Amid all the trades and picks and Ellis Hobbs on Sunday, some of the Eagles' later round selections did not get much attention. One who caught our eye is wide receiver Brandon Gibson, chosen in the sixth round from Washington State.

Why he caught our eye is that he knows rookies are supposed to show deference to the veterans. In talking about the Eagles quarterback, he referenced him as "Mr. McNabb." Not sure how that will play at minicamp, but it seemed like a good start.

Gibson finished his career as the school's all-time leader in receiving yards with 2,756 and second on the Cougars’ career list with 182 catches. His production fell off in his senior year as Wash. State changed coaches and styles of offense. He was planning to come out as a junior, but stayed and saw his team finish 2-11.

“It was kind of hard; I didn’t play to the best of my abilities. I was frustrated,” Gibson of his senior season.

He was not sure he would even be picked at all.

“I didn’t think I was going to have an opportunity to play or get drafted,” he said. “St. Louis gave me a call at the end of the fifth round, to see if I was still alive.”

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Guess who just won't go away? Freddie Mitchell. And now, we're not helping the cause. Mitchell has started a new blog to tout himself and his business ventures. He promises that you can "get the straight scoop from the man himself, right HERE!" You also can follow him on Twitter. (Credit the folks at Pro Football Talk for finding Freddie's blog).

Couple of quick excerpts and then we're moving on ...

Asked whether Andy Reid was a fair coach, Mitchell said, "Andy Reid is a very fair coach and I loved him to death. Looking back on things, I think that I speak for myself as well as most other players, we wish that we had the same type of relationship that he had with Donovan McNabb … we’d probably all still have jobs … lol!"

Asked whether he would be able to play if a team came calling, Mitchell said, "I am at 100%, running sprints, miles and I am ready for training camp."

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Congratulations to former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, who recieved two honors Monday. He was voted to the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and was named the Professional Athlete of the Year by the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Dawkins will be honored by South Carolina on May 18 and inducted into the Clemson hall on Sept. 4.

Dawkins played strong safety at Clemson from 1992 through '95 and was then drafted by the Eagles. He had six interceptions as a senior and was named a second-team All-American. He set a school record that season with three interceptions in a quarter vs. Duke.

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The highly respected folks at Pro Football Weekly have rated the Eagles draft as "outstanding," making them one of nine teams to receive the top marks. Here is what Nolan Nawrocki wrote about the Birds:

"Andy Reid and GM Tom Heckert sacrificed the selection of OT Jeff Otah last year, trading the pick to Carolina for an additional first-rounder this year that they were able to use, along with a third-rounder, to acquire OLT Jason Peters from Buffalo. They also made a shrewd deal with the Patriots to acquire CB Ellis Hobbs for two fifth-round picks, coming away from this draft with two established veterans. Most impressive, however, was how they continued to work trades to upgrade the offense, adding a multipurpose playmaker in Jeremy Maclin and a change-of-pace back, LeSean McCoy, both of whom possess starter potential. Cornelius Ingram could turn out to be a steal in the fifth round when he recovers fully from a torn ACL, and CB Victor "Macho" Harris should find a role in sub packages. Overall, no team came away with as much proven talent as the Eagles did in this draft.
Grade: Outstanding"