What they're saying about the Eagles
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
What they're saying about the Eagles
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's a roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles' draft:
John Czarnecki of FoxSports.com gives the Eagles a B:
Fletcher Cox can anchor the interior of Philadelphia's wide-nine approach with its pass rushers. Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks was the second-best middle linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. Kendricks has some injury issues, but is a rock-solid football player. Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin can handle the slot, while defensive end Vinny Curry had 26 1/2 sacks at Marshall. Curry is a street kid from New Jersey who has turned around his life despite a learning disability. He has tremendous upside. ... Of course, Reid couldn't help himself with the pick of Arizona quarterback Nick Foles, who broke Drew Brees' records at Westlake High in Austin, Texas. Unlike Michael Vick, Foles has feet of cement, but he does have very good arm strength.
ESPN's Mel Kiper gives the Eagles an A for needs, an A- for value and an A overall:
One of the best drafts in terms of lining up needs and getting guys at spots where I didn't think they'd still be around. They moved up to get Fletcher Cox, an immediate starter. Mychal Kendricks is a perfect fit, and at No. 46, a really good value. The Eagles look a lot better up the middle after this weekend. If Vinny Curry came off the board really early in the second round, nobody would have been surprised, so to get him at No. 59 is a steal. Nick Foles has the upside of an NFL starter, and Andy Reid could turn him into something. Brandon Boykin is my No. 9-ranked corner, so I love the value as a fourth-rounder. I thought they might get a tackle earlier, but it's hard to quibble given the value they got with every pick early on.
Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com gives the Eagles a B+:
The Eagles landed three good defensive players with their first three picks, including top pick Fletcher Cox. They had to improve that side of the ball. After that, they picked up some quality players in the latter rounds. It was a good weekend for the Eagles.
Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com gives the Eagles a B+:
It's safe to say Andy Reid and Howie Roseman approached this draft with defense in mind. The best four picks (Cox, Kendricks, Curry, Boykin) play on Juan Castillo's side of the ball, and at least two of them are Week 1 starters. Boykin could make it a trifecta if he unseats slot corner Joselio Hanson and the nickel package counts. Surrendering picks 114 and 172 to slide up three first-round spots for Cox seems like a lot, but the Eagles made an offsetting move by dropping eight selections in round two and adding pick 123 in a trade with Green Bay. The late-rounders were impressive as well. McNutt has requisite size and straight-line speed, and college tackle Washington is a potential future starter at guard. While this draft group fell just shy of an "A" grade, it makes Philadelphia's roster considerably more impressive, particularly on "D."
Tony Pauline of SI.com lists 11 steals from the draft, and three are Eagles picks:
The Eagles' desire to acquire Cox was well documented before the draft. The fact they gave little away to move up three slots and choose him makes this a huge coup for the organization.
Clark Judge of CBSSports.com thinks the Eagles' draft made sense:
Then there's Philadelphia, a club intent on returning to the playoffs. It made four of its first five choices defenders -- with the Eagles jumping up to take defensive tackle Fletcher Cox with the first pick. That's the urgency you should have when you blow five fourth-period leads, something the Eagles and Dallas had in common last season.
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I 'm a little surprised that some are only giving a B. I thought this was an easy A.— Mugwumps88
Comment removed.- In Kendricks and Cox, I think the Eagles got the players they wanted. This was probably better than going Kuechly in Round 1 (if he'd fallen to 12) and Reyes at DT in round two. The whole value thing is overrated, but Cox, Kendricks, Curry, and Boykins all fell a little further than expected.— armchairGM
- While I am the first to seek out grades to see how the Eagles were ranked, I realize this is all for fun and means nothing. I'm pretty sure the Eagles get great grades every year. Still, I like this draft by the birds. Seemed like they didn't reach for anyone and stuck with the "best player available" mantra. Hopefully, it will pay off.— Commish
- I love that they have signed Chris Polk as an un-drafted free agent. I am even willing to bet he makes the team, even with the degenerative back issue. Let's not forget, this may not become a problem for several years. Best draft in years. Lets get the season started already. LOL.— Eaglemania500
- NFL.com gave the Cowboys an A, Giants a B, Redskins a B and the Eagles a B-.— amblereagles
- Every year on draft weekend, we're winning the SB; hasn't happened yet. I'll wait to see who are the real players and who are the real frauds before making any judgement. History isn't on this organizations side when it comes to the draft.— JBinPA
- For weeks we have been subjected to mock drafts by every pundit with a blog who fancies himself an expert. Never mind the 32 general managers and staffs that spent months studying film, attending combines and assessing their needs. They’ve got a newspaper column, TV gig, or on-line blog. Therefore they know best.
Then, the day after the draft, they give the give the GM and staff a grade on their draft before any of those rookies take a single snap. I think that the grading scheme is like this:
A - You took the guy I said you should take. Since I am a frigging genius, you must be too
B - The guy I said you should pick was already taken, but you took somebody else that I said would go in that round
C - You traded your pick for an established player that will likely contribute more to your team than any college player avail. Good move for you, but it messes up my draft board.
D - The guy I said you should pick was available and you picked somebody else!
F- You are the New York Jets. No matter who you take, they will stink.— Dragon76 - Amen JB!— kchaz
- I'd like to compare the grades all these guys came up with four years ago, for the 2008 draft, with how it actually worked out. It would be interesting to see which, if any writer, got their grades right. We can only hope this draft was an "A."— Lockyer
- Funny, but with everything I've read---and I've read alot on these web pages---I have yet to read ONE person babble about winning the Super Bowl based on this draft. Haven't even read anyone mention that the Eagles will win the Super Bowl at all. I have read people make false claims to help them trash the Eagles organization, like fake Super Bowl claims and accusations that a college kid with parking tickets is the same as a rapist/murderer.— MarioLanza
- I'll reserve judgement until I read the opinions of Ray Didinger, Brian Baldinger and Greg Cosell.— 1republican
- Trust me, if the Eagles don't make the playoffs or go one and out in the postseason, Reid will blame the defense again as he did in 2010 and 2011. Why? Because Reid is an offensive coach and he won't take any blame, although everyone knows it was the offense that fell apart last year. Even the Steelers, the number one defense last year lost a game where they five turnovers and gave the other team 5 extra drives.— mario1239
- Using any objective criteria, there is NO way that the Cowgirls' draft was better than the Eagles.— 5NOT4
- the o lineman they got thats 6'8'' and 320 lbs- can he jump?
if he can, no brainer- stick him in the middle of the d-line for field goals and extra points.
maybe even rent him to the sixers.— bloodymess
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