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 don't get how people are giving the Cowboys a higher grade for their draft.— Badhog- I think it would have been graded an "A" if they didn't draft Foles. No offense to him, but he was not an absolute need at this point. We could have used another potential impact player, and picked up a QB next year.— Bobphxville
- I basically agree. But, it appears that Andy's philosophy is to keep a developing QB. This year for Kafka, it is ether progress to legitimate backup, or he's gone. In hindsight it would have been better for the team if Kafka had played last year instead of VY. They might have a better handle on where he is.
Comment removed.- With any luck, the Cowboys "victory" in the draft will bring the the same results as the Eagles "victory" in free agency. The Eagles were able to address needs with highly rated prospects that fell. Hard to do better than that. I love how one analyst states they price "seems like a lot" to move up for Cox while another calls it a steal.
- Sheil, Hope you enjoyed last night and made it in time. Thanks for your great draft coverage, it was a fun & wild ride. Draft looks too good to be true at this point along with some of the FA's like Polk. Lots of competition in camp for roster spots. You gotta love Curry not letting cameras into his place because of not wanting to take down all his displayed Eagles gear. Great kid & story, hope it turns into something special here for him, maybe even a movie, INVINNYCABLE.— NWBeachBum
- The Eagles are run by the equivalents of George W. Bush and the criminal Republican Party, dysfunctional, incompetent, criminal, and complete embarrassment. Of course, just like the Republicans slur the black president, the Eagles scream racism when you point out incompetent Castillo is, and bias against the weight-challenged when you complain about Reid. I wish we could vote them out like we did George W. Bush.— eldiablodelsol2009
- Comment removed.
- How the F$%* did Cowbutts grade better than the Birds? Jerry Jones is a bigger idiot than anyone in the league and has no right to own a team. F--- the Cowbutts and the horse they rode in with.— philadelphiachild51
- This regime has not drtafted well......At least 4 d-line flops..."show me state" of mind says wait n c...fat boy can't draft— Wizmix
- Dragon76......ROFL!!! You must do stand-up.— Romus
- If the Birds had taken Foles in the 5th round, instead of higher, then the grading would have been higher...doesn't matter one way or the other until the prospects hit the field.— Romus
- Loved the draft, no "smartest guy in the room" picks. Now, if we can just make it out of training camp without any major injuries........
- If you flip flop Boykin with Foles as far as draft positions EVERYONE would have given us an A+.
- I would give them a B. I like the positions they drafted, but I don't think they always got the best player. Kendricks was probably the 3rd best LB available when they picked him. I would rather they had taken Lavonte David or Zach Brown. I also thought they should have taken the safety Iloga from Boise. All-in-all not too bad.— Bama
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