Eagles 2020 Offseason

[nycphils]

Looks like in his highlights Goodwin is just an X receiver, but I wonder if he’s capable of playing the slot? He’s probably too injury prone to send him over the middle.

[jimbomill]

Other than Hurts, I thought they did a nice job with the draft. I like Reagor,

My sentiments are similar. Hurts is a talent, but for the Eagles, he was not what we needed at pick #53 with what was left on the board. I am OK with Reagor, too. He has what we want, recognizing that the combine 40 time is an eye opener, in that other reports insist he's got the speed we want.

[phillychuck]

Basically it would have been a near-perfect draft to me if they could now trade Reagor and Hurts for Lamb, which was apparently offered pick-wise when Atlanta was on the clock in round 1.

[rpmcmurphy]

I agree. I guess the Eagles figure that Reagor+Hurts>Lamb. I don't agree, but I feel better about the pick since it seems that his speed at the combine was slower than his normal speed and that he has a credible sub 4.3 as his true speed (hopefully).

[Florida_Sunshine]

You realize that Alshon and DeSean will now have great years and Hurts will get a lot of playing time and be a star!

[phillychuck]

I think he's credibly about 4.35...which is very fast. He seems fast on tape but not as fast as Hightower or Watkins. He's a better receiver and much, much stronger, though, I just don't think his speed shows as much in pads.

[phillychuck]

I would be upset if Hurts plays a lot; it would mean Carson is injured, I'm afraid.

But that scenario could play out.

It would be weird if it was like 2017 or 2019, where Wentz plays well and gets them to the playoffs but gets injured, and this time Hurts comes in and plays as well as Foles did in 2017...WIP would be nuts.

[zambonir]

Just can't imagine a rookie QB being an adequate back-up come playoff time. Even Wentz himself wouldn't have been ready (if he hadn't started any games).

Hurt is still a weird pick but I don't think the gap between Lamb and Reagor is big enough to be worth that second-rounder (and that's certainly what the draft says too).

[Florida_Sunshine]

Keep in mind when evaluating this draft. We sent two draft picks to Detroit for a stud CB.

[rpmcmurphy]

Truthfully, the Hurts pick was so far off my radar that I just now looked up his stats. In addition to his nice passing stats at a big program, he rushed for 1298 yds last year, and had the 2nd fastest 40 time among QBs. They are probably planning on incorporating various RPO’s, either by direct snap or halfback options. Could be effective. Plus, I think that Wentz has the emotional maturity to handle the situation.

I still don’t like the pick, but maybe I hate it a little less. Am I just grasping at straws here?

[zambonir]

Well, I don't know if you include that in the evaluation of the draft per se, any more than Goodwin. But they were assets, utilized, and yeah, they might have used another pick - maybe even the 2nd - on a DB otherwise.

In hindsight I think you can say they thought they were going to get Lamb. It wasn't worth trading with the Falcons because there was no reason to think Dallas would take him. If one of the next three teams had tried to make a deal it shouldn't have taken the 2nd-rounder.

I thought this was a joke, but...

dhm on Twitter

[Florida_Sunshine]

When you are looking at the draft, I think you have to bundle what the picks acquired. I don't know how one would not look at it that way? If you are Detroit this year, would it be fair for them to evaluate their draft based on picks acquired by trading Slay for 2 picks or do you realize in your evaluation that you traded away an asset for those 2 picks?

From our perspective, it is an incomplete evaluation to not include Slay...we gave up 2 picks from this draft class for him. It also filled a need that most of us felt we would need to fill at draft time.........

[zambonir]

Well, it is largely semantics. You could say the same about free agency needs which affected draft needs. In the end only the full picture matters (and nobody knows anything for 2-3 years anyway). But yeah, the Slay deal is another reason why they didn't trade up, presumably.

If you do consider all transactions related to this draft to be part of evaluating the draft, there's a whole lot else to include:

The Eagles traded their 2020 third-round pick (No. 85) and their 2020 fifth-round pick (No. 166) for Darius Slay.

The Eagles ultimately traded the fourth-round compensatory pick (No. 146) they received for letting Golden Tate leave in free agency for three 2020 selections and the Dallas Cowboys’ 2021 fifth-round pick.

_The Eagles traded Johnathan Cyprien and the 2020 seventh-round pick (No. 228) they originally received from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in last year’s DeSean Jackson trade to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Duke Riley and the Falcons’ sixth-round pick (No. 190). _

The Eagles then traded down 20 spots in the sixth-round (No. 210) for veteran wide receiver Marquise Goodwin from the San Francisco 49ers.

The Eagles traded their 2020 sixth-round pick (No. 200) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Jordan Howard last year. Howard walked in free agency, which will potentially allow Philly to recoup a sixth-round compensatory pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Grading the Eagles’ 2020 NFL Draft class

[jimbomill]

Just can't imagine a rookie QB being an adequate back-up come playoff time.

Indeed - Hurts hasn't played one down against an NFL defense. If he's getting enough in game reps, then something went awry with Wentz and his recent contract hurtles towards being an albatross.

If we needed a QB, I'd be good the Hurts picks, actually.

[LegoDoom]

Lamb has a reputation of partying a lot, which is probably why he slid.

If Hurts is strictly a backup QB, then I agree it's a bad pick. I don't think he will strictly be a backup QB.

I am all for trying to predict how a player will develop/fit into the pros, but I don't think anyone really knows how the Eagles plan to use Hurts. I'm willing to wait on this one.

The Saints are finalizing a deal with Jameis and just signed Taysom Hill to a 2/$21M/$16M contract. There are different ways to look at the "QB" situation.

[zambonir]

I think the questions about when and what the NFL will actually be this season does come into play here too. A shorter, delayed or otherwise restructured season may introduce some unexpected variables, with regards to practice and development time, injury risk and even style of play. Building the best possible team to win 12 or 13 games may not be possible (and maybe wasn't anyway). Being good enough to make the playoffs while having a big x-factor as either your additional weapon or your insurance policy may have additional value.

That Schefter report seems crazy because you would think that if even a handful of NFL players get the virus the season is over (and delaying the season seems utterly nonsensical because November or January will probably be worse than August and September). Could they actually view the virus as something to be lived with like any other ailment (i.e., your QB gets it and just misses four games)?

[flyers19rw]

In 2018, Flacco went down mid season for the Ravens. Rookie QB Lamar Jackson stepped in to finish the season and start in the POs. The Ravens lost but Jackson filled the void as well as any backup could have done. If a similar scenario happened with the Eagles, Hurts could do as well for the team. Hurts is not the passer that Wentz is but Doug has shown that he can alter an offense to fit the needs of a different QB.

[zambonir]

Well, you have definitely described Hurts' upside. If he's Lamar Jackson Doug and Howie will look very smart (and if so they could just as easily be trading Wentz rather than Hurts in two years). But if anyone thought he was Lamar Jackson we wouldn't have even be able to get him at 21.

[Florida_Sunshine]

Maybe not so smart. Didn’t they trade the 32nd pick in 2018, last in first round, to the Ravens so that the Ravens could draft Lamar?

[zambonir]

Well, that's funny (and I guess you could have gotten Lamar at 21 too).