What I missed: DeSean and the LB search
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What I missed: DeSean and the LB search
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
I still have a few more days left of vacation, but the blogging hiatus is officially over.
With an eye on DeSean Jackson, the franchise tag period, the combine and free agency, let's take a look at what I missed.
WHO'S GETTING TAGGED?
The 15-day period to assign the franchise tag begins Monday, and the Eagles have a decision to make with Jackson.
If the team really believes in building through the draft and holding on to its young talent, I can't see how they'd justify letting Jackson walk as a free agent with nothing in return. The Eagles have drafted 58 players since 2006. Exactly two of them have made a Pro Bowl: Jackson and LeSean McCoy.
I've written at length about Jackson's strengths and his flaws. I'll devote a separate post to how the different scenarios could play out. But it's important to keep an eye on the wide receiver market. The Eagles could look to free agency to replace Jackson. Or they could use some of the other deals in negotiating a long-term deal with him.
Taking a look around the league, Vincent Jackson wants to remain a Charger, but the money has to be right, according to San Diego Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee.
ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss says a fair deal for free agent Wes Welker could look something like four years, $34.5M, with $22M guaranteed. Welker is also a candidate for the franchise tag.
The Bills and Stevie Johnson are "far apart" in contract negotiations, according to the Associated Press. And I have not seen any reports about the Chiefs being close to signing Dwayne Bowe or the Saints moving swiftly to bring back Marques Colston.
The wide receiver market could look different 15 days from now when we find out which of these guys become unrestricted free agents.
KUECHLY, LOFTON AND THE LBs
I saw that NFL Network's Mike Mayock told reporters, including the Inquirer's Jonathan Tamari, that Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly could be a "slam dunk" for the Eagles with the 15th pick in the first round.
If you missed my Draft Diary posts with Kuechly, click here and here.
By the time the draft rolls around, the Eagles may already have their linebacker of the future. One name that's been mentioned as a potential free-agent target is Atlanta's Curtis Lofton. According to Len Pasquarelli of The Sports Xchange/Yahoo Sports, new Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan doesn't view Lofton as a three-down player. Pasquarelli reports that the Falcons want Lofton back, but Nolan has plans to remove him from Atlanta's third-down sub packages.
That note is important for a couple different reasons. For starters, if the Falcons don't view Lofton as a three-down player, they're unlikely to pay him like one.
But perhaps more importantly, other teams interested in Lofton have to decide if they feel differently. He's only 25 years old and finished fifth in the league with 147 tackles last season, according to NFL.com.
AND FINALLY...
Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports reported that the Eagles are at least "curious" about what Randy Moss has left in the tank. Given the splash the Eagles made in free agency last offseason, and the ensuing disappointment, taking a flier on someone like Moss doesn't make much sense to me. Especially since he just turned 35, and no one knows if he has anything left.
The Plaxico Burress rumor probably makes a little more sense. Burress had eight touchdowns last season, including seven in the red zone. The Eagles' offense finished 14th in red-zone scoring percentage, scoring touchdowns 51.52 percent of the time.
If Jackson's back, though, and the Eagles continue to trend toward more two-tight end sets, I'm not sure Burress would see enough playing time here to make him happy. He played 78.8 percent of the Jets' offensive snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. As a point of reference, Jason Avant played 66.4 percent of the Eagles' offensive snaps last season.
Oh, and one last thing. I don't know if Asante Samuel operates his own Twitter account, but here's what it said yesterday:
If they trade me where would you guys like to see me go????
As I've said before, considering that Samuel is 31, due a reported $8.4M next season and most effective in a specific system, don't expect the Eagles to get a lot of value for him if they decide to make a deal.
