NFL combine set to begin

If the Eagles want help on the offensive line, at cornerback, or anywhere else on their roster, they may have to wait months to get it, but they can get a sneak preview this week at the NFL scouting combine.

With free agency more of an expectation than reality right now, April's draft likely will be a team's first opportunity to remake its roster and fortunes for next season.

The Eagles will be hoping to find improvements - likely better protection for Michael Vick and a reliable complement to Asante Samuel - among more than 300 potential draft picks who will arrive in Indianapolis to show their speed, strength, and agility in drills, and intelligence and personalities in interviews from Wednesday through March 1.

As the Eagles evaluate their options with the 23d pick in the first round, two draft analysts said the team may have to look for offensive linemen, because the safe bets at cornerback are likely to be long gone by the time they select.

"If you're looking for a corner at the end of the first round, you might have a problem," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "There's a big drop-off after the first two."

The top corners, Patrick Peterson (Louisiana State) and Prince Amukamara (Nebraska), are expected to be selected early. The next tier includes Jimmy Smith (Colorado), Aaron Williams (Texas), and Brandon Harris (Miami), though analysts have raised doubts about whether they are worthy of a first-round pick.

The offensive line class, however, is deep, with many solid options in the first two rounds, according to Mayock. He sees five offensive tackles worthy of first-round picks: Nate Solder (Colorado), Tyron Smith (Southern California), Derek Sherrod (Mississippi State), Gabe Carimi (Wisconsin), and Anthony Castonzo (Boston College).

Mayock also talked up the prospects of Villanova's Ben Ijalana, who, coming from a smaller school, will be among the players who need to make a strong impression.

"As far as the offensive line, I think it's real deep," Mayock said, though he added that each of the top tackle prospects has shown flaws.

The combine will be about much more than the big names, though. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said he "easily" could see the Eagles trading out of the first round if the top offensive line talents are gone. The less-heralded linemen available in Round 2 might be as good as the ones on the board late in the first round, he said.

"I could very easily see [the Eagles] take advantage of teams trying to get up and get one of the last defensive ends," in the first round and getting two or three extra picks in exchange, McShay said.

Clint Boling, a tackle from Georgia, is one player who could be a second-round target, he said.

On the line's interior, center/guard Mike Pouncey (Florida) could be an option late in the first round, though opinions on him vary widely. His brother, Maurkice, was a Pro Bowl rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, though Mike is not regarded as highly.

Normally, the first chance to improve a team would come with a free-agent blitz in March. Instead, March 4 is widely expected to bring a lockout and a freeze on all player movement as NFL owners and players wrangle over a new collective bargaining agreement.

That leaves the draft - itself full of risks and uncertainties - as the only sure chance for teams to bolster their rosters.

Eagles president Joe Banner said there has been talk in league circles for years that holding the draft before free agency might make sense.

Having the more unpredictable draft first would provide certainty about the rookies on board when they decide which veterans to pursue. Usually, teams have to sign free agents while only guessing which players will be available when their draft slots arrive.

"It will be different, but it will, I think, be helpful in terms of identifying where you want to focus your free agency," Banner said.

If and when that happens.