NFL Network analysts focus on Philly
Retired players Maurice Jones-Drew and Steve Smith talk about the city hosting the event and the Eagles' draft prospects
FORMER NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew isn't terribly familiar with Philadelphia.
A California native who spent his entire career in the AFC, Jones-Drew's Philly experience is mostly limited to a couple of preseason games and a regular-season visit when the Jaguars beat the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in 2006. He ran for 77 yards.
Jones-Drew is in town this week with his colleagues from the NFL Network. As he chatted with reporters Wednesday from the 27th floor of the Center City Sheraton, one of the things Jones-Drew is most curious about is the actual logistics of the draft. It's a feeling shared by anyone who has been stuck in traffic around the Art Museum over the last month.
"It's always exciting when the NFL brings an event to a city because you get characters from all over coming in to be a part of it," he said, while also pointing out that this is Penn Relays week. "It's going to be a challenge for the NFL and the city."
That's when someone reminded Jones-Drew that Philadelphia hosted the Democratic National Convention last summer and the pope in September 2015.
"The who? The pope came here?" Jones-Drew exclaimed. "If you can handle the pope, whew . . . They didn't throw batteries at him, did they? (He laughed.) Just making sure."
Wait. Maybe he does know Philadelphia.
If you are unsure about what the Eagles are going to do with the 14th overall pick, you're not alone.
Jones-Drew would go in one direction.
"If I'm the Eagles and we paid all that capital to get Carson Wentz, I'm going to make sure we put the weapons around him," MJD said. "I think this draft is deep enough that you can get (defensive starters) in the third and fourth round."
Steve Smith, who joined the NFL Network after retiring in January, would go a different route.
"When you really evaluate the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the things they don't have is a lock-down corner," said Smith, a wide receiver for 16 mostly outstanding seasons with Carolina and Baltimore.
"It pains me to say this, but this is a strong defensive draft. Because of that, it pushes down (many of) the offensive players. But you can't pass up these playmakers at corner . . . You don't want to pass up these guys while reaching for a wide receiver."
Problem is that two cornerbacks projected to be first-rounders at the beginning of draft season will not be. Sidney Jones tore an Achilles' at Washington's pro day in March and Ohio State's Gareon Conley was accused of rape earlier this week, an accusation Conley denies.
Washington's Kevin King or Alabama's Marlon Humphrey could be cornerback options for the Birds depending how the draft plays out.
Smith also pointed to the Eagles' free-agent signings of wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, though both are virtually on one-year deals. If Jeffery stays healthy, he's a borderline No. 1. Torrey Smith, who struggled in two seasons with the 49ers, is a bigger wild card.
"He has a night-and-day quarterback situation compared to what he had in San Francisco," said Steve Smith, who played alongside Torrey Smith for one season in Baltimore. "Torrey has a lot to prove, but he understands that. He's excited to prove that he can get back to being a playmaker."
That's tomorrow's problem. At hand is what the Eagles will do with the 14th pick. It's such a deep draft, a trade cannot be ruled out. The only thing Mayor Kenney and Police Commissioner Richard Ross are rooting for is that nobody throws any Duracells.
"You want to put weapons around your quarterback, because that's what this league is about," Jones-Drew said. "You had a young guy (Wentz) who showed a lot of promise last year without receivers, guys dropping a ton of passes. The running game was (inconsistent).
"I think they go get weapons for him early and then go get defensive players later on."
@EdBarkowitz