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Say GOODBYE to desean..welcoome new LBs-GO BIRDS...johnnyu— john ullman- During that same time span the Giants have drafted three players that have gone on to START the Pro-Bowl, the vital statistic Sheil Kapadia finds crucial to determining personnel decisions. They are: Steve Smith, Zak DeOssie (as the long snapper), and Jason Pierre-Paul. You fans having expectations for the Eagles drafting a LB with their first pick are delusional. So as we can see its a very important statistic that has a high correlation with success. Granted the Giants have drafted some real solid players (Manningham, Cruz, Nicks, Linval Joseph, Kiwanuka), but this "how many Pro Bowlers" is bunk. You're setting yourself up for disappointment.— Murrayman
- Eagles will tag DJ and try to trade him and will not be able to because they will ask for too much, he will then play 1 season and walk into a fat contract and the eagles will get nothing.DJ has them by the short hairs and their to stupid to realize it.They will draft a O-line or D-lineman this draft and try to get some obscure linebacker from jacksonville or someplace who they have "been watching since the 07 draft who just needs a chance to play".No SB again in 2012-13 and forever as long as this FO,HC and staff and QB are here.Suckers.
.— sewell guy - Murrayman, would a question you'd prefer be how many of the 58 drafted started more than 20 games. I'd guess that to be a small number as well. More than 2 for sure, but probably fewer than 15.— 4thand10
- Being an Eagle fan, I have to agree with Murrayman. "Ants" came out of (basically) nowhere, and won the SB, with a 9-7 record- after the Birds trashed them on a Sunday night in the Meadowlands, they lit it up.— mrjarn
- The Giants have drafted better over the time period but it hasn't been extremely better. 4thand10 that metric would be much more substantial.— Murrayman
- Not to worry....Howie is on the job!!!— Ssteve115
- Jackson is always near the bottom of the league in drop percentage. He was the worst in the league in 2010. I haven't seen this years stats but they can't be much better. Ever since his concussion has has had "alligator arms" and failed to run back a punt for a TD. this is not a conincidence. He can whine about money all he wants. The truth is his major lack is not money but guts. If the Eagles ever get a decent QB Maclin could lead the league in almost every statistical category for receivers. He is very fast, runs good routes and is intelligent. While he had some drops this past season historically he has been sure handed. If we replaced Vick with Peyton Manning Maclin would have 100 receptions and at least a dozen TDs. Finally, Maclin is a steady guy in the locker room, unlike whiney-hiney Alligator Arms. Let Jackson go and good riddance.— Oddball
- Sewell guy says, the Eagles will "get some obscure linebacker from jacksonville or someplace who they have "been watching since the 07 draft who just needs a chance to play". LOL!!!! The Eagles have said that so many times over the years and every time they bring in a guy like that he's garbage. Ernie Sims, that running back out of Miami ... What was his name again? Skinny guy. Couldn't play. Well, you get the picture. Thanks for the laugh. I needed that.
— kingsolomonsmind - Wait it out and make a competitive bid on a FA wide receiver, let DJax walk and draft an LB in the 1st round. Maclin is ready to be the #1. Bring in Colston, or any of the other names mentioned to play opposite him, move Cooper up to #3. Can they afford Welker? Will NE let him walk? I doubt it.— otown philly fan
- Wow, 2 out of 58, thats bad. To make it worse, it looks like we're trying to get rid of one of them.— airbuzz
- During that same span, 146 players have been drafted before the Eagles had a chance to make a single selection. And in that same span, they traded away a first-round pick as part of the trade for Jason Peters, so they got excellent value from that pick. The biggest single reason the Eagles haven't drafted more Pro Bowl players is that they have been too successful to have a high draft position. Hate them if you must, but facts are facts.— Section 730
- The Eagles have no clue what losing Jackson will do to their offense when the other team is making three defensive players watch him Roseman won't tag jackson. He will try to steal Jackson in a low salary deal. Rosenhaus & Jackson won't go for that. The Eagles problem last year was the quarterback, not the wide receivers and a league high 36 turnovers. Why are these idiot fans blaming Jackson?????— mario1239
- The Eagles are such a joke. "Curious about what Moss has left in the tank", "taking a flyer on Burress"... What good will it do when Vick can't get them the ball? 3 mil for Steve Smith and he caught what, 10 passes? The problem isn't the receivers.— GJK3161
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