changes on that side of the ball, the defensive unit is a bit of a mystery. However, I'd be hard-pressed to say they'll perform anywhere near as poorly as the unit last year did. Alex Henery has been a very steady kicker and the return game has been pretty solid, but the coverage unit is also a mystery at this point. It doesn't matter how good of a defense a team has if the opposing offenses typically start their possessions near midfield as was often the case last year against the Eagles.
The offensive side of the ball, barring injuries, appears to be the strength of the team going into next season. What has killed the Eagles the past couple seasons on offense have been injuries and turnovers. If they can remain healthy and hang onto the football, the offense will have the potential to put up a lot of points. It all starts with the offensive line, though. If 4 of the 5 starters go down to injury like last year, then it's going to make things incredibly difficult for the offense to get much done consistently. Behind the line are a pair of stud tailbacks in LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown. James Casey will be a nice fit at fullback. Brent Celek and Clay Harbor provide quality depth at tight end. The team is loaded with quality or up-and-coming receivers in: DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper, Damaris Johnson, and Arrelious Benn. Lastly, the team possesses Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick, a possible up-and-coming quarterback in Nick Foles, and a fairly reliable back-up in Dennis Dixon.
There can be no question that the Eagles would like a promising franchise-type quarterback for the future. However, this draft doesn't appear to provide that. If both he and the offensive line are healthy, Michael Vick can still be a dynamic NFL quarterback. The jury is still out on Nick Foles, but he did showcase at times last season that he may have the potential to be a solid full-time starting quarterback in the league. The question is, would the team rather see how much Foles can improve over the next year plus while playing behind Michael Vick, before possibly busting him out as the starter the following season, or to spend the 4th pick in the draft on a quarterback (Geno Smith) who appears to carry with him more questions than answers by analysts? If quarterbacks like Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III were available, I'd recommend the Eagles take a quarterback with the 4th pick. However, without that type of quarterback being available in this year's draft, I'd highly recommend either taking an offensive lineman with the 4th overall pick or trading down for multiple players, and possibly taking a chance on a quarterback in the mid- to late-rounds. Taking a quarterback with the 4th pick this year would appear to me to be a wasted draft pick.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/roster/_/name/phi/philadelphia-eagles
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