What I Learned at the Senior Bowl
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagles Blog
What I Learned at the Senior Bowl
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
MOBILE, Ala. --- Waiting at Mobile Regional Airport Thursday afternoon to head back to Philly. Listening to a guy loudly recount details of his business meeting over his phone. "He didn't seem concerned -- even before dinner, before you know, he'd started drinking..."
Yes, I am leaving two days before the game. Many fans don't know this, but Mike Mayock is the only human being who actually watches the Senior Bowl in person. The rest is all CGI.
Scouts, coaches and reporters are here for the practices, which wrap up Thursday after four unforgettable days in a land where, if you want to listen to non-country radio, your options are limited to songs written before 1978, and people railing about Obama.
Here is some of what I learned in Mobile this year:
1. The Eagles aren't drafting a quarterback fourth overall, unless West Virginia's Geno Smith, who turned down his invite here, absolutely performs legendary feats at the NFL Scouting Combine. Yeah, Malvern Prep's Ryan Nassib is a great story and we're all pulling for the local kid, but fourth overall? In last year's draft class of QBs he's a third-rounder. No thanks. Trade down and draft him? Sure.
2. That Georgia Southern safety I mentioned in the Thursday paper, J.J. Wilcox? Mayock liked him too.
3. Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher is exactly what Senior Bowl week is for. Showed he could block the SEC guys, now he's probably a Top 10 pick.
4. Denard Robinson, the Michigan QB turning into a wideout, has an awful lot of work to do on route-running, other basics of the position. I'd pass.
5. Trying to find something on the radio, I ran across an outdoors program that reminded me: If I'm hunting from my boat, I can't shoot at anything unless the propeller is stopped. Also, apparently there are lots of hogs in the delta this winter. So I would have guessed wrong on that.
6. The whole offensive tackle draft class apparently is real good. Which is why maybe if the Eagles can't get Luke Joeckel at 4, they should entertain trading down.
7. Dude who pushes the wheelchair passengers at Mobile Regional Airport plays the harmonica while doing so. Swear to God.
8. Rice tight end Vance McDonald was the best player here from a school named after a side dish.
9. THE wideout here was Oregon State's Markus Wheaton. For real. Very strong talent.
10. Every guy over 340 pounds, every year, there are questions about his "motor." Like you're gonna go drag racing with a dump truck. Duh.
11. Who am I to question Bob Dylan, but if I really got stuck here, I don't think I would have the "Memphis blues again." Or even for the first time.
What he meant - there wasn't much talent. OTs of quality, not much else? I'd love for the Eagles to draft a DT who is a dump truck. Somebody immovable.— 4thand10- I read sports to avoid politics and regional chauvinism that clog the rest of the media.....— Issac
Les, you have to explain why the propeller has to be stopped. If you lose your balance and fall out of the boat...- Good funny stuff Les! Same things I would observe. Eagles should trade down no further then the 12th pick and get extra picks in 2nd and 4th along with the oteam's 1st round pick. That way we can load up talent plus possibly trade one of our players (i.e. DMC)pick up a late 2nd or early 3rd. We need at least 25 new players on this team and if you review the roster closely mostly everyone would agree!— Alpha58
- With the temperture reading 4 degrees,snow on the ground, this morning excerps from Mobil definitely changed my mood! Thanks Les— hodigger
- If Denard Robinson falls into the 5th or 6th round, look for the Eagles to take him as an experiment, with nothing to lose.
It's exactly the type move new coaches make.— banned - I don't know if the Eagles need a total team overhaul. I think that they need good coaching and some players need a heart transplant. I'm still concerned with the defensive coach hiring and the style of play whether 4-3 or 3-4 because that could determine which way they go in the draft— Hack Wilson
- With the 4th pick, I'd rather draft one guy I know can start at any position rather than trade down and possibly find no one who can start.— p-diddy
So you found nothing of interest to write about? Tsk, tsk, did you write this before or after dinner?- Eagles need a lot of players and their are options for just about everything they need. This draft is O-line heavy with two being plaug and play guys. We may be able to get Joeckel or trade down for for Fisher. I would love the georgia nose if we go to a 3-4. Guess we need a D coord before to long...prob will have one Monday after the SB.— titleist_tim